Pillow Talk

Chapter 12

A/N - I listened to this song on repeat while writing this chapter. Maybe you guys will like it too

***

He was avoiding her.

And the worst part was that only she would know that because no one else knew what happened between them.

Freya wasn't sure what had changed between yesterday at the hospital and today at the rehearsal dinner. But something had. Besides having to link arms with her as the retinue practiced walking down the aisle, Nixon hadn't so much as looked at her.

She racked her brain to try and come up with anything that could explain his shift in behaviour. Besides his mother's outburst yesterday, he seemed in better spirits when she and her family were leaving the hospital.

Thank fully there wasn't anything seriously wrong with his father. It was a case of Gerd which mimics the symptoms of a heart attack. Nothing a change in diet and lifestyle couldn't fix.

Maybe he was still beating himself up about not being there. She wondered if the bruise on his lip had anything to do with it. Freya had wanted to ask him yesterday but he was so upset that she had just let it go.

She should've known something was up when he didn't answer any of her texts. She just wanted to know if he was okay.

Now watching him talking to some of Nicolas' friends, she just felt like a fool. A flute of champagne was clasped in between his fingers a stark contrast to the fruit punch in her's as he laughed at something one of them said.

Freya could tell the laugh was forced. She was stuck to one of the tables, having chatted a bit with some of Sara's friends. But they had gone off to the dance floor while Freya politely declined. Her cousins were here too but most of them didn't like her and the few that tolerated her, had nothing in common with her.

A defeated sigh left her lips. She would always stick out like a sore thumb.

Her eyes scanned the Ford home where the dinner was being hosted and Freya found it to be even more elegant than their home. Marlena Ford definitely had good taste.

"Hey."

Freya almost jumped out of her seat. She turned to glare at her sister, Nicolas standing beside her.

"You scared me Sara.", Sara just rolled her eyes.

Sara looked gorgeous in a teal slip dress with her hair done into an elegant updo. Nicolas looked just as dapper in a blue suit topped with a bow tie.

Nicolas reached out to Freya pulling her into a hug, Freya felt her eyes widen at his sudden gesture.

"I'm so sorry piccolo.", he whispered placing a chaste kiss on her forehead as he pulled away.

All Freya could do was frown in confusion. Sara's eyes held unshed tears, a smile appearing on her face.

"I- I don't understand... ", Freya trailed off.

She noticed from the corner of her eye that Nixon had stopped talking and was now watching the strange exchange.

"Sara told me everything.", Nicolas explained as realization dawned on Freya.

"Oh!", she murmured, looking down at her hands.

"Hey Freya.", Nicolas tilted her chin up to look at him, "You have nothing to be ashamed off. It wasn't your fault and I'm so sorry that you have to suffer for someone else's mistakes."