Going Up (Up & Down Book 1), page 25
Everything seemed perfect, and the one thing I knew about perfection was that it wasn’t something that could keep going forever.
The rest of the week however, was perfect and I was thankful for it. When we left Hawaii on Sunday afternoon, Part of me was sad. Life had seemed easier there somehow.
Once we landed back at LAX. Reality came crashing back. The paparazzi were more than aware of Nick’s presence this time, regardless of the disguise. I walked along side DJ, just slightly behind Nick. As I pulled my suitcase behind me, DJ uttered
“Just keep your head down, the pap’s know both me and Nick, and while this isn’t an ideal situation, it’ll be good publicity in the long run.”
I nodded, and looked down at the ground. The others had managed to escape the hordes of cameras, and part of me wished I’d been with them.
“Who’s the girl Nikolai?” A pap called out He looked familiar, and for a moment I couldn’t place it. Then my heart sunk and I realized who it was.
“I see you bought yourself a new camera.” Nick shot back.
The paparazzo smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Obviously Nick threatening him outside the restaurant that night hadn’t completely scared him off being an invasive asshole.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“She’s my girlfriend,” DJ exclaimed, placing and arm around my waist. “So bug off.”
I looked to my side, trying to hide my shock and confusion for the sake of the pictures that were being taken during what seemed like the longest walk out to the car ever. DJ just whispered, “its better this way. I’ll explain later.”
Finally when we were out of LAX, Nick retrieved his car and the three of us hopped in and drove off. Luckily the paparazzi didn’t follow us and we started the journey home.
“Why did you do that?” I exclaimed, turning back to face DJ who sat in the back of Nick’s car.
“Nick split with his long time fiancee 2 weeks ago. Being seen with you so soon will not be so good for either of your careers.”
“That was all fake though.” I grumbled.
“We know that, they don’t.”
“I want to be successful DJ, but I don’t want to lie to get there, I’ve seen what it does.”
Nick’s hand moved from the gearbox and took mine.
“DJ, I know you’re trying to prevent the backlash, but we’re both alright with it being out there. Sarah is mature enough to handle the fallout.”
I smiled, my heart warmed by Nick’s faith in me. It didn’t matter though, because DJ would not relent.
“I am sorry, but as your producer as well as your manager, I can’t allow it to happen yet. In six months’ time, yes sure. Right now we are in a delicate process, and we’ve invested a lot of money in to you. You need to follow my instructions in relation to this.”
My heart sunk, and I felt a small ball of nausea beginning to form in the pit of my stomach. My perfection was beginning to disappear already and we’d only been off the plane for 15 minutes.
We arrived at DJ’s house and he hopped out of the car.
“There will be a car picking you up in the morning to get down to the studio. Say around 10am?”
“Sure.” I muttered, trying to hide my annoyance as best I could.
“Night guys”
DJ shut the door, and Nick took off.
“I’ll talk to him again, I promise Sarah.” Nick murmured.
“There’s no point, he’s right. If I’m seen to be with you right now, people will think I’m a home wrecking whore. They will make decisions based on the knowledge they have, not the truth.” I admitted, somewhat sadly. “Besides, I know we’re together, and I guess keeping you to myself a little bit longer is alright.”
Nick sighed then nodded.
“I don’t want you to be punished for the bad decisions I made.”
“At least we got to pretend in Hawaii, even for a fleeting moment that we could be a fully-fledged couple.” I replied with a forced smile painted on my face.
“We are a fully-fledged couple.” Nick remarked, hurt present in his voice. “aren’t we?”
“Of course, I meant walk down the street holding hands, dinner together, kissing in public.” I placed my hand over his on the gear stick for a moment, to reassure him. His fingers shifted slightly and caught mine. My stomach fluttered, my heart raced and I felt slightly giddy, I knew at that moment the out and proud moments would never mean as much as the private ones and we would be alright.
Nick drove me back to my apartment, and parked underground. Nick came upstairs with me, to ‘help with my bags’. Of course the minute we were back in my apartment, Nick exchanged my suitcase for me. Still completely and utterly absorbed in each other, we fell in to my bed where we spent hours upon hours making love and talking, just like we had done almost every night in Hawaii.
Finally around 9pm though, Nick left. He had work in the morning, as did I. The nerves kicked in once he left and I had trouble sleeping. In fact the rest of the night was spent curled up under a blanket watching Moulin Rouge which was showing on late night TV. At some point though I finally drifted off to sleep, when the morning light began to shine in through the living room window I reluctantly opened my eyes.
Today I was going to need to focus solely on my music.
I got up and made coffee, after the restless night I’d had, caffeine was the first thing on my mind. Once it was poured and I was sitting at the table ready to take my first sip, the phone began to ring.
With a groan I stood up and walked back to the kitchen. I picked up the black handset and pressed talk. I yawned as I brought it to my ear, and then walked back toward the table.
“Hello?”
“Hello Daughter.” was the bone chilling reply.
I almost dropped the phone in shock, hearing his voice had been the last thing I was expecting. How did he know my number? How was he even calling?
“Cat got your tongue?” He remarked again, his voice cold and callous.
