Chapter Three - Didn't She Remember Him?

The moment Nicholas toppled and landed on top of Alyssa, she realized her mistake. Despite the mud splashing around them, all over them, there was no denying the fire crackling between them. With his body molded to hers, his ocean-hued eyes gazing into hers, Alyssa forgot to breathe. 

“Nice try but you can’t seduce me with your muddy appearance. I prefer them fragrant and clean.” Alyssa’s jaws dropped to the mud and she gaped at his insolence. Did he really think that she was trying to seduce him? Anger boiled inside her and she pushed him off her. 

“High hopes! I don’t need to seduce anyone. If I ever will, it’ll be a real man.” She struggled to get up as fast as possible but slipped every time. 

“What are you trying to insinuate? Are you challenging me to prove to you that I’m a real man?” Nicholas’s eyes blazed with fire as if accepting the challenge already.

“God! You’re so full of yourself!” She finally got up and stomped away angrily forgetting her mud-splattered appearance. Nicholas sat on the puddle and watched her with interest swearing in his mind that one day he would definitely prove to her that he was a real man with a functional organ. 

Alyssa seethed with anger as she walked over to the outdoor showering area near the swimming pool. Rinsing the mud off her hair and body, she wrapped a towel around her hair and another around her body, quickly drying herself before dashing off into the house, to her room. She didn’t wish to face Nicholas again after that encounter. He was the most arrogant asshole in the entire universe! No wonder Alex considered him his enemy! He was the worst of the three Donnelly brothers! 

Thankfully she made it to her room with no one witnessing her condition. She wasn’t in the mood to explain to Eva who would definitely have bombarded her with a million questions. With everyone still watching the movie, she quickly locked the door to her room and dashed into the washroom to take a proper shower and change. 

Finally feeling refreshed, her mood improved and she went to the entertainment room. The movie had just finished and the lights had been switched on. Everyone was animatedly discussing the movie's end when she sat beside Eva. “Where were you?” asked Eva, checking out her freshly showered look. 

“I had gone for a walk but slipped and fell into a muddy puddle.” Eva rolled her eyes while Hayley giggled knowing that their friend always had a penchant for falling into trouble. 

Nicholas chose to enter the room at that particular moment looking freshly showered, and instantly Eva's mind started putting two and two together. She gave her friend a curious look. “Was he rolling in the mud with you?” Alyssa’s cheeks colored at being caught by her friend but she rolled her eyes to lighten the atmosphere.

“You’re crazy!” she just said, staring at her mobile phone to avoid Nicholas’s gaze upon her. Maria came into the room at that moment to announce that dinner would be served on the open terrace in an hour. Alexia, Mrs. Donnelly, and granny walked out to the terrace where Sienna and Lucas were already seated. Eva and Hayley too got up and pulled Alyssa along with them. Nicholas sat alone with Marcus, who had joined them a few minutes back. 

“Didn’t she recognize you?” asked Marcus with disbelief. Nicholas slowly shook his head, equally at a loss. Had he changed so drastically that she hadn’t even recognized him? Didn’t she have any idea what he had to face at her brother’s hands because of her? They had such a bitter fight, yet she seemed ignorant of everything. Was it a charade? Was she trying to act innocent just to survive the wedding? 

“No, she didn’t and I’m just as clueless as you are.” Marcus shook his head, looking a little thoughtful. 

“Maybe Alexander hasn’t told her anything. She saw us just once after all and that too ten years ago!” said Marcus. 

Nicholas sighed remembering the dreadful day which was also a life-changing one for him. He was always a good and hardworking guy and her brothers called him a nerd. Although he couldn’t compete with his siblings in the looks department, he was brilliant in his studies, obedient, and loved by everyone. All the girls in the school chased his siblings instead and he always lacked the confidence to approach any girl. At fourteen, he wasn’t muscular or tall at that time and his wiry frame hardly attracted any girl to him. So one day when the news spread like wildfire that a very hot girl had joined the school, all the bad boys rushed to check her out. Nicholas knew he had no hopes for her and stayed behind, sitting on the stairs and checking his home assignment. 

