The Bold and the Beautiful: A Tale Of Demons And Undying Love.

Chapter Seven: Nicole

       "Sasha's in trouble!" I blurted out as I came home to Rick and Maya sitting together on the couch. While they were sitting down looking so cozy, I was out with Zende witnessing something that I shouldn't have seen.

        "What?" Rick asked shocked.

        "Sasha's in trouble!" I repeated, in case he missed what I said the first time.

         "Nicole, honey, you're shaking," Maya said as she came over to me, leading me to the couch. I sat down as Rick offered me a glass of water. I ignored it as I looked at Maya.

       "You'd be shaking to if you saw what I saw," I cried. "It was ugly with these milky eyes and these black pointed horns and-"

         "Did you and my nephew go and see another horror movie again?" Rick asked as he gave me a knowing look.

       "Far from it," I replied as him and Maya exchanged puzzled looks. I took in a sigh as Maya and Rick waited for me to continue. "Sasha has a boyfriend."

       "What? Really?" Maya asked surprised. I nodded.

       "Well it's about time! " Rick exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around Maya happily. He won't be happy for long once I tell them both the whole thing.

       "If anything Nicole, I would think you'd be happy that she has a new boyfriend," Maya stated. "New boyfriend means that she'll no longer chase Zende."

      "Right," I said nodding my head as I tried to clear that creepy picture of Inari out my head.

       "So why do you seem so tense?" Rick wondered. "I'm sure the guy can't be that bad and-"

       "He's not what he appears to be," I interjected. Maya and Rick looked at me as though I was speaking another language. "He's no good. He's-"

       "Is this the same guy who daddy claimed sent him flying into his own table?" Maya asked dully. I nodded. "I mean he saved Sasha from these thugs so I'm pretty sure that he isn't as bad as you and Dad are making him sound."

       "Plus how in the world can someone send someone flying with just a wave of their hand?" Rick questioned as he made a mocking wave gesture with his hands. "I mean unless you're Harry Potter then I understand."

        They didn't understand.

         "He's not human," I said as I stared at the walls in front of me.

         "Not human?" Rick and Maya asked in unison. I nodded.

        "Zende and I saw him kissing some random woman in the woods today after work," I told them. "The woman claimed that he was biting her and pushed him away. Soon as she pushed him away, Zende and I saw this grotesque looking creature's face on Inari's body." Maya and Rick stared in shock as I hugged a cute red puffy pillow that sat next to me on the couch. "It was so horrible. It was-"

      Maya sat beside me and hugged me as I started to cry.

      "It's ok," she soothed as I cried into her. "Ssssssh."

       Rick sat on my other side and patted my hand for comfort. It wasn't the ugly sight of Inari that was making me upset but the fact that I had to explain this to Sasha. It'll hurt her and she may hate me even more than she does now. But at least she'll know the truth.

      "So, not only was he kissing another women but he's a creature as well?" Rick asked as I nodded. "Not saying that I don't believe you Nicole, but is all this really possible?"

       "If mama could forgive dad, Rick, seems like anything is possible," Maya reasoned.

         "You're right," Rick said as he thought about it.

         I sniffed as I wiped away my tears, trying to compose myself.

        "I just can't believe that this all happened," I said as Maya and Rick listened. "Sasha seemed so happy with him and yet he just turned out to be a monster, literally."

      "But it happened too fast," Maya said and she was right. It was only midweek and Sasha was already trusting the creature.

       "Way  too fast," Rick agreed. "That only just goes to show how desperate Sasha wants love."

      "She shouldn't want love from him though," I sniffed as I got up from the couch, "he's too dangerous."

     "I mean he bites women how bad could he be?" Rick joked as Maya punched him playfully on the arm.

       "So what are you going to do about it?" Maya asked.

      "I mean what can I do about it?" I wondered. "If I tell her this, she won't believe me and if I don't then she'll be hurt regardless."

        "Whatever the choice may be Nicole," Rick said as he joined me and Maya from off the couch, "know that you did the right thing no matter what."

        He was right. This wasn't an easy thing to admit to Sasha especially how attached she immediately got to Inari. Bizarre it was too, but I pray that whatever choice that I made, she'll forgive me.

      "Not like any one cares but Brooke let me borrow her golden chandelier earrings which is why I'm here." came Sasha's voice. Rick, Maya and I spun around to see Sasha in a purplish blue circular halter maxi dress with a deep split, revealing her thigh. Of course it looked great on her because she was all leg but she shouldn't be wearing it for that Inari thing.

      "I don't recall Mom mentioning anything about Sasha borrowing her earrings," Rick whispered. I wouldn't be surprised if Sasha lied about that and just wanted to boast to us about Inari.

      "Okay, did I miss something here?" Sasha asked as she looked at the three of us.

      "No," I replied solemnly, "not really."

       "It looked like you guys were having a pow wow and just stopped when I came," Sasha stated.

        "Figures you'd know much about pow wow's," I said dully, "did Inari teach you about that?"

         "Are you jealous or something Nick?" Sasha wanted to know. Yes, because she looked beautiful and was probably going to have a good time out and no,  because I didn't want Inari. "Are you jealous because I found someone who is able to love me?"

       "Here we go," Rick said as Sasha continued.

       "Are you jealous because Zende never took you to these fancy restaurants? Are you-"

       "Are  you done yet?" I questioned rudely.

         "Is she ever," Maya added tiredly.

       Sasha looked from Rick to Maya to me. "I see," she said nodding her head. "I see that you three were talking about me. You always are."

      "We were Sasha," I admitted gravely. "We were talking about you."

      "Why am I not surprised," Sasha said as she gave a curt laugh of annoyance. "What now this time?"

      "There's something that you need to know before you walk out that door tonight," I explained and I hoped that I wasn't going to regret any of this.

       "Whatever Nick," she said uninterested as she picked up two long gold chandelier earrings from off the table that stood near the couch.

       "So she wasn't lying," Rick said softly as Maya nudged him to stop.

        "I don't have time to listen to your cruelness," Sasha told me as she placed both earrings in her ears. "I'm already running a few minutes late for my date and I-"

       "It concerns Inari," I told her solemnly. Sasha froze as she turned to me. Seeing how serious I looked she waited for me to continue and I did.