“I don’t know how you have my number, but I refuse to talk to you, goodbye.” I replied.
“I would hold on a second if I were you, Love.” The way he said love made me shudder, I looked around the room suddenly afraid he was hear somehow, watching me, laughing at my stupidity. The room seemed dimmer now and colder. Like the prison cell I’d once worried it would be.
Even from his own cell, he could torture me, he knew my number, and presumably where I lived.
“I’ll kill him.” he whispered down the phone line, a short cackle followed his disturbing words and I almost choked on the ball of fear in my throat.
“You’re in prison. You can’t touch us.”
“Oh princess, it’s sweet and oh so naive of you to believe I would say such a thing without having a plan. I always have a plan. I got away with murder for over 10 years after all honey. Look, I’ll make this easy on you, dump that son of a bitch Nikolai Jackson. He’s the reason I’m in this hell hole and I’ll kill the fucker if you continue to see him.”
My stomach dropped in to my ass and I literally felt that I might vomit on the spot. My perfection was over, well and fucking truly.
“We are one pumpkin, you and I. I will always be a part of you, goodbye.”
The phone line went dead, and for a minute I stood there, completely unsure of what to do or who to call. Had I dreamed the call? Had my past finally caught up with me in such a psychotically spectacular fashion? Had years of repressions suddenly caused me to lose my marbles?
Without think I dialed *69. An automatic phone voice answered with the prisons’ name and number of options.
I chucked the phone at the wall and watched it break in to pieces before sliding down another wall, until I sat on the ground in a puddle of despair and shock.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Realizing I’d broken my home phone I pulled my cell from my pocket. It was 9am, the car would be arriving in an hour to take me to the studio, but I couldn’t see myself leaving these four walls. A cold feeling washed over me and I dialed Nick’s number, I needed him.
“Hey, what’s up? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” Nick said as he answered the call.
“He called.” I rasped, barely keeping control of my voice.
“Who?”
“My father. He called from prison, and he threatened to hurt you, and I don’t know how he got my number or how he knows where together or how he was even calling. Nick….”
“Sarah, I’ll be over soon. Call DJ, and the police. We need to report this. He needs to be banned from the phone or something.” Nick exclaimed, I could hear him get up from his desk.
“Okay. Be safe Nick, please.”
“Always.”
I hung up from nick and called DJ. He canceled the car, and said that we’d start recording tomorrow.
“I’m sorry I am mucking you around DJ.”
“Sarah, you need to be safe, the studio can wait.”
“Thank you.”
I hung up a few moments later, and called the police. By the time I was finished with them, there was a knock at my door. Initially I got a massive fright, maybe it was him? Maybe he’d called because he’d made some kind of mammoth prison escape. Common sense took over, even if some kind of prison break was possible, he wouldn’t knock.
“It’s me babe.” Nick’s voice called out from the other side of the door. I let my shoulders relax as I walked across the floor. I slowly unbolted the locks. Nick opened the door before I could, and pulled me in to his arms. As soon as my head pressed against the warmth of his chest I fell apart. Completely and utterly apart. Nick had never seen me this broken, even when my father had broken in to the house and drugged me. I’d always tried to be so brave, I’d always tried to pretend my past didn’t affect me, because it was only me I had to worry about.
Deep down, part of me believed the words he’d fed me, deep down I felt like my lack of self-worth stemmed from the fact I truly thought I was a waste of space.
But he’d threatened Nick.
He’d said he’d kill him, and after all the things my father had done, after all he’d been capable of in the past, I couldn’t brush his words of as simple torment.
Nick led me across the floor to the sofa and sat me down.
“He’s in prison Sarah, there isn’t much he can do from there.” He murmured, as he sat down next to me. I shook my head, and looked up at Nick, would he be so calm if he knew what my father had said?
“He said he’d kill you Nick. He said that if I didn’t stop seeing you, he’d kill you.” I rasped.
“He’s in prison Sarah. He’s just trying to do what he’s always done to you, and mess with your head. The police will be here soon, and they’ll fix this all up, he won’t be able to contact you again.”
I nodded, choosing to believe Nick’s words over the simmering fear in my stomach.
The police arrived and took my statement. They too assuaged my fears, and told me that he’d probably be put in to solitary confinement, and that his call and threats were a gross breach of prison security. By the time they left I felt calmer and the knot in my stomach was just a slight niggling annoyance.
“Now, I’ve told both Julia and Janie I am out of the office for the rest of today, what do you want to do?” Nick said springing to his feet. He smiled and walked into my kitchen.
“Someone threatens your life and you look like you’re ready to go dancing or something Nikolai.” I warned with a slight smile.
“Someone locked up, in a high security prison… I just don’t feel threatened at all,” Nick said walking back over to me. He held his hand out toward me. “May I have this dance.”
“Nick, I was joking about the dancing.”
“Why? Dancing sounds like a great idea.” Nick grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. His hands snaked around my waist and he pulled me in close. Slowly we swayed side to side; I looked up at Nick as I wrapped my arms around his Nick.
“We don’t have any music.” I noted, giggling.
