The Bad Boy Arrangement

by Nora Flite

  It wasn't just a blackout drunkeness that I needed. My cures involved soft tits and muscled thighs around my middle. That'd hurt her.

  What, did I have a conscience suddenly?

  You always did.

  I had to shut my inner thoughts up with more booze. Sitting at the bar with my skull pounding, I waved the bartender closer. “Give me something hard.”

  He didn't hesitate, he slid me a thick mug filled with amber liquid. I chugged the glass; it didn't matter what it was, it wasn't about taste—just the numbness.

  She'll be ruined by me if I go through with this.

  Her...

  And the baby.

  No, there was a chance I could be a good father. Fuck that chance, how could I rely on that possibility? How could I ever keep going if Nix... and my child... if their lives were tainted because of me?

  Growling, I dug my injured hand into my knee. Stop thinking about it.

  Stop thinking about them.

  Picturing Nix just made everything worse.

  “Hey, never expected to see you again.”

  Turning, I studied the blonde woman. She had on a sparkly, skin-tight dress, completely inappropriate for the weather. A Try-Hard, I thought distantly. I hadn't had one of those in forever. Wait. Blinking, I recognized the woman speaking to me. “You're Trish, right?” The girl we rescued during the music concert.

  Laughing, she took a deep pull from her drink. “Yup. Funny, I didn't think the notorious Abram Birch remembered the names of any women.”

  My guts contorted as if razor-wire had been wound through them. She wasn't wrong; the list of women I'd forgotten was a long one.

  Twisting my palm through my hair, I forced an empty smile. “That's only girls I sleep with. Not the ones I save.”

  Her eyes twinkled, hip cutting a sharp angle as she leaned closer. “Ah. You know, I didn't even recognize who you were that night in the park.”

  “Well, you had just been attacked.”

  Trish paused, her eyes hooding. “It was a strange night. I was lucky that girl came along.”

  That girl. “Nix,” I said. “Her name is Nix.”

  She pursed her lips, considering me with fresh eyes. “You know her name? Guess you didn't sleep with her after all. I figured you would.”

  It should have been obvious before. Somehow, it took Trish saying it to drive the point home.

  I didn't forget Nix's name.

  My heart was jolted, electricity running through my tongue.

  I didn't forget her!

  In all my life, that had never happened. Women came and went through my bedroom. They left their panties, they left hickies, but not until now had any of them left a memory.

  Only her.

  Only Nix Halloway.

  “Nice shirt,” Trish said, fingering the edge of the garment's neck.

  That was when I looked down, realizing what I'd put on in my near panic. The shirt she bought for me. In a daze, I ran my palm over the front of it. The red color made the cuts on my knuckles stand out vibrantly. That day rushed back to me; the flower shop, the tulips, the admission to Nix about making her jealous...

  The ice cream we'd sat and ate together.

  All of it stole my oxygen until I was light headed.

  “So,” Trish purred, sliding her fingers over my shoulder. “Do you want to go back to your place, or mine?”

  I stood up too fast, the bar stool went toppling. Trish backed up a step, her confusion turning her pale. “Sorry,” I said, slamming money down on the bar. “I can't do that.”

  Laughing self-consciously, she tossed her hair. “Why not?”

  “Because I'm about to be a married man.”

  Trish stammered, but she said nothing else as I marched out that door and back into the dark night. Oddly enough, it wasn't that cold anymore. Or perhaps that was just the energy burning in my blood.

  Digging my phone out, I scanned my recent calls as I walked. There, that one. Redialing the number, I listened to the ringing.

  “Hello again,” the robotic voice said.

  My breath was like a dragon's fiery steam. “Fuck you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said fuck you.” Something wet tickled my forehead. “I don't know who you are, but you can't force me to stay away from Nix. Money, threats, it doesn't matter. That woman is mine, do you hear me? Mine!”

  There was a long pause on the line. “You're making a mistake.”

  “The only mistake I made was listening to your offer.”