The bad boys of the school passed lewd comments when the girl emerged from her car and walked towards the building. Nicholas looked up from the stairs and noted that the girl wasn’t more than thirteen and looked petrified. Her eyes searched around for someone or something as if she needed help. He sat mesmerized by her beauty, her long silky golden hair touched her waist and swayed as she walked while her long never-ending legs encased in a pair of figure-hugging jeans made her look very tall and curvy. Her creamy complexion glowed reflecting the sun's rays and he sat staring at her. The boys circled around her and she looked flustered and scared. Nicholas got up, unable to see her being harassed but the boys were seniors and at fourteen, he was no match against them. The boys started pushing at the girl and all stood to watch the fun rather than help her out. 

Unable to control himself any further, Nicholas rushed towards them blindly, barging into their bodies, to divert their attention. “Leave the girl alone. Can’t you see she’s too young for you?” he yelled, taking them by surprise. 

“Isn’t it the nerdy Nick?” laughed one of them, pushing him to the ground while Alyssa gasped with horror. 

“Yeah. Are you gonna stop us, you sickly kid?” laughed another, kicking him. 

“Yes, I will. Why don’t you find someone of your own level to tease? Leave the girl alone,” yelled Nicholas. He had no idea from where he got the strength but he just couldn’t watch her being harassed. The boys started beating him and he held onto his wiry thin body to save himself. A boy from the crowd gathered around them whispered something in the ears of one of the boys and suddenly, they all left him and escaped. 

Nicholas had no idea why the boys left and slowly tried to get up from the ground, his body refusing to cooperate. He winced at the pain when the beautiful girl came forward and helped him up to his feet. 

“Thank you for saving me. You’re hurt. Let me take you to the infirmary?” she said, her sweet melodious voice making Nicholas’s heart skip a beat or two. With her arm around his shoulders and her glowing, beautiful face close to his, he was lost in her doe-shaped blue-gray eyes. 

“No, it’s not much. I’ll manage, thanks,” he whispered as if in a daze. 

“You’re very brave. Thank you.” The girl leaned forward and Nicholas’s arm went around her waist, anticipating his first kiss. It was like a dream come true and his heart raced with excitement when she planted a soft kiss on his lips. 

A pair of hands caught him and flung him to the ground before he could feel her lips on his. He blinked and winced with pain, as he tried to realize what just happened. 

“You son of a bit*h! How dare you touch my sister?” growled Alexander Van Every, who was his brother Lucas’s batch mate and friend. He gaped at him, unable to figure out what he was saying. Was this gorgeous creature Alexander’s sister? 

“I sa..” he started but before he could complete his sentence, he received another punch. The girl started crying and struggled to prevent her brother but Alexander’s blood boiled and if he could, he would have murdered Nicholas with his bare hands. 

“How could you harass my sister?” he shouted, kicking Nicholas who writhed in pain, unable to defend himself and correct him that he had just saved his sister. After being attacked earlier by the group of boys and now Alexander, his body stopped cooperating and he was on the verge of losing consciousness. However, Alexander was relentless and kept on beating him up blinded with rage. Alexander’s best friend, Ashton also joined in. The girl cried for help but Nicholas closed his eyes and that was the last time he saw the beautiful girl. Later he heard that Marcus and Lucas had beat Alexander and rescued him while the new girl, whose name was Alyssa Van Every, left school forever and went to California to her grandparents' house. It took him a month to fix his broken bones and ever since the enmity was strong between them and Alexander Van Every. 

Nicholas sighed and looked at a brooding Marcus. “Maybe I couldn’t make an impression on her to last her a lifetime.”

Marcus turned to look at him. “Then make a lasting impression on her. What are you waiting for?”