“I can fix that” Nick whispered, one of his hands slipped from my waist to his pocket. He pulled out his phone and within a few seconds the power ballad I want to know what love is began playing.
“Foreigner? Really.”
“I’m feeling nostalgic.”
“Neither of us were born when this song was released Nick.”
“Sometimes, I wish I was. Music isn't the same as it was. Until you, I see something ‘old school’ in you.” He smiled, as he placed his phone on the table.
Nick moved his free hand up to my face and used his thumb to brush against my skin.
“I’m so glad I found you Sarah.”
“I feel the same.”
Nick leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. The music seemed to disappear as I absorbed myself into the kiss, or perhaps the music surround us. Either way, nothing else seemed to matter. The broken plastic phone behind me didn’t matter, the phone call didn’t matter, my entire life until this point didn’t matter.
My hands moved from Nick’s neck down to his chest. As I began to undo his shirt buttons, Nick’s lips left mine and traveled down my neck. He suckled gently on the skin at first, and then harder which caused me to gasp due to the mixture of both pleasure and pain.
I yanked his shirt off once all the buttons were undone, I smiled as I took in his naked chest, suitably sun kissed from the week in Hawaii.
“Well this is hardly fair,” Nick frowned playfully. “I’m half naked and you’re not.”
“Oh in the name of fair play then.” I laughed, holding my arms up.
Nick lifted my t-shirt over my head and threw it to the side.
“Much better.” He soothed.
Before I could speak, his lips slammed back on to mine, a fireball of need began burned in my stomach and I felt that if I had to remove myself from his touch I would spontaneously self-combust.
Luckily I didn’t have to worry about that. Nick wasn't about to let me go. I ran my tongue along the curve of his neck, stopping only to suck the skin until I’d left a small red mark. Nick moaned slightly.
“You’re trouble.”
“How?” I replied, my voice coarse.
“I don’t ever want to leave this apartment, not for work, not for anything. If I could just make love to you constantly, I would die a happy man.” Nick chuckled, as he walked down the hallway with me still straddled around him. He kicked open my bedroom door and lay me down on my bed.
“You’re a wee bit sex crazed.” I teased.
“Only when it comes to you.” He admitted, with no remorse as he kissed skin underneath my breasts. The fireball in my stomach had moved down, and I yearned for his touch. I knew he could sense this because he let his finger trail down between my legs. Through my jeans he rubbed softly, causing just a little pleasure. I moaned in frustration, my body wanted more than he was giving.
“Be patient,” he murmured. “or anyone would think you’re the sex crazed one.”
“hmph.”
Nick slowly undressed me, never really giving me enough of what I was aching for, but still enough to send my lust through the roof. I squirmed under his touch to the point he chuckled as he held me down and kissed the inside of my thigh.
“I should stop teasing you, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes… No…” I replied confused.
“No? You sure about that?” Nick smiled, his face was the epitome as cheeky as he slid up my body and lifted my arms over my head.
“No,” I replied. “I want you to make love to me before I explode.” I managed to blurt out, my voice sounded frustrated, even I could hear it.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Nick removed his jeans and boxers, then lay back down beside me. I ran my hands over his skin, over his back; he shuddered as my nails scrapped gently along his shoulder blades.
He took my hands again and raised them back over my head, then he positioned himself between my legs, one arm held both mine down, hard against the bed as the other cupped my now naked breast. With one over exerted thrust Nick pushed himself inside of me. I gasped out loudly and tried to move my hands to pull him closer to me. Nick pressed his lips to my ear and whispered.
“Uh uh baby.”
The fireball began to radiate through my entire body as nick began to build up his pace. Spontaneous self-combustion actually seemed like more of a possibility now than it had before, as I was on the brink of my climax. Nick pressed his lips against mine, our tongues danced a soulful dance, and then with one final orgasmic thrust I cried out. Nick’s sweaty body slumped in to mine, and we lay naked together, even falling asleep for a short time.
“Those songs.” I murmured.
“Huh.” Nick replied sleepily.
“Those songs you wrote, I want to read them.”
“Oh, those, I suppose I could go and get some dinner and come back with them.” Nick replied.
“Dinner?”
“It’s almost 5:00pm… we’ve spent most of the day in your bed Sarah.”
I glanced at the alarm clock, 4:50pm. I looked back at Nick and shrugged, spending the day in bed with him was hardly a bad thing.
“Alright, I’d like that.” I answered finally.
Nick stood up, and pulled on his clothes.
“I’ll be back in an hour or two, relax until I get back.” Nick said as he bent down to kiss me on the forehead.
Nick walked out of the bedroom and a few moments after that; I heard my front door shut.
My eyes became heavy and so I allowed them to close. Nick had told me to relax after all. I’d wake when he got back.
I woke to the sound of my phone ringing; I opened my eyes expecting the dwindling light of dusk only to find myself in pitch blackness. I looked at the clock. 11pm.
My blood ran cold as I sat up in the bed. I fumbled around the dark floor for my jeans, for my ringing phone. Where was Nick? Why hadn’t he come back?
Finally, I found my jeans; I ripped my phone from the pocket and didn’t even allow myself to glance at the caller id before I hit the answer button.
