Scarred for Life Read online

  Tyler's hand on the door shook. She waited for him to slam the door in her face, but he didn't. She then waited for his scurrilous tongue to lambaste her. It also didn't. He was just like everyone else. The wheels in his head were turning, considering how his aunt, her mother, would react if it ever got back to her that he turned Dane away. Such bullshit. She was certain her mother didn't give a damn if people turned her away. After all, her mother had turned her back on her the day she was born. Maybe her family was hedging its bets by taking her in; it didn't seem to perturb her mother when they accommodated her, so just in case that meant something, they continued to do it. Somehow, she doubted it'd ever pay off for them.

  "A couple of days, but that's it." Tyler stepped out of the way to let her enter.

  She shrugged as she stepped in. "That's all I need."

  "Good." He slammed the door behind her. Chocolate eyes continued to glower heatedly her. "You stay in the den over there. Don't come out until you're leaving, don't eat any of the food, don't touch anything, and make sure I don't have to see you anymore."

  "Wow, such hospitality," she murmured, peering into the dark room he offered her to stay in. It was off to the right and she couldn't see that far in, but it didn't appear capacious.

  "I could just leave you on the streets, you bum," he pointed out gruffly.

  No one usually went beyond two days in keeping her. She never went beyond that long in staying. She rolled her smoke-colored eyes and marched off into the room, swallowed whole by the blackness and peace. Tyler rolled his eyes, too, and marched back upstairs.

  ***

  Sunshine peered into the bedroom, highlighting the soothing beige walls and shining on two framed posters that hung on the wall. The sunlight bounced off the glass protecting the posters and hit Tyler in the face. A groan escaped him as he kept his eyes clamped shut. Rolling over, he attempted to evade the light, but he was awake. He turned his attention to his bed partner.

  Nicole awoke to something poking her in the back. She groaned in disgust and moved away, only to find the nuisance following her. It was joined by a questing hand, roughly rubbing against her abdomen. She attempted to escape both, but they pursued her until she fell out of bed.

  "Dammit," she muttered, stroking the top of her head, putting her hand through her wild, long, dark auburn hair.

  "Nikki, what are you doing?" Tyler asked, peeking over the side of the bed.

  "No, please, don't try to help me up," she commented as she climbed to her feet, straightening her clothes along the way.

  "Come on back to bed. Let's have a little bit of fun," he smirked.

  "I've got work to do. I told you that."

  "It's Sunday, babe. You don't need to get to it right away. Besides, your parents own the firm. You know they'll cut you a break."

  "That's not the point," she growled. And they wouldn't cut me a break. He should know that. Her parents were more stringent with her because they were quite knowledgeable in her accomplishments and capabilities. Giving them anything less than expected was an affront to them that they would call her on.

  There was a frivolous wave. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can do it later. Come on back to bed. We can start the morning off right and then you can make breakfast."

  "And then let me guess what your plan holds, we'll go back to bed?" Her generally alluring face twisted to an indignant cartoon version of herself and her hair going off in every direction didn't help her appear serious.

  "Brilliant idea. So, come on, back to bed," he said, lifting up the blanket.

  A guttural noise escaped Nicole. Tyler was either deaf or insane because he continued smiling as she glared at him. He didn't take her seriously, which only made her gaze more strident. He reached out for her, desiring to bring her back to bed. Nicole's lip curled as she stepped away. She accepted culpability for their turbulent relationship. She offered him an abundance of leeway because at first she assumed his slips were just little mistakes. It didn't occur to her that he was so inconsiderate of others. She was disgusted with herself for supplying him with so much rope because it suffocated her. It was her fault for assuming he had something in him worth salvaging.

