Chapter 1
1693 Words
Present day.
Nina's POV
My parents hugged me as Nick loaded my car with my bags.
"We love you soo much" my dad said
"I love you too" I said as they let me go. "I'll be fine".
"Call us if you need anything or anyone to talk to" mum said
I nodded
"And if you need a break from painting there's a slot in any of the companies" dad smiled
"Dadddd" I dragged
"Just kidding darling" he kissed my forehead as Nick came to join us.
Nick hugged me "I'll miss you so much"
"Me too" I smiled at them as I walked to my car, my second car, a graduation present from my parents, an Audi.
My mum was on the brink of crying.
"Hey mum. I'm not getting married yet" it made her chuckle
I got into my car and started the engine
"Goodbye Mrs Carmen"
Mrs Carmen has been part of the family since before Nick and I came into the family. She's like a second mum to us.
"Dios mio! Te amo mucho mi amor" she spoke in Spanish
I drove off.
"Have a safe trip Nina" I heard mum call after me
An hour later.
I just arrived at my house. I drove into the garage. Took my bags into the house one after the other. I had six bags. Two filled with my shoes and the other four, my clothes. So it took three back and forth journey to get them into the house and one last one to get my hand bag, my phone and my car keys.
Inside the house, I dropped the car keys on the table, my bag on the chair and I dialled Nick's phone.
Ring! Ring!
"You just arrived?"
"Yes I did"
"No paparazzi asking about your fiancé?"
Yeah, I'm engaged to be married...at least that's what the world thinks. I faked my engagement to get the paparazzi away from my dad when he had an important business with the Chinese. I had to do something to get the cameras away from him and that was the only thing I could come up with. And now, it’s gone viral, after 5 years of the announcement, the paparazzi still wants a photo of my 'imaginary' fiancé.
I laughed "No"
He laughed "So what's up?"
"I need to go get groceries soon"
"When are you planning on unpacking?"
"Before I get the groceries...Now"
"Uhm-uhm, bad idea" he said
"Why?"
"When you're done unpacking, you'll be too tired and hungry to do anything at all"
I thought about it for a second.
"Okay then I'll go get groceries right now"
"Good. Talk to you soon"
"Yeah. Tell mum and dad I'm fine"
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye" I hung up.
Now I'm off to get groceries. Got my bag and my keys. Went to the garage, got into the car reversed and drove off.
DANNY'S the biggest store in town and right now it's crowded. I guess cause it’s a Saturday. I took a cart at the entrance and wheeled in inside DANNY'S.
Ten minutes later, my cart's almost fully loaded and I'm almost done. I got Flakes, Milk, Soda, Vegetable (all kinds), Fruits, Eggs, Peanut butter, Bread, Cheese, Ham, Buns, Chicken and many other things. I'm getting a lot of things so that I wouldn't came back here anytime soon. A few minutes later I was done with the Food section. Moving to the Electronics/Gadgets section of DANNY'S. I'm getting a toaster, a blender and some other things. I wheeled the cart which was really full and kinda heavy to push then I saw a microwave. It was on the top, top shelf which was too high and a bid problem. Looking at it, it seemed bigger in the box and heavier, I stretched up but couldn't reach it.
"Let me help you with that" I heard.
Third Person's POV
Fabian Rodriguez hated grocery shopping even though he was a chef. But he'd lost the bet with his roommates and the down side was grocery shopping. Now here he was at DANNY'S, shopping for his roommates. He was on his way to the counter when he spotted a girl trying to reach for the microwave on the top shelf and from the looks of it, she wasn't gonna get it down anytime soon. His roommates could wait a while longer. He walked to where she was with the basket in his hands.
"Let me help you with that"
The girl stopped trying to reach for the microwave and turned to look at him. And my-oh-my, she was definitely not a girl. She looked so small in the sweats she was wearing and her raven hair was flawless. He loved his girls blonde but...this right here was perfection.
She was staring right at him and he just couldn't help but smile. She might have noticed that his smile was due to her staring because she apologized.
"It's okay" Stare away, it’s better than me gawking out. "Need some help?"