  Slamming the phone closed, I endured the pounding of my ears. Alcohol had left me disoriented, but my determination and rage had cleansed me.

  The world was bright again.

  Once more, something cold bit at my skin. Water dripped down my arm, burning at the cuts healing on my hand. Looking up into the black sky, I shut my eyes and inhaled.

  It had started to snow.

  - Chapter Thirteen -

  Nix

  The number of missed calls from Abell glowed at me.

  “Something on your mind?” the caterer in front of me asked.

  Poking at the food sample on my plate, I smiled half-heartedly. “Kind of. It's nothing, really.”

  She nodded, clearly not caring about my personal issues.

  I shouldn't have to waste time with this, I thought in frustration. My mother had informed me that Corin Birch had been serious at his party, he'd insisted on arranging a reception for his friends and business partners after my ceremony.

  I had an unsettling feeling he wanted to parade me around.

  “Which entree do you like?” she prodded me. “So far you've tried the lemon chicken, fried chicken, herb chicken, roast chicken...”

  The woman rambled on until it all blurred together. Scanning the long table covered in plates, I coughed. “Uh, they're all great.” How many kinds of chicken ARE there?

  My phone buzzed again. Peeking down, I saw the text message:

  Abell: Call me back. I need to see you.

  The itch to contact him—hear his voice—was massive. Playing with the edge of my phone, I fidgeted. I can't do it here, I'll wait until I leave, then—

  In my hand, my phone began to vibrate. Every chamber of my heart copied that sensation, coming alive with expectation. I couldn't resist any longer.

  “Excuse me,” I said, pressing the phone to my ear. “I have to take this.”

  But it wasn't Abell.

  “Nix,” Gram said, the instant I answered. “We need to meet up and talk.”

  I leaned forward, cupping my hand around for privacy. “What's wrong?”

  “Just meet me in twenty minutes, the coffee shop on Brentwood.” The severity in his tone wasn't subtle. Something was up, and when it came to Gram, if he thought it was serious...

  I did, too.

  “I'll be there,” I said. The catering woman stared at me, probably wishing she could stuff the chicken down my throat. I ignored her. “See you.” Clicking my phone, I faced her with the most apologetic smile I had in my arsenal. “Listen, I need to go.”

  Her mouth went frog-like in its shape. “But the chicken!”

  “Right, yeah.” I pointed without looking, jumping to my feet. “That one, that was the best.”

  “That—that's an empty plate!”

  Shoving through the door, I shouted, “Fine! The last one you mentioned!”

  I didn't care about a damn chicken.

  My brother was waiting for me.

  ****

  Busting through the jingling door, I was hit by a wave of heat. The coffee shop was toasty, a sharp contrast to the winter world outside. Snow had fallen last night, blanketing the city in a cap of frosty white.

  I didn't need to look hard to find Gram; he was standing in a booth to my left, waving an arm rapidly.

  Waving back, I jogged over to him. “Hey!” I said, “There you are! What's the big emergency? I was in the middle of some major chicken eating, and I think I might have picked empty plates f
or the reception.”

  I was smiling, but Gram was pale. “Sit down, Nix.”

  Warily, I settled into the seat across from him. “Okay. I don't like this. What's wrong, Gram?”

  Leaning towards me, he shoved his shoulders high. “You have to back out of the wedding.”

  Trying to digest his words, I ended up staring blankly at his face.

  “Nix?”

  I blinked, still working through his comment. “Sorry, say that again.”

  Exasperated, he grabbed my hands on the table. “Focus! I said you can't go through with this! It's wrong. He's wrong for you.”

  Shaking myself, I said, “You called me here to tell me that?” Laughing without humor, I bent closer. “Gram, final hour much? The wedding is in two days.”

  He gripped my fingers tighter, voice lowering, but his intensity was the same. “Listen to me, Nicky. I'm warning you, wearing that ring is going to ruin your life.”

  I pulled my hands away, uncertainty cracking my nervous smile. “The guy is kind of a mess, yeah, but you don't know him. Not like I do.”

