PECULIAR (✓)

30. Threats

The barrel of the gun threatening my life, makes my vision blurry and my hands shaky.

I walk into my apartment locking the door and turn to see Nicole pointing the gun right at my head.

"You took Victor away from me." Oh God, please give me the strength not to roll my eyes.

"W-what do you mean?", I asked unsure what she was referring to, the date or his arrest.

"You slept with my Vic." I look at her visibly confused, "Um no I did not." Suddenly she screams, "YES YOU DID, YOU ANOREXIC SLUT."

There's definitely no way I can use reason or logic to talk to Nicole, the drugs in her system causing her to be more chaotic, and not in a good state of mind.

I look carefully at the gun and see something that makes me almost laugh. She still has the safety lock on. I wonder if she knows, most probably not judging by the way she's holding it.

My body melts into the chair, once I realise there's no real threat, and I look at her in sadness, this was not my friend. She was crazy about boys but never obsessive about just one. Drugs weren't her thing nor was carrying guns.

Victor really did a number on her.

"Do you want to sit down Nicole?" She looks at me, but slowly sits opposite from me, gun still aimed at my head. She must really hate me, right now.

"I didn't sleep with Victor, we talked mostly about you at the club and then he dropped me off at my apartment and he went to his."

She looks at me and lowers her gun. "Come on Nicole, this is me. You know me, I wouldn't do that." Alarming me even more, she bursts out into tears putting the gun on the table. I go to her side and hug her, while she is mumbling sorry to me.

I get it, I was a mess when I seperated from Cassius and that was just for a week. Love makes people crazy, but also insanely vulnerable. It's easy to get co-dependant on someone, but once they're gone you feel lost. Nicole didn't ask to fall in love with a killer and a drug dealer.

Suddenly, I see my phone ringing. It's Cassius, Ronnie must have told him. I tell Nicole everything's gonna be okay and pick up his call.

"What's wrong Alettra? Where are you? Are you okay?"

Before I could answer him Nicole gets up abandoning the gun and grabbing one of my kitchen knives.

Come on.

"NO. NO. THAT'S THE POLICE. I KNOW IT IS"

Attempting to calm her down again, worried she may hurt herself I tell her, "Nicole, can you please put the knife down everything will be okay?"

"KNIFE! ALETTRA WHERE ARE YOU?" Cassius' scared tone makes me hang up, I know Nicole won't hurt me. "Nicole, listen to me, put the knife down, please," my attempt on putting on an aplomb disposition wavering slightly. Nicole's red eyes shining with unshed tears reflecting her pain, before I can finally process what's happening, she brings up the sharp knife to her arm.

My body moves before my mind can stop me.

I grabbed her wrist strongly, moving the knife away from her arm. We wrestle back and forth, but my mind is focused on keeping the knife away from Nicole. The wailing emitting from her mouth doesn't help me at all, her screams piercing my ears. My head pounds begging me to stop fighting with her, but she doesn't deserve this end. She needs help, not death or pain.

Quickly, I grab the knife by the handle and throw it across the room. Nicole breaks down in my arms again, trying to apologise but her uncontrollable sobs win, leaving her a mess.

Suddenly, my door breaks open and I see Cassius rush in, worry and fear etched in his features. Two police officers also pry the crying, broken girl from my arms. Afraid, Nicole claws at my arms, begging me not to let them take her. Finally, the officers take her and I can't stop the tears escaping my tired eyes, each tear feeling painful. I look up to see Cassius looking at the gun on the table before the police officer takes it away. Through my thick tears, I can see Cassius talking to the officer, but glancing my way in distress.

Cass falls to my side and hugs me, rubbing my back as I cry. Thinking about Nicole, how this amazing, fun girl got reduced to a scared, angry drug dependent person, I can't help but cry wondering what's going to happen to her now.

After I calm down, I see Cass walk out of my bedroom holding a bag of my things. He picks me up bridal style and leads me out of my apartment. "Oh my God, I can't say I missed you doing this," the familiar position bringing a smile to my face, secretly I did miss it. Cassius looks down at me with a smile and places a kiss on my forehead. "You scared me, baby", he whispers looking deeply into my eyes.

My sweetheart has been through a lot, today's events must have been so distressing for him. I tilt his lips down, and join our lips pouring my love for him in the kiss. "So I can't stay at my apartment right now, so where am I going to stay?" My coyness makes his lips turn upwards, and he replies back "At your boyfriend's." Wanting to tease him more, I asked, "Which one?"

He lets out a giggle glaring at me slightly, and I can't help but marvel at the sound I've missed the most. The sound of his giggle warms me, especially after his cold demeanour at his office. I missed him, missed us.

He breaks my thoughts with an even more cheeky response, "The boyfriend that will drop you if you say something silly like that again?" This time I giggle at his playfulness, pecking his cheek and burying my face into his neck.

God, how does he manage to make everything feel alright?

When we get home and catch up with my emails from work with Cassius doing the same by my side, I lean into his side a couple of times and he responds with a kiss on the top of my head. I want everyday to be like this.

He gets up from the sofa telling me he's going to check on dinner with a smile, and I can't stop the thought from entering my head. Definitely husband material.

Suddenly, a notification from my supervisor pops up as urgent. The museum wants me to go to Greece, on their behalf, but when I see how long it's for, my heart stops. It's for five months. I'd have to leave Cass for five months.

The magnificent man, the man who I want all my life, walks in with our plates of dinner and dessert, and I practically throw my laptop to the side and paint a smile on my face.

What am I going to do?

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