Italics = flashbacks <3 (besides the quotes @ beginning & end of chapter)
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
need you for the old me, need you for my sanity...
"Not because of John, huh?"
Nicole was shocked, even though in the back of her mind she knew he'd be sitting next to her. Over the past few months, they always made sure to have seats next to each other so they could talk or sleep peacefully without a stranger or another superstar they weren't particularly fond of bothering them during the flight. Nicole kept quiet, ignoring his question but remembering his orders from earlier, "Please don't speak to me anymore." She remembered the sadness in his voice and the distraught look on his face before he left her alone to think about her decision. Every time he comforted her, made her laugh, let her rest during long drives, and the sweet conversations the two shared clouded her mind. She smiled at those thoughts, but was quickly snapped out of that perfect reality by his voice... his sweet voice. "Hello? Nicole?" Her eyes snapped towards him, but words could not escape her lips. "Are you gonna answer my question?" He asked plainly, no emotion on his face. "You asked me not to talk to you." He rolled his eyes slightly and let out a soft chuckle. "Oh, I know. Just wanted to call you on your bullshit."
Nicole felt a pang in her chest at his bitter response. The man she once spent all her time with now hated her guts and it was all because her decision broke his heart. However, Nicole was not the kind of person to be seen as a fool. Even if she was in the wrong, she never let anyone call her out on it. It was one of the things her and John argued about most. In an attempt to stand up for herself, she looked him straight in the eyes and smirked. "Fine. You want me to admit it? I broke things off with you because of John. Because I love John, not you. I don't even like you. And whatever you think was going on between us was nothing to me. I was in a vulnerable place, and you were the perfect rebound. So there, are you happy?" After her rambling, she took a deep breath and waited for a reaction. He gave her a smirk of his own and turned to face her in his seat. "If you're going to address me in such a rude manner, Nicole, at least use my name while doing so. You know, the name you we're going to moan out last ni-"
He stopped speaking when a tired looking Becky Lynch sat in the seat next to him. She leaned back in her seat before glancing at the two. "Hey guys. Damn, you two look tense. Everything okay?" She questioned, glancing between the two. "Everything is just peachy." He mumbled to himself, slipping his earbuds into his ears and closing his eyes. Nicole couldn't help but study his face. His expression reminded her again of their conversation in the hotel room. His eyebrows were scrunched up and his lips had formed a frown. "Can you stop staring at me?" He huffed out, glancing down at her without moving his head. She turned to face the window, hurt by his comment. Even though she had basically just shut down everything the two had, she didn't mean anything she had said. Nicole hoped he knew that. • He slung his bag around his shoulder and gripped the other in his hand as he quickly headed out to his car to avoid the rain. Nicole's words and actions flooded his mind as he sat in the car. "Whatever you think was going on between us was nothing to me." He gulped and felt a shiver at her words as if she was in the car saying them now. As he began to back out, he heard a tap on the glass next to him. There she was out in the rain, with no coat on and shaking like crazy. Briskly yet hesitantly, he got out of the car and helped her with the heavy bags she was carrying. He took his jacket and wrapped it around her warmly, giving her a small smile as if he forgot about the words she spoke earlier. They quickly got into the car and that was when he spoke. "What the hell, Nicole? What were you doing in the rain?" "I thought I'd be riding with John, but he didn't tell me he'd be with Styles. I'm sorry I just didn't know who to go to." She spoke honestly, her teeth chattering between every word. "Oh Nicole." He mumbled to himself, looking through his bag in the backseat for another jacket. Handing her a hoodie, he simultaneously turned the heater on then began to finally exit the airport. "Thanks for letting me ride with you, even after all the stuff I said." He nodded coldly. "I mean yeah, I'm not a monster despite what you may think." "Look I- I'm sorry for everything I said, okay? I'm just stubborn." "You could've been honest with me, Nicole. It would've hurt way less." He confessed, letting out short breaths. She nodded in response and uncertainly grabbed his hand, surprised he didn't pull away from her instantly. "In the moment, I thought lying was the best thing to do." "I understand." He spoke understandingly letting her rub his hand. "God, what am I gonna do about you Nicole?" He said to himself softly, pulling onto the freeway. • The once cloudy sky was now pitch black. The only thing he could see in front of him were the bright headlights of other drivers. He listened to Nicole's soft snores, her hand still gripping his tightly. Glancing down at her quickly, he tried not to smile but found himself doing exactly that. 'She broke your heart a few hours ago. Get a grip, man!' He thought to himself and her words once again found their place in his mind. 'I'm gonna end it now before it even starts.' Did she really mean that? Every time he saw her with John, she looked so unhappy. Yet, she'd melt into his arms and forget anything ever happened. Like he didn't dump her for publicity, or anything. He scoffed quietly at that thought, trying not to wake her. 'Why should I care if she wakes up? Why did I even let her in my car?' With that, he remembered the first car ride the two shared together only a few months prior. • He tapped his free foot lightly, listening to the low hum of music coming from the radio. The woman next to him was sound asleep, her headphones in, though he could hear no music coming out of them. He then began to focus on his surroundings and become familiar with the area around him. He couldn't help himself and took another brief glimpse at her. Her lips were scrunched together and her chest rose up and down. From the few encounters he had with Nicole in the past, he noticed she did that with her lips often. He wondered what it felt like to kiss them. "God, that's creepy." He muttered to himself, letting out a low chuckle. She stirred away at the sound, her eyes going wide at the now dark sky. "Shit, I'm sorry. I should've stayed up with you." She commented, looking at the time that read 3:00 am. "No worries. I like these night drives. Gives me a time to clear my mind and shit." He commented, throwing a sly grin her way. She snickered softly and put her headphones back in. After a few moments, he heard her slow, sweet breaths signifying she was asleep again. Hesitantly, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek then continued the drive to the hotel that didn't feel so lonely anymore. • There he was, in the same predicament where he first discovered his feelings for her. Driving to the hotel on a dark, cloudy night with the girl of his dreams asleep in the seat next to him. This time he wasn't hesitant in placing a kiss on her cheek. She didn't stir, but he could've sworn he saw her smile, deep in dreamland. And that's exactly where she belonged, in his dreams. That's all she'd ever be, just a dream.
can you hold me when nobody's around us? open your heart up, hoping they'll never find out that you're anyone else
Hi hi hi. Sorry this chapter is lowkey lame but I hope you guys liked it! I already know the exact direction I want to take this book and how I want it to end, so all I need to do now is write! Also in a few chapters, Nicole's mystery man meat will finally be revealed! I know it feels like I just started writing this but this book is coming to an end soon, but I do have a sequel planned if anyone is interested in that! I also may be uploading a Becky Lynch book soon but idk! Anyways, happy reading! <3