  Deciding not to let him ruin her morning anymore than he had, she walked to the bathroom in the master bedroom. Clicking on the light, the small bathroom was illuminated, showing off the clean cream-colored tiles of the walls and mahogany cabinets. She stepped over to the sink. The medicine cabinet hung above the sink. Its mirror opened on the left and right side, reflecting different angles when she used it to do her hair. Staring into the mirror, disheartened green eyes looked back at her. She grabbed her toothbrush from the porcelain holder and began brushing.

  "Who was at the door last night?" Nicole asked with a toothbrush hanging from her lip.

  "My cousin."

  "Oh. What did he want? Is everything all right?" It was somewhat bizarre for his cousin to come by in the middle of the night without calling first, but there could have been an emergency.

  "Everything's fine. The bum just needed a place to stay for a couple of days. I put her in the den."

  Water continued to run, but the scraping of the toothbrush ceased. Somewhere in the distance, there was the sound of a camel's spine shattering. Nicole emerged from the bathroom to stare at Tyler incredulously. There wasn't even a hint of anger in her gaze, just sheer and genuine disbelief at the gall of the man.

  "You're letting your cousin stay in my den?" The vein at the side of her head started popping up. Suddenly, it was like she had a revelation, including divine light that finally allowed her to see everything so clearly. What it revealed wasn't a pretty sight, but the truth about Tyler and her relationship with him. They weren't going anywhere because she could no longer tolerate Tyler.

  "What's wrong? It's just for a couple of days." He shrugged.

  "What's wrong is this is my house. You don't live here, so you don't just let your damn family crash in my damn den." Nicole stomped her foot.

  "I live here too."

  She was dumbstruck by his audacity. "No, you don't. This is my damn house. You have an apartment downtown and that's where you live and that's where you should’ve put your cousin. You're so damn egocentric. You never take into consideration anything I want or how I feel. Lately, it's just always been about you and I've just been putting up with it."

  "Nikki, it's—" Tyler tried to butt in.

  "No, I'm talking. When we started out, it was nothing like this, but gradually, we began having problems. I expected that. No relationship is without troubles, after all. Truly, I thought we'd be able to work through it, but it doesn't seem like that now. I thought we were worth working on, fighting for, but obviously you don't feel the same way."

  Tyler blanched and made a choking sound. "We are worth fighting for. I pull my weight."

  "No, you don't and stop interrupting me. The more I back off, the more you push and take advantage. In the end, I just end up more and more exasperated with you. You don't support me and you never try to help out. Sometimes, I can't stand to look at you. Other times, it comes through that you think of me as a toy or a trophy. You don't respect me. You just pretended you did to get me to go out with you. Now that you have me, you think it's smooth sailings and you don't have to try anymore. You think I should just go along with everything you fucking suggest. I'm not a fucking doormat and I will not let you walk all over me anymore."

  Tyler blinked hard, astounded. "Walk all over you?"

  "Yes! It's always about you now. When we first started dating, you always asked me where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do, but that never happens anymore. Whenever we go out, it's where you want to go and what you want to do. You never ask me. When was the last time you put me first? When was the last time you put my needs ahead of yours? When was the last time you even did something for me?"

  "I just bought you flowers."

  "I'm not talking about when you send me millions of flowers at work, which you know I utterly loathe. I me
an, real romance that you know I'll appreciate. When was the last time you gazed at me and saw more than just a pretty piece of ass that can cook and look good on your arm? Now, you might not even think that, but that's how I feel right now. That's how you make me feel. I don't know when you started this bullshit, but you do it all the time now."

  "I—"

  "I detest almost everything we do together now. Sometimes, I despise seeing you because I know you're going to do something that I'll take umbrage with and I know it's going to always be like that no matter how much I wait for you to improve. I opened my house to you when part of your apartment was destroyed in that fire and you took advantage of that. You desecrated my house then and, even though you don't live here, you continue that repulsive behavior. You don't even care about how I keep house. You bring your dirty clothes over here and wait for me to do your damn laundry. You eat my food like a boorish pig, never a word of thanks when I prepare meals for you and leave all of the dishes for me. You don't even bother to take the garbage out when you're here. It would be easier to train a dog to do more than you do around the house." The screaming felt quite good, but underneath it all, Nicole still felt like such an idiot.

