Chapter 34-36

Chapter 34:

When we got back home Alexie Meade me put in Bruno's cd. She listen to all the songs over and over again. Bruno came home at 4:35 with flowers, ice cream, and a wrapped box.

"Hi." he said standing in the doorway.

"Hello." I looked at him.

"These are for you." he said and handed me the flowers. 

"Thank you." I said and sniffed them, they smelled good.

"ice cream?" he asked.

"Sure." he went in the kitchen, put two scoops of cookie dough in a bowl and added mini reese cups in there. He put my flowers in a vase with water and told me to follow him in the living room. Cliff had took Alexie and her cd upstairs so we could be alone. We sat on the couch and he handed me my ice cream. 

"Why cookie dough?" I asked.

"Your favorite isn't it?"

"I never told you that though." he smiled.

"This past week has been the most difficult week of my life. It all started when I left work on Monday. I got in my car and Alex was in the backseat. She held a gun up to my head and told me me I needed to leave you or she would kill you and the babies. I told her that I couldn't just stop cold turkey, you would know something was up and her plan would fail. She forced me to spend time with her and I hated it. Everywhere she went she carried the gun with her to, as she puts it: keep me in check, and I couldn't do anything about it. It made me miserable but if it meant you and the babies live, I would just deal with it. Enough had to be enough though. It hurt me more and more every time I had to come home and see you heartbroken. When you accused me of cheating and when you told me when I say I love you it's worthless, I couldn't deal with that any longer. I needed to end it." I was speechless. 

"Here I am thinking you don't love me, am disgusted because ive gained some baby weight and your cheating on me, when really your just protecting me. I feel like the biggest asshole in the world! The things I've said to and about you?" I shook my head crying, "I'm so sorry. I can't ever make up for this."

"Shh." he said putting a finger over my lips, "You have nothing to apologize for! Just by you staying with me and loving me you've made up for whatever you think you've done. I love you with all of my heart and more. I love you more than life itself, that's why I did it."

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Don't be, I'm the one that is sorry! I put you through all of this." I kissed him. "I love you Nicholle, get that through your head. There's nothing you could EVER do to change that." he smiled.

"I love you too Bruno! I just feel responsib-"

"Don't. Here, I made this for you." he handed me the wrapped box from earlier. I opened it.

"A Teddy bear?" I smiled. "You made this?"

"Bought everything, sewed everything and stuffed everything with love! All for you honey." the bear was light brown with a white tummy and black nose. The eyes are blue and there's a crooked smile sewn on it. 

"I love him." I hugged Bruno. We stayed like that for a good five minutes. 

"How's the babies?" he asked and laid his head on my stomach lightly.

"Good, there's something you should know though."

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take that sunshine away." he sand to the babies while he rub Ed my stomach, the baby kicked.

"Hey!" he said and hopped up, "Did I just get kicked in the head?!" he smiled.

"a-huh." I smiled. "Someone started kicking three days ago.

"I missed the first time?" he asked sad.

"Yeah, Cliff was here." 

"All because of her." he shook his head. He out his hand on my stomach and sang again, this time there were two kicks.

"They must know their daddy's voice." I smiled putting my hand over his. He sang more songs and they kicked more. Bruno was smiling the while time. He was so happy that they recognized him and his touch, not to mention his voice.

Chapter 35:

“So I saw you and Preeti at the club.” shit I forgot about that guy I danced with, I hope he don’t bring him up.

“Yeah we made up.”

“Really!”

“Yeah, I needed someone here for me, and I was sick of it being guys so I had to turn to her.”

“Wait guys?”

“Cliff and…Ryan.” I said carefully.

“…Ryan?! Like your ex Ryan? My friend Ryan?”

“Yeah.” I didn’t plan it but it came out as a whisper.

“And what about that guy at the club?”

SHIT! “Um, well he was a um…revenge…ish uh thing to get you mad.”

“huh.” he put his head down. “So um how did Ryan help you?”

“He listened to me and when I just needed to be held he was here for me.”

“Did you…uh..” he looked up.

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes I’m sure Bruno. I think I would know.” he starred at me like, ‘yeah right.’ “What you don’t believe me? I would never stoop down to your level and cheat on the person I love!”

“I wasn’t cheating!”

“I DIDN’T KNOW THAT!” I stood up, “And how could I have?!”

“You know what, just drop it. I didn’t cheat.”

“And neither did I.” I said firmly.

“Okay.” we stared at each other.

“I can see it in your eyes, your face, how much I’ve put you through. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know, Bruno. I’ve accepted your apology, can’t we move on so we can get over this?”

“Soon. There’s a few things we still need to take care of. I’m gonna take care of her once and for all.” he said with a strange look in his eyes. 

“Don’t go to jail.” I tell him.

“It would be worth it.”

“No I won’t let you!” I said walking towards him. I put my hands on his chest and look deep in his eyes.

“You don’t know the shit she put me through, making me think she was gonna kill you while I watch!”

“Baby Shh.” I said hushing him, he was getting teary eyed. “Come on, let’s go to bed. It’d been a long week.” I said trying to calm him. We went upstairs and laid in each others arms. He rocked us to sleep, I could feel his tears falling on me for hours.

When I woke up he was gone. There was a note.

“Again with the note?!” I read it:

I can not live like this. I love you so much, I am sorry.

