Guarded: Worth the Risk

Chapter 2

                                                                                            Nico

                                                                                Two Days Earlier:

            “Are you f*****g, shitting me Elizabeth- How could you do this to me? To us?”

            It’s not every day you walk in on your fiancé getting hit from behind by a guy she works with. I knew something was going on when she never objected to all the overtime I picked up. But I guess I was too oblivious to see the bigger picture.

            “Nico- It’s not what it looks like- “she pleads.

            “Oh really- then please enlighten me to what this exactly is- because from the looks of it, this PRICK here had his d**k ALL UP IN YOUR p***y!”

            I watch as they both scramble to find their clothes.

            I roll my eyes. “You know what- f**k this. I’m out of here” I say storming out of our two-bedroom apartment and heading to my parents’ house.

            I’ve lived in Ketchum, Idaho my whole life. It’s a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. It’s a town where high school sweethearts are expected to wed. My parents had done just that, and my older brother Stephan followed in their footsteps. It’s what I had intended to do until the unraveling of today’s events.

            It’s not what it looks like. What a lame ass attempt to cover her tracks. Like I’m really going to believe the excuse she gives, that she stumbled and her ass landed right in view of his d**k.

            I barged into my parents’ house, throwing my badge and gun on the kitchen table before taking a seat across from my father, whose nose is buried into the morning paper.

            “Rough day?” he says with a stern tone.

            “You could say that” I pause for a moment to catch my breath. “I’m leaving Elizabeth.”

            My father glances up from his paper for a moment, I’m guessing to see the look on my face. The curiosity builds in his eyes as if he’s skeptic about me actually leaving Elizabeth. However, he doesn’t ask any questions. Just glances back down and continues to read his paper.

            “What? No questions as to why?” I find myself growing a tad bit annoyed.

            “Ok- why?”

            “I caught her f*****g her co-worker today- full on doggy style at that” I can’t help but let out a chuckle. “I should have known something was going on. She never once gave me s**t for working so much overtime. Who knows how long it’s been really going on for.”

            My father being the man he is, the man who doesn’t appear to be listening or bothered by anything, finally removes his head from his paper, folding it before placing it down on the table. He lets out a long sigh and stares at me for a few moments as if he wants to share a heart to heart with me. Just as he’s about to say something, my mother walks into the kitchen. I can tell she’s surprised to see me, but like my father doesn’t ask.

            “Nicholas is leaving Elizabeth- finally” my father blurts out.

            Way to cut right to the chase dad. And did he just day finally? Did neither of them like her to begin with?

            “Oh, sweet pie- I’m sorry” she gives a small smile while placing both hands on my cheeks. “But to say I’m surprised it happened now and not a while ago would be an understatement.”

            WTF Seriously?

            Elizabeth and I had been dating since freshman year of high school. We went through all of grade school together, but she never really noticed me until then. That was it, I thought I had found the one, the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Yes. On the outside she was a little high maintenance, ok, a lot high maintenance, but I knew from the first time she climbed into the back of my truck that she was my forever. Or so I thought.

            “So, what’s your plan?” she says taking a seat next to my father at the table.

            Plan? I haven’t really given that much thought. My parents weren’t bullshitter's, so in their true fashion they cut right to the chase. The events had only transpired a few hours ago. So how was I to have any idea as to what I was going to do next.

            “I’ll take I have no f*****g clue for 200, Alex” I can’t help but joke.

            “Nicholas Anthony, I’m serious. What do you plan on doing?”

            I hated when my mother used her, I’m not joking tone with me. She even pulled out the middle name.  It always managed to put the fear of God in me.

            “I’m not sure. Okay?” I take a deep breath in an attempt to gather my thoughts once again. “Maybe, move back in here- stay in my old room for a few months till I find a new place,”

            Head to the bar and drink myself into a coma while throwing a pity party.

            My mother nods her head in agreement before changing the subject. Another thing my parents do well, changing the subject. While my mother continues on about her gossip- I mean knitting club- I send a quick text to Elizabeth.

                                            Nico: Don’t be home when I get there to grab my s**t.

                                            Elizabeth: Well, how am I supposed to know when that will be. It’s not like I have a tracker on your phone like you probably did for me.

            Seriously? I never been the untrusting type. In fact, she probably would have gotten away with it if my overtime shift for the day hadn’t gotten canceled.

                                            Nico: Don’t try to turn this around on me Elizabeth. You f****d up not me.

            Still listening to my mother ramble on about town drama, I open my texts one last time and send a quick text to my best friend/ partner Chase.

                                           Nico: Ponderosa…1 hour… Need to get Shitfaced ASAP.

            Not a moment later a ping came across my screen.

                                           Chase: HELL YEAH! See you there in an hour.

            I made my way back to my apartment, quickly gathering the belongings I really wanted to keep. Surprisingly enough, Elizabeth was nowhere to be found making me believe she was the one who had been tracking me. I can’t believe I spent 12 years of my life with her. I felt so betrayed as I stared at the bed we once shared while throwing clothes into my duffle.

            I did a once over of the apartment before leaving. Everything in this apartment was mine technically, I had paid for it all with my own money before Elizabeth had even moved in, but I wasn’t going to be an ass and take it all with me, even though I should. I wanted her to be reminded of me every time she stepped foot in this place. Remind her of what she threw away.

            I lock the apartment leaving my key on the door mat, before walking to my Silverado, throwing my s**t on the back seat. I don’t bother taking my things to my parents’ house because two to one I’ll end up sleeping in my car tonight. There pretty much no way today could get any worse, even if it tried.

            The Ponderosa awaits.