Chapter No.7

Juliet Diaz:-

"What?!" I asked, stunned as I heard him speak. "Ki...Kiss you?"

"Yes, Jules. Kiss me," he answers, caressing my cheek softly. He bent down to run his nose against the skin of my neck and inhaled my scent while I felt shivers running down my body. He raised my chin with his index finger, bringing his lips close to mine for a kiss when his pager decided to ring, informing him about an emergency. He groaned as he pulled back and cursed.

"Fuck!" He cussed, running and punching on the door beside me in anger. I flinched, and he instantly felt bad, and guilt overtook him. "Sorry...I am so sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's...It's alright," I replied, barely audibly. "You should go. You are needed at the hospital."

"Come on, I will drop you off at your office. It's going to be on my way to the hospital," he announced, carrying my stuff along with his. He dragged me with him, locking the door behind him. I will drop you off and come to pick you up myself, so you better call me as soon as you are off."

"Wait, first of all, how do you know where I work? And secondly, how will you come to pick me up when you don't know when you will be off yourself? You never know when an emergency case arrives or worse?" I asked, curious, and he gulped when he realized he had been caught. My eyes widened as something occurred to me.

"Wait, have you been stalking me?" I asked, stunned and wide-eyed.

"What? No, I haven't been stalking. I was keeping an eye on you from hiding," he replied nervously when we reached his car. He helped me sit in the passenger seat of his Bentley and buckled me up. He settled in the driver seat, roared the engine to life, and drove towards our destinations.

"That's the same thing, asshole. Stalking!" I snapped, "How long?"

"What do you mean by how long?" he asked with a frown. His eyes were covered behind his Ray-Ban as he focused on the road ahead of us.

"For how long have you been stalking me?" I asked with gritted teeth, and he sighed.

"Since the day you moved to New York," he answers honestly. "But, hear me out. I was only doing that because I was worried about you, and you know New York is not a safe city. And it isn't like I was doing that every day. Just one some occassions. And, before you go asking Zach if he asked me to do this, then no, he didn't because he respected your privacy and your wish to be dependent. It was just me."

"Why?" I asked, confused. Why would you do that if my brother didn't ask you for it?"

"Because I was worried. You are my best friend's sister, so obviously I needed to look after you. I know how much you mean to Zach, so I was doing it for him." he lied. I could hear it in his words, but I didn't push because I knew he and I didn't have any future. He is engaged to Anica, and I am nothing but his best friend's sister, with whom he had a one-night stand and then regretted.

For the rest of the ride, we drove in a deafening silence, where words were spoken on our lips but not vented. I wrung the bottom of my skirt tight in my hand and looked out the window as the city passed by in a blur. We wanted to talk about so many things, but we didn't speak. At least I didn't until I heard him call my name softly and gently.

"Juliet." He spoke hesitatingly, his voice becoming lighter. "I know you believe that what I did was wrong, and perhaps I was wrong. But I meant no harm with it, I swear! I just... I could not risk losing you and having Zach pin the guilt on me for not intervening whenever I could."

I shifted my torso a bit to the side and glanced at him, taking stock of his features. The fact that his jaw tightened, how tightly his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, and his reluctance to look at me was enough to convince me that there was more to his story. But I couldn’t allow myself to make too much out of it all.

"Let's just drop this topic, Nick. Obviously, there is more to the story that neither you nor I want to confess because deep down, we both are scared, and I understand. I might not have understood three years ago, as I was immature, but I am not that girl anymore. In these past two weeks, I learned so many things about you that made me look past that night three years ago.

So, let's not duel or talk about the impossible things that can happen without hurting Zacharias; that is the last thing I want to do in my life. After how much he has done for me, I can't repay him like that, which is why you must understand that we must stay away from one another.

I need to move out from your place, and Anica? She has every reason to feel insecure and jealous because God knows if you were mine, I would have reacted the same way she does; no, I would have reacted worse than her." I reasoned, and he stared at me silently instead of the road.

"You are not moving out until you have completely healed. I promise that I will find an apartment for you as soon as you heal. Okay? How's that for a compromise?" he asked, and I nodded with a smile, agreeing with him—for now.

When we got to my office, he parked the car, stepped out, and came round to open the door for me, which I rather enjoyed. "Give me a call when you are done," he demanded in a manner that didn’t allow for an argument.

"I’ll figure it out, Nick. I don’t need you to pick me up," I replied stubbornly, grabbing my bag.

"Deal with it because I still will, and if by any chance I am not available, then I am going to send my driver to pick you up, so you better call, or I swear...." I cut him off by slicing my hand in the air in surrender.

"Okay... okay, now go. As far as I remember, it was an emergency at the hospital. Right?"

"Oh shit...fuck! Gotta go!" he rushed away after kissing my cheek and drove off while I chuckled and stepped into the office and placed my security badge to enter, only to realize my access was denied.

"What the hell?" I muttered when one of the guards approached me and announced.

"I am sorry, Miss Diaz, but you can't go in. That's the boss's order. He asked me to tell you that you have been fired." He informs me, and I yell out in shock. I had the job until yesterday. What happened all of a sudden?

"What the fuck?!" I yelled, glaring at the guard. "Let me in now, or I swear you don't know what I can do. I will fucking gather the whole press here if I have to, so you better let me go inside now and talk to that fucking bosshole right now!"