Cuddle Buddy

33

Niklaus's POV

Caroline has been with me, trying to cheer me up and I tried to forget about my father cutting me off but I spend a good amount of my savings with this apartment and I have no idea how I'm going to be able to keep this apartment just by selling my paintings online and work as a photographer. Maybe this apartment was a mistake. Maybe I should just go to my family's place and apologize to my father.

"What are you thinking about?" Caroline asked me. "Don't say it was nothing. You are very quiet and you are clearly in deep thought."

"I was thinking about what I should do. I spend much on this apartment. Yes, I used my own money but that meant most of my savings are now gone because even if this apartment is nothing special, it was still expensive. I am a photographer just for a few times, it's not my work, I don't do that everyday and even if I paint everyday, I sell some of it online but it isn't that expensive." I said. "Maybe if I would go back to live in my family's place, it would solve things between me and my father, maybe not all but at least would solve this situation."

"Klaus, I get that you are questioning your decisions. It's normal. I did the same when I started to live alone. I'm not going to lie, it's scaring be on your own for the first time but then you start to learn with yourself and life and you become independent and free. You won't have to ask for anyone's money to get your things. Because it will be your own money. Of course it won't be easy to get much money to spend and you will have to learn to save your money and not get everything you want to but I know you'll be able to do all this and I'll be right here to help you get your independence."

"What if I won't? What if I give up and go back to my family's place? What if I'm not strong enough to get my independence."

"You are strong enough. I believe in you, you should start to believe in you too." Caroline said and I gave a peck on her forehead.

No one besides my siblings was there for me like she's been nor have showed me their beliefs in me.

Of course then I heard someone buzzing to get inside the building and when I went to see who was it, I saw Rebekah, so I let her in.

"I'm sorry, Love. It's my sister."

"It's fine. I can leave." She said with a small smile.

I didn't want her to leave. I wanted her to stay. I wanted her to be with me, even if it was just as a friend.

"It's your sister. I'm sure she wants to talk to you alone, without anyone intruding." Caroline said.

"I can't try to get rid of her."

"Klaus, it's fine. You should spend some time with your sister. I'm sure she wants to be sure her brother is okay." She said.

"Alright. I'll text you."

"I'll be waiting. Talk to you later, Klaus." She said and after giving me a peck on the cheek, she left.

A few seconds later I heard the door knock. Maybe Caroline decided to stay or forgot something.

"Hello, Lo..." I was saying while opening the door to face Rebekah. "...vely sister!"

"Hi, Nik! How are you? I tried to tell father that he shouldn't do that from the blue but he didn't listen to me, he was all 'If Niklaus thinks he can be independent then I'm going to show what's like independence'." Rebekah said, then looked at the apartment. "This is nice. Where's the dining room? Where the office?"

"Sister, I got this with my own money. I couldn't get a big place, this is it. A living room with a kitchen, then I have a bathroom and a bedroom." I said.

I could see my sister was speechless. She, just like me and all my siblings, was used to big houses with all the luxury we could imagine and now that I was going from living in a mansion to a small apartment let her very surprise to say the least.

"Is better than nothing." She said with a small smile. "But how have you been? You didn't say much yesterday after I told you what happened. I was afraid you would do something reckless like usually and that you would make things worse. I love you, Nik. But you know that sometimes you just think after doing stuff." Rebekah said and she was right.

"After I found out, my friend. The one I told you about."

"Your cuddle buddy?" Rebekah asked with a smirk.

She was the only one who knew about Caroline besides Jane but Rebekah didn't know the name of my cuddle buddy because I tried to be as vague as I could about it to not hear her starting to make movies like she always does when I start to talk a little bit more about a female friend.

"Yes, she tried to calm me down but I couldn't so I told her to leave and then I went to Jane's and..."

"What? What's your problem? Why would you do that? I know that you guys have this agreement but you can't just go to a girl and have sex to forget about stuff."

"I know all that and after I talked awhile with Jane I decided to stop being friends with benefits and just be friends with her. She was okay with that and when I went back here I called my friend and she spend the night with me calming down and also this morning. She's been very helpful."

"Please tell me you're not having sex with no strings attached with her? For the way you always spoke about her, it seemed it was gonna be different and that you actually had feelings for her."

"We are just cuddle buddies and she made very clear she didn't want anything to happen to not ruin this thing that we have going on. But I do care for her and I know she's not like the other woman I met before. That's one of the reasons I stopped being with Jane. I knew if I kept things with Jane I would lose my friend and I have only been able to not go to that house and fight with Mikael because she was here calming me down." I admitted.

"I don't know who this girl is but I'm happy you have her in your life. She clearly makes you happy. When you talk about her I see the same goofy smile that I make when I talk about Stef."

"How is he been treating you?"

"He's been really nice and is looking for a place. He already got a job in this small office. It isn't much but is something. He is going to look for houses today and ask for my help." She said and I nodded.

"I'm happy to see you like this... You look so happy and in peace. You deserve this. Just please don't get hurt."

"Don't worry, Nik. I know how to take care of myself and I also told him about you and how you like to be the overprotective brother."