I couldn't keep my eyes off him. He was tall, handsome and hott. To wrap it all up, he was drop-dead-gorgeous. Oh did I mention that he was hott. Ohhh and those dreamy cold blue eyes, you could drown in them...Oh My God, what's wrong with me. I think he noticed that I was staring because he smiled.
"I'm sorry" I said before I could embarrass myself more than I already have
"It's okay. Need some help?"
"Help?"
"With the microwave"
"Microwave?" What the heck was he talking about
He pointed at something at the top shelf. I looked and remembered.
Ooohhhhh microwave "Yeah please"
He smiled. I moved aside so he could get the microwave down. He put it in my cart.
"Thank you"
"Having a party...or a wedding?" He said looking at my cart then back at me
"No" I laughed "I just moved into my new house and it was pretty empty. Except for the furniture"
"Oh. So you're new here?"
"Yeah"
"Welcome"
"Thank you"
Silence
Awkward moment.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Fabian" he said offering his hand
"Nina" I shook his hand
"So...good luck with your apartment"
"Thanks"
He smiled and left. I stood there for a few minutes taking it all in. I sighed and pushed my cart to get more things. When I was done I went to the counter to pay for everything. It was packed in a few bags and two employees helped me with them to the car. After it was loaded in my car, I tipped the employees. As I was about getting into my car, I saw him - Fabian - with two other guys helping him with the items he bought. He turned and caught my eyes, for a few seconds we just stood, frozen in time. Then he smiled and so did I. I got in the car and drove off.
On my way home I wondered who those other guys were. His brothers? His friends? His 'bandit' friends, maybe. No! Fabian was too nice and such a gentleman to be friends with bandits...Except he doesn't know they are bandits.
God! Why does it matter? It's not like it’s any of my business. I won't even see him again. I breathed out.
He wondered if she was also thinking about him. God what was wrong with him. Why was he...
"...smiling like a fool?" Drew said
"What?"
"I said 'why are you smiling like a fool?'"
Yeah, smiling like a fool. If he didn't know Drew well, he would have said his friend was a mind reader.
"No reason" he said
"You sure? Or is it cause of the girl we saw you smiling at?"
"No" he smiled
"Oh, she's definitely the reason"
"Whatever"
His friends laughed.
Nina's POV
I got home and carried the groceries into the house. Sorted them out and went upstairs. I got upstairs, passed a guest room, a bathroom, then got to my room which had another room after it. I'm saving the third room for my private artworks.
I entered my room and unzipped all my bags, opened my closet which was really big. I began putting my clothes, my shoes and my handbags inside my closet. I arranged my clothes in colours. When I was done, I put the bags in the top shelf inside the closet. Nick was right I'm exhausted to do anything else. I took my phone and ordered Chicken pizza.
A few minutes, I took a soda from the fridge and went to the parlour with the pizza. I sat down and began to eat.
Ring! Ring!
"Hey dad"
"Hey. Nick told me you were fine but I wanted to find out myself"
"I'm okay dad. I just finished unpacking"
"Good. Your paintings will arrive tomorrow"
"Okay" I heard him sigh "You can keep the ones you and mum like"
"Thanks darling. The house's looking dull and empty without them"
I smiled "Bye dad"
"Okay. Sleep well"
"I'll try"
"Okay" he was about hanging up
"Dad?"
"Yea?"
A few seconds passed
"Don't worry about me okay"
"I'll try"
I smiled "Bye"
"Bye darling"
He hung up
I sat in silence for a few minutes.
This is the first time I'm away from my family. Even when I was away in college, I always had Nick. Nick was always there to bring me back to earth when I started screaming. To me, it felt like I was burdening him. That was also one of the reasons I left. I would wake him up with my scream every night at the same time and he'll hold me till I go back to sleep.
I stood and put the leftover pizza in the fridge, put the soda bottle in the recycle bin, took my phone and went up stairs.
I had a cold shower before I went to bed. Now I'm ready to do what I need but don't want. What I hate most...Sleep.
My eyes were heavy so I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I was asleep.
And once again, it all began...
- Writer