  Tyler scoffed and turned his nose up, apparently insulted by the very idea of doing chores. "Babe, come on, you're just nitpicking and you're getting a little hysterical. Calm down a little." He forced out a laugh and stepped out of bed, probably planning to go to her and embrace her. He seemed to think if he held her, he could pacify her.

  "I'm not. I'm so sick of you and how you never take anything about me seriously. I'm not your personal slave, nor am I your whore, and I damn sure am not your bank." That vein was starting to throb and she could only hope that it didn't burst while she was on a roll. A hospital trip would certainly take the spark out her of speech.

  "Is this about paying for dinner last night?" he asked, taking a step toward her.

  "NO!" She threw her hands out to keep him at bay. "And don't come near me, you ass. This is about everything. I pay for everything, even bills on your apartment now. Why is that? You work the same job as I do. So why the hell do I pay for everything? I know you're just putting it all away somewhere, you bastard. And why the hell is there money missing from around my house sometimes?" She stomped her foot hard.

  Tyler sputtered, "You think I'm stealing from you."

  "I think you're borrowing without asking and without intent to pay back, which sounds a lot like stealing to me." The stealing issue was so recent that this was the first time that she brought it up.

  "Are you fucking insane? I don't need to take a damn thing from you. I've got my investments and I'm making more money than you can imagine. And do you know the family I come from." His face was now firm and his eyes tried to match the fervor in hers, but couldn't even come close.

  "I don't give a damn. I want you out of my house. I want you out of my life."

  "Fuck you, you prudish bitch." he roared, picking up his clothing off of the floor. "You'll regret this shit, Nikki." He pointed at her.

  Nicole didn't wait for him to get dressed. She started shoving him out of the room and downstairs. He was six inches taller than she was, yet he still fell ass-over-head out of the front door. Before he could gather himself and say something, she slammed the door in his face.

  "Hey, what about my stuff?" He pounded on her door.

  She ignored him and rushed back upstairs, purposely leaving the front door unlocked. He'd be able to get his keys. She heard the door open after a few seconds and heard him storming upstairs. He’s probably taking the open door as a sign of hope. Idiot. She could hear him outside of the bedroom door as he tried the knob. The door was locked and he lashed out at it.

  "Go the fuck away, Tyler. I'm through with you."

  "Goddamn it, we've been together for half a year. We need to work this out, Nikki. Be reasonable."

  "And stop calling me that. Only my family can call me that."

  "Stop being such a fucking bitch."

  "Calling me a bitch isn't helping. Get the hell out of my house before I call the police."

  Tyler grumbled that five-letter word again while marching down the stairs and out of the house. A yelp and what sounded like a bike hitting the pavement followed the slamming of the door. Nicole sighed when she heard a car pull off. He’s gone.

  Shaking her head, she was dismayed for falling for his cheap charisma. She finished her morning ritual, going on to brush her wavy hair. Her auburn mane fell just past her shoulders to the middle of her back when straight, but it always bounced up a little because of her natural waves. She yawned, smiled, and went to make herself some breakfast. For once, the house was quiet enough for her to hear her footsteps on the black, speckled tiles of the kitchen floor. She quickly whipped herself up a meal and sat at her cozy nook in the kitchen by the window. She settled against the plush back of the short, black bench on the wall with some pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a couple of slices of bacon. A peaceful smile spread across her face as she proceeded to eat and read her morning paper, until a strange voice called out to her.

  "Can I have some?"

  Nicole spun around, her heart palpitating heavily seeing a stranger standing in her doorway. She was a scruffy looking girl with caramel skin that had a copper undertone to it, giving her a rich complexion. Her thick, obsidian hair was short, barely falling to her long, elegant neck, and there were traces of blond highlights thinly streaking through it. She was tall, lean with grey eyes and two silver bars in her eyebrow. She could've been from the Middle East or Hispanic or even an Aborigine.

