Chapter 4

“Kim, you're safe now. The man has left.” Nicholas's gaze followed until the man's back disappeared from his sight.

“Really?” Kimberly scanned around, relieved not to see the man anywhere. “Thank you for coming just in time.”

“Can you stop doing this, Kim? Don't tempt them with your revealing outfit like this,” Nicholas scolded angrily, realising Kimberly's attire was very provocative and would certainly attract unsavoury attention.

Kimberly rolled her eyes lazily as Nicholas started commenting on her appearance. “There's nothing wrong with my outfit, Nick. It's their dirty minds.” Kimberly turned and strode towards the bar.

“But, Kim—”

“But what, Nick?” Kimberly turned and locked eyes with Nicholas mid-stride. She walked with a sway in her step towards Nicholas. “How do you know what goes on in their minds when you don't know how they feel seeing a woman's body?” Kimberly pushed out her chest, as if trying to tease Nicholas, knowing it would be in vain. Nicholas was gay and wouldn't be tempted by her body.

Nicholas grunted and chose to avert his gaze. Seeing Nicholas like that, Kimberly smiled triumphantly. She then turned and continued her steps towards the bar. Shortly after, Nicholas followed Kimberly and sat beside her.

Kimberly immediately downed her drink after sitting in her chair. She finished it swiftly, not even bothered by the spicy and bitter taste. To cap it off, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

Once her glass was empty, Kimberly placed it on the table somewhat roughly. "Ben, give me the same drink!" She then turned to Nicholas and asked, "What would you like to drink? I'll pay for it."

Nicholas shook his head. "No! If I get drunk, who will take you home?"

Kimberly rolled her eyes lazily. Nicholas was always like that. He came to the club but never drank alcohol. He was there just to accompany Kimberly and listen to all her stories. That's what kept their friendship strong until now.

Ben placed Kimberly's ordered drink on the table, which the girl immediately grabbed and finished in one gulp. She placed the glass back on the table and asked for more.

"Ben--!" Nicholas quickly took the glass from Kimberly, as she was already very drunk. Kimberly turned to Nicholas, displeased with his actions. Her flushed face and weary eyes were evident.

"What are you doing? Where's my glass?" Kimberly asked in the typical slurred speech of a drunk person.

"You've had too much to drink. You're drunk, Kim," Nicholas frowned as he caught a whiff of the strong alcohol. He even pushed Kimberly's body slightly away, disturbed by the smell. His hand waved away the lingering scent in front of his nose.

"Let me drink, Nick. Don't disturb me!" Kimberly snapped as she tried to grab the glass from Nicholas.

Nicholas was used to Kimberly's outbursts. She would always act this way when she was drunk. What puzzled him was the reason why Kimberly was drunk at that moment. Kimberly did enjoy drinking alcohol, but if she got like this, the issue wasn't a minor one.

"Are you fighting with Harry?" Nicholas guessed for a reason. Kimberly had just met Harry, so they might have had a heated argument.

"We never fight." Kimberly wasn't as aggressive now. She sat back with her arms on the table. Her back was hunched, with her head almost touching the surface.

"Then what's got you like this?" Seeing Kimberly calm down, Nicholas placed the empty glass back on the table. He turned on his seat to fully face Kimberly.

"He brought that woman and the daughter to the house, Nick," Kimberly complained. Nicholas didn't immediately understand Kimberly's words, but after piecing together everything she told him, he finally realised she was talking about her family. He was her father, the woman was her stepmother, and the daughter was her stepsister.

"He said I should forget the past." Kimberly let out a bitter laugh at the end of her sentence. "How can I forget how my mother died?"

Nicholas remained silent, absorbing all of Kimberly's story because that's what his friend needed at the moment. Kimberly didn't need opinions; she just needed someone to listen to her troubles.

In a sober state, Kimberly was a strong girl who rarely complained. She always appeared cheerful, even when she was feeling down. So, if she wanted to talk, she always chose to do it while drunk because she wouldn't remember it the next morning.

After sharing everything, Kimberly would usually pass out immediately. Like now, the girl slept with her head resting on the table.

Seeing Kimberly asleep, Nicholas just rolled his eyes lazily. This was why he was here. The man got up and positioned himself to reach Kimberly. He slightly bent over to lift her body. In one swift motion, Kimberly's body was now on his back. Nicholas stood up and carried her to his car.

Patiently, Nicholas fastened Kimberly's seatbelt. He gazed at Kimberly for a while before driving off. The city was not quieter at night than during the day; in fact, it seemed busier. Many nighttime entertainment venues livened up the night. It wasn't uncommon to see people pulling over by the roadside to vomit due to excessive drinking. Most young people in the city enjoyed going out at night for entertainment. Only a few stayed home and didn't get caught up in the scene.

Nicholas might fall somewhere in between. He wasn't a homebody but also not someone who liked going to clubs. He only went to clubs if Kimberly was there. He found nothing appealing in places like that. The loud noise and strong smell of alcohol were quite bothersome to him. He was there solely to protect Kimberly from sleazy men who might take advantage of her drunken state. Kimberly would fall asleep immediately if truly drunk. Nicholas would take Kimberly to his apartment because it wasn't feasible to take her home in such a drunken state.

"Um... Nick...!" Kimberly's mumblings made Nicholas turn. The girl was fidgeting as if something was making her uncomfortable. Nicholas furrowed his brows, surprised by Kimberly's restless movements.

"What's wrong, Kim?" he asked, his forehead creasing even more.

"It's so hot. Aren't you turning on the AC?" Kimberly muttered.

Nicholas glanced at the AC controls in his car. "It's on at the maximum, Kim." He even felt slightly chilly, but knowing Kimberly must be feeling overheated, he endured it.

"It's so hot, Nick. I feel like taking off my clothes."

"No! Stop that!" Nicholas held Kimberly's hand as it was about to pull up her crop top.

"Why? I'm so hot, Nick. You're gay, so you're not interested, right?"

"No. It's not like that." Nicholas fell silent for a moment. "But please don't do that, Kim. We'll arrive at my apartment soon. You can take a bath there."

"I can't stand it, Nick. It's so hot. You're gay; why are you afraid? Seeing my body won't make yours react, right?"

Nicholas became speechless. He stopped and grabbed a towel from the back seat. "Cover yourself with this!" Nicholas threw the towel over Kimberly's body, covering her face and chest. Kimberly laughed and tossed the towel somewhere.

"Kim, don't test my patience. Cover yourself up, or I'll tie you!"