Cuddle Buddy

31

Niklaus's POV

Even though I enjoyed having a girl that I could hook up with when I needed to forget about something or to just relief, I knew this agreement I have with Jane will only bring more fights and today I almost lost her. I can't lose Caroline. After being with Kate and she tried to show me Caroline's point and making sure I knew that she was on my side, I had to tell her that we should stop having sex, that I needed to stop just using her for sex every time I was pissed or horny, that I wanted her friendship but with no benefits and she take it well, she even said that she knew this would happen in the moment I told her about Caroline.

After leaving Jane's place, I called Caroline and asked her to meet me at my apartment, which she replied with "I'm on my way".

I drove to my apartment and a few minutes after I got there, Caroline appeared.

"Hey! How are you? I mean, I know you aren't okay but..."

"I need to tell you something and you might hate me after I tell you." I said.

"Klaus, what happened?"

"I lied."

"What?!" Caroline asked upset and hurt.

"After the phone call I said that I was going to take a walk and wanted to be alone but that's not what happened. I went to meet Jane and had sex with her because it was the only way I found to not make things worse between me and my father but then I had a conversation with her and we decided to be friends with no benefits."

"Why did you lie to me?" She asked hurt but not as much upset as before.

"Because I... I don't know... I didn't want you to think I'm that guy who just uses girls."

"And why did you and Jane decided to stop having sex?"

"Because I like her as a friend and I nearly lost you just because I have sex with Jane."

"I didn't said anything about breaking up your little arrangement with Jane."

"You didn't need to. I know you don't like it and... I started to think how it would be if I knew you were having sex with Stefan or some other guy and I felt angry and jealous and hurt. I know you don't want to do anything about whatever it is that there's between us but I don't want to be the reason you're upset and I definitely don't want to lose you." I said and she hugged me.

***

I was now pouring more bourbon to my empty glass while Caroline was still in the middle of her drink and I kept talking about what my father did.

"I mean, I'm fine with him not giving me money. But did he had to do that behind my back. Couldn't he just tell me? Why does he act like that towards me? Why he always lash out on me?"

"Klaus, He was wrong by not talking about it but you were living with your siblings in a family house and that probably hit a nerve in him and he sees that you are trying to be independent and maybe this was just his way of though love." Caroline said.

It was obvious she didn't know my father nor knew how he was to me. Anyone who saw the way he treated me, could see it wasn't tough love, he had no love when it comes to me. He hates me for some reason. He is though and rigid but he never showed so much violence and hatred as he always have shown to me.

"I wish it was that. My father hates me."

"What? I'm sure he doesn't hate you." Caroline said, trying to comfort me.

"He does. He is always saying how I'm not good enough, how I am going to end up ruining my family's good name and how I am such a failure. He hates me." I said.

"Well, if he hates you then he is just a dumb jerk because I know you and I can't even imagine how someone can hate you. You are not a failure, far from it... just look at your art. Do you think someone who was a failure would do something as beautiful as those paintings you showed me? Don't let him nor anyone makes you doubt yourself nor your talent. You are an amazing and talented person, you are caring and protective over the people you're close to, you're there when someone needs you and you are so brave... do you think there are many rich people who would just leave their place and get a place of their own with their money that they got from their work? No. They go to live to another place but with the help of their family's money. You are now truly independent and that's something no one will be able to take from you. You owned your independence by getting this place with your money."

"You think I'm brave?" I asked because even if I had drank a little too much I still hear clearly what she was saying.

"I don't think. I know. You leaving your family's place to be independent shows how brave you are." Caroline said.

How can she see me as someone who's brave? I left because I was tired of being beaten by my own father. Many times I had nightmares about him hurting me and some of them he would even kill me. How can someone so afraid of their own father look brave in her eyes?

"I'm not brave. I'm just scared. Scared of getting hurt, scared of what my father might do to me next, scared of him finding about you and making you leave..." I didn't intend to say the last part but the alcohol and venting about it for the first time in a long time made me say a little too much.

"Not him not anyone will make me leave you." Caroline said.

She's so amazing. She's like an angel send from heaven to guide me.

"Stay the night here." I asked her.

"Okay... do you have anything I could wear as pjs?" She asked.

"You can use one of my t-shirts." I said and she nodded.

"Okay, I'm gonna grab one of your t-shirts, go to the bathroom to change and you can go to bed and wait for me." She said softly and I nodded and went to the bed.

Caroline went to bed only wearing my T-shirt and if it would be another time I would get very horny but right now I just wanted to have her next to me.

"We are going to do something different tonight." She said and put her arm around me to spoon me. For the first time in my life, I was being the small spoon, I was being the one that had the arm wrapped around in a comforting and protective way.