  "Who are you?" Nicole demanded.

  "Oh, sorry." A laugh echoed throughout the kitchen. "I'm Tyler's cousin."

  A light breath could’ve felled Nicole. Tyler left the house and didn't take his cousin with him? JACKASS!

  CHAPTER 2

  Nicole felt a headache building between her eyes, hammering on the front of her skull like a spiked mace. She was certain that the bone would crack. She couldn't believe Tyler had left the house and failed to take his cousin with him. It just didn't make any sense. What the hell did I ever see in him? It was that damned winsome smile that first got her. As she got to know him, there was the fact that he could be funny at the most unexpected times. Of course, it helped that he was dashing and handsome.

  Nicole wondered how the person standing before her was Tyler's cousin. The girl, who appeared to be a teenager, looked nothing like Tyler. Tyler was Caucasian, but his cousin was…something else. What, Nicole wasn't sure yet. Being half Puerto Rican herself, she was aware of and open to mixed families, but she didn't expect that with Tyler's family, not after getting to know him.

  The Wolfe family—Tyler's family—was known for being snobbish, insular, and bordered on bigoted. Nicole mostly heard about them from her parents. From what she was told, she didn't think the Wolfe family would ever deviate from a WASP type of family. The family maligned everyone with lower social status and those who were different from them. The only reason that her parents even gave Tyler a chance was because his father had a reputation of being the black sheep of the family and was a virtuous man. She didn't know much about Tyler's father, except that he was a hard working college professor, but her parents assured her that if Tyler was anything like his father then he was a good catch. He seemed like a fairly decent man when she met him.

  She wouldn't deny Tyler was a capable lawyer, so it wasn't like he didn't deserve his job. He wasn't the best. He was somewhat shrewd, but many good lawyers were. So, she didn't fault her parents for hiring him on those merits, but there was more to him than that. He wasn't like his father. She was willing to bet that he bore more similarities to his uncle.

  She didn't even want to contemplate the abominations she had heard her parents spout about Tyler's uncle, Russell. Russell was the one that Tyler admired, even though he attempted to hide it. Initially, Nicole never would've thought such a thing. Tyler was sweet and funny in a manner that deeply touched her. Some
times, after work, when she was feeling rundown, he knew just the thing to say to lift her spirits. He was considerate to her anyway—at first. When she saw him disparaging other people, she had been able to write it off because she was aware how vexing and importuning their coworkers were. It wasn't until she heard how he dismissed people who requested his assistance that she began realizing he was an egomaniac and treated people as if they were servile plebeians. He was also willing to do anything to come out ahead…just like his uncle.

  Russell Wolfe was a ruthless attorney. Nicole had never seen the man in action, as he was leaning toward politics now. She got the feeling he was the reason that Tyler got into law. Occasionally, Tyler let it slip about how great he considered the man. Most of the time, he caught himself and didn't go into much detail. Tyler claimed he hadn't join his uncle's firm because he wanted to show his uncle that he could make it on his own, just like Russell had. Besides, Russell wasn't willing to vouch for his nephew at his firm until Tyler showed he was worth it; Russell Wolfe never put his reputation on the line for anyone. He fought without scruples and, from what she knew, he operated on the shady side of things sometimes in order to win. Russell Wolfe was beyond arrogant and conceited. Two of many traits Tyler definitely shared with the man.

  If her parents knew Tyler's reverence for his uncle and similarities they shared, they'd probably expeditiously expel him from what they considered their second child—the law firm. They definitely wouldn't be rooting for her to settle down with him. She wasn't looking to disturb them if he continued his performance at the firm.

  "You're Tyler's cousin, huh? He didn't bother to wake you up or anything when he left?" Nicole asked, keen eyes not leaving the newcomer.