  “You think you know him?” Crinkling his brow, he took a deep breath.

  Doubt crept along my neck. “What, what is it?”

  Gram hung his head. “He isn't loyal to you, Nix.”

  Pushing my lips together, I buzzed them. “Pssshh. What are you talking about?”

  “Last night, Abell went out drinking.” As he talked, my heart turned cold—heavy. “He was with someone. Nix, he... he's not any different. He's the player you thought he was.”

  “No.” The word went free-falling from my lips. Inside, my mind battled with my intuition. Abell wouldn't do that to me. Under the table, I grabbed at my stomach protectively. We have something, he's changed, he... “How,” I said, licking my lips. “How do you know he did this?”

  Lifting his phone, Gram waved it. “Someone sent me a photo.”

  Around me, the room began to go blurry. “Who?”

  “I don't know, I didn't recognize the number and they never responded to my texts.”

  “Show me.”

  “Nix—”

  “Show me.”

  Reluctantly, Gram placed the phone on the table between us. I reached out, and we both saw my hand was quivering. Flicking the screen on, I stared blankly at the image before me.

  It was fuzzy, the lighting was poor, but I had no doubt.

  That was Abell.

  And there was Trish.

  It stunned me that I remembered who she was. What is she doing with him? A million excuses ran through my head, stomping away until my skull was rioting. “Why?” I asked softly, unable to look away.

  “Why did he do it? Because he's a piece of shit, Nix! The guy never cared about you, he just wanted to have his cake and eat it, too.”

  I studied the photo, working to grasp any clue that it wasn't what it looked like. He wouldn't do this to me. Especially not with the possibility of a pregnancy! “I have to talk to him.”

  Gram sat up straight, grabbing the phone from me. I held it for a second, then released. “Nix, no. You're going to get hurt.”

  “I already am hurt!” The rage in my tone shocked me. Gram was stunned as well. “What am I supposed to do? Walk away like you're telling me to? I'll lose everything—you'll lose everything!”

  Closing his eyes, Gram shook his head. “You don't need this company, Nicky. You can do other things.”

  “Like what?” I scoffed.

  “Anything! You're amazing, I don't think Gabby or Dad could run that place without you!”

  My ears were ringing, that photo stamped in my mind's eye. “And you? What about my promise to make your life better?”

  “It doesn't matter. I'm quitting.”

  My jaw dropped, nails digging into the table cloth. “What?”

  His smile was as frail as a snowflake. “I'm taking myself out of the equation. Don't worry about me, Nix. Worry about you, for once in your life.”

  “If you leave, you'll be giving up a job you love!”

  “What I loved was working with you. The rest of the job can take a hike.” His grin was playful, but it didn't reach his eyes.

  Clutching my hair, I whispered, “I'm so confused. I need to understand how he could do this.” How he could abandon me... and his potential child.

  Jumping to my feet, I went to leave. Gram's hand stopped me. “Nicky, please. Don't give him the pleasure of your time. Just walk away. Isn't that possible?”

  With sorrow on my tongue, I whispered, “Not for me.”

  His thumb pressed into my skin, not painfully, just to hold my attention. “Stop sacrificing yourself for everyone, Nix.”

  “I'm not.” Tightness crept up my throat.

  “You are. It's your biggest flaw.”

  Bending down, I wrapped him in a hug so fierce it stole the air from both our lungs. “Gram, I promise that I'll make this work for both of us. Okay? Trust me.”

  “I do trust you. That's what makes me so worried. You'll find a way to help, you always have, and it's going to be at your expense.”

  Letting him go, I turned away as fast as I could. Maybe he's right. Is all of this going to hurt me somehow?

  Fuck it. I was already hurt.

  I needed answers.

  Abell was the only one who had them.

  - Chapter Fourteen -

  Abell

  The knock on my door was sharp. It reverberated through my apartment.

  Who the hell is that?

  I was in a black mood. All morning, I'd been calling Nix. For some reason she hadn't responded.