-Your husband Bruno

I starred at it. “Your husband Bruno? No abbreviations? Bruno didn’t write this.” I get up slowly and quietly. I open the door, there are claw marks in the wall and edge of the door. There’s a red line from the top of the stairs to the bottom, a few drops and the ground then they stop. I looked around and hear and see nothing out of the usual. Alexie went home yesterday thank god. Hoolie is sleeping in his bed. I wake him and have him walk with me to the pool house where Cliff sleeps. I knock on the door.

“Hey.” he said opened the door after a minute.

“Bruno is gone.” I say to him.

“What?” I showed him the letter and then the inside of the house. 

“You shouldn’t worry.” he said calmly.

“Excuse me?” I looked at him.

“Alex isn’t gonna give him back.”

“I didn’t say anything about Alex.” I said backing away slowly. He stalked towards me.

“You’re not going anywhere.” he backhanded me and  fell smacking my head against the hard floor, I blacked out.

*BRUNO’S P.O.V*

I open my eyes to a poorly lit room. I’m tied to a chair with my hands behind my back.

“Hello angel.” Alex said.

“You bitch! Let me go!” 

“For what? I’m your wife now.” she said and straddled me.

“You can’t kill Nicholle!”

“I never said I was, you are.” she said and kissed me. I bit her tongue she started bleeding.

“You like it rough.” she smiled wickedly.

“UGH!!!! LET ME GO!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

“You’re a singer, don’t strain your voice.”

“Someone’s gonna find out, Cliff! He’s there.” she smiled. “What?”

“Cliff is my father.” my face dropped.

“Some one else will notice when I don’t show up for things!”

“Baby you’re still gonna have your normal life, just with out that skank of a bitch!”

“You can’t talk about my wife that way! I love her!” I jumped up and slammed down on my but. The chair legs broke and I fell to the ground. I slipped my arms under my but and legs and rolled away from her. I undid my arms and dodged as she came at me. She picked up a chair leg and swung at me. I picked up one and swung back. I hit her in the head, hard, she fell to the ground. I ran out the only door I saw and ran outside. I was still in LA, but the sun has way gone down. I walk my way back to my house, about two hours it takes me. The front door is open and no lights are on.

*NICHOLLE’s P.O.V*

I wake up on the couch with my arms and legs tied together and a towel in my mouth. I spit it out tried to undo my ties. It gave me rug burn on some parts and cut me on others. I got up looked behind me and Alex was standing there. She starred at me with dried blood on her face.

“Where is Bruno?” I asked her.

“Bruno doesn’t love you. He loves me.” she walked towards me and slapped me. I stood up and pushed her into the wall. She ran towards me and I punched her in the face. I ran to the kitchen to get a knife, but she grabbed my ankle and I twisted and fell on my back. 

“You can’t get away.” she said trying to stand. I kicked her in the mouth and got back up. I grabbed a big knife and creeped back. The lights suddenly went out, probably because of the rain storm. She was gone. Lightning struck and lit up the whole house. I crept around the corner, but felt watched. I swung around as she was bringing down a knife. I swung mine and cut her cheek.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” I yelled and jabbed the knife in her leg. 

“FUCK!” she yelled out and fell to the ground. Thunder boomed loudly as she threw her knife and it sliced my foot. I ran past her she gabbed me again. I fell forward this time and bit my lip there was blood.  I managed to get away. I ran upstairs and into my bed room. I tried to open the patio door but it was jammed. Something flew past me and broke the glass in the doors. I turned around she had gimped her way up here. She reached in her pocket.

“Shit.” she murmured. “Seeing as how I’ve dropped my other gun, I’ll have to kill you with this one.” she said and pulled our a small hand gun. I couldn’t really see it though.

“Why?” I whispered. “I never did anything to you!”

“You took him away from me!” she yelled.

“I’m sorry.” I cried. She cocked the gun and walked towards me. She turned it sideways and I heard a gunshot. I looked down I wasn’t hit. I looked at her and she was bleeding through her shirt she fell forward. Bruno was standing behind her, blood, sweat, and tears on his face, and a gun in his hands. He started moving his lips and shaking. I stood there still. He looked at me.

“Put the gun down.” I said quietly as I walked towards him. He lowered the gun slowly. I walked towards him a little more, he was still crying.

“I told you I would take care of her.” he whispered. I hugged him so tightly. Both of us were sobbing.

“I love you Nicholle.” he said.

“I love you Bruno.” he pulled away and kissed me.

“What do we do with her?” I asked.

“I…DON! I have to call Don he‘s dealt with this before.”

“Cliff, he hit me he’s bad.”

“He’s her dad.”

“And I’m still alive.” we turned around he had a gun. He was pointing right at me. As he pulled the trigger Bruno stepped in front of me. Cliff ran then.

“BRUNO!” I yelled. He started shaking, I didn’t see where he was hit, but I saw blood.

“Don.” he said. I found his phone and called Don. He said he was coming now.

“Baby. Stay with me.” I held him, rocking back and forth. He started to close his eyes. “Bruno no baby no.”

“You are my life, I love you Nik.” was the last thing he whispered. I called 9-1-1 by the time they got there Don already came and gone with Alex’s body. The paramedics took me and Bruno to the hospital. every time I walked I left a trail of Bruno’s blood, my shirt was soaked with it. They got him in an operating room to remove the bullet. They put me in a room and made sure I was okay. They wheeled him in the room and put him in the bed next to me.