Barbie Bitch (Rejects Paradise 3)

I hope the old Nic is back. I miss that guy, not the monster he’s quickly turning into.

I find myself at his door. It's too early for him to be up. He's usually awake until four in the morning and then sleeps till after midday. Usually, I’d just walk in, but it doesn’t feel right, not anymore.

Too much has changed between us and I have no idea where we stand. Hopefully, we can clear the air and find that common ground again. Then once that mission is complete, I can do the rounds.

Dealing with Eli, Kai, and Sebastian won’t be nearly as hard as dealing with Nic. Sebastian will just fall at my knees and wrap his arms around my waist, refusing to let go until I forgave him. Eli will stare at me from across the room, biting his lip as he struggles to find the right words while Kairo will sit me down and deliver the lengthy speech that’s been circling his mind for the past two weeks, not giving me a chance to even get a word in.

My fist comes to the door and my knuckles bang against it before I can talk myself out of it.

What was Colton thinking sending me here? I know he wants to see me happy but what if I’m not ready for this? What if Nic hasn’t had enough time to lick his wounds and is still being a possessive douche? Screw Colton and his obsessive need to see me happy. Why can’t he be one of those jealous guys who refuses to let me see my boys? I can deal with that shit like a pro.

Groans of protest come from within Nic’s apartment and the sound of a whiny girl instantly draws my attention. I should have known he would have had company in there. There’s no way a guy like Nic would have gone to bed alone on a Saturday night. That’s just who he is.

I hear soft murmurs and the sounds of the doors opening and closing and then finally, the familiar rattle of the lock sliding out of place. The door handle twists and then Nic is there, standing before me in his bare-chested glory.

He stares at me as though he doesn’t believe what he’s seeing. “What are you doing here? Did he hurt you?”

My brows furrow and I shake my head while he holds every bit of my attention just as I hold his, that is until his little guest steps into view and everything crushes within me.

Carmen Fucking Saunders.

Fuck, that hurts.

I meet Nic’s eyes and I see the instant regret and despite us not being together, he knows that this move has only managed to fuck things up between us just that little bit more.

His chances of ever getting me back were well and truly blown when he first slept with the whore while we were together, but doing it again has more than sealed our fate. It