  Paranoid after the warning I'd received yesterday, I'd been marching around my apartment, preparing to head into the city and investigate her home.

  I wanted nothing more than to look on the face of the woman I'd fallen for. There was an indent on her lower lip that needed me to kiss it.

  Ripping open the door, I stared at that perfect indent again.

  Only now, it was part of a frown.

  “Nix,” I said, leaning into the hall, glancing around. “What are you doing here? Who buzzed you in? I've been trying to reach you all day!”

  “One of your neighbors,” she said. Leaning past me, she scanned my place. What was she looking for?

  “You buzzed someone else? Why?” Ruffling my hair, I reached for her. “Never mind, come inside and get warm.”

  She dodged past me, leaving me holding the ghost of her presence. Nix stood in the middle of the room, as if going further would be dangerous.

  I shut the door quietly, moving towards her with wary steps. “Are you okay?”

  There. The fury in her eyes made me stand still. “No. I'm not okay at all.”

  I reached for her again, and once more, she sidestepped. “Nix! What the fuck is going on?”

  “You tell me.” Flipping out her phone, she showed me the screen. It took me a minute to recognize myself.

  That's... from last night. Baffled, I took her phone, studying the photo in horror. “What—how do you have this?”

  “Someone sent it to my brother, I had him send it to me. Abell, what were you doing last night?”

  “Who the fuck would take that picture?”

  She was terrifyingly somber. “Answer me about last night.”

  Maybe I could have lied. There was a chance she'd listen, accept whatever I said. The frailness in her green glare said, 'I want to believe you.' Nix was willing to listen. She wanted to think the best of me.

  But there was no reason to.

  The truth would show that.

  Handing her the phone, I lifted my head high. “You wanna know what I was doing? Exactly what you suspect.” Her face twitched. “I was getting wasted off my ass, trying to run away from my problems, like I always fucking do. Is that surprising, somehow?”

  “Tell me you didn't sleep with her.”

  I balked. “With who? Trish?” My brain clicked. “That's why you busted in here, looking around. You thought she'd be here?
That I'd actually cheat on you?”

  “How could I know what to think after seeing that photo?” she snapped. “Did you sleep with her?”

  “Of course I didn't!” Dragging my fingers down my skull, I started to pace side to side. “I'd never do that to you, Nix!” It was funny, arguing my morals like this. Me, Abell Birch, celebrated manwhore... saying that I didn't fuck somebody.

  Nix hadn't moved, she just seethed at me, uncertainty cracking her voice. “I want to believe you. It... it feels like the truth.”

  “Don't forgive me yet,” I said flatly. “What I did was worse than cheating. I debated abandoning you, saving you from my tainted, destructive life.”

  She bit at the air, lips pulling back. I'd never seen her so pissed. “You were actually going to run from me? From this?” She gestured sharply at her belly. It was flat, but I visualized what could be inside of her none the less.

  The energy went out of me. This anger was what I'd expected. I deserved to be attacked. Flopping onto the arm of my couch, I let my hands fall over my knees. “Yes. I was going to run.”

  “Why?” The tension in her neck made the side of her jugular tick. I wanted to kiss it, make her blood run for another reason, but I didn't dare.

  Resting my head on my fist, I said, “To save you.”

  “Holy hell, Abell. You freaked me out because you were trying to martyr yourself?” Palming her forehead, she laughed. “You don't need to save me from yourself, I'm a big girl, I can make my own choices.”

  All I'd wanted before was to look upon her face. Now, it was hard to glance at her.

  “Abell?” She came closer, my floor creaking. “What are you hiding?”

  Can I tell her?

  Her fingers came down on my shoulder. It reminded me of when I'd grabbed her knee in the mall. “Abell.”

  I curled my fingers around hers. “I got a phone call last night. Someone bribed me to exit your life. They said you'd be ruined by me if I didn't walk out on the marriage.”

  The color drained from her skin. “You're not serious.”

  “I am. I didn't know what to do. How could I put you, and a child, through what my father put me through?.”

  “Then... our wedding, are you going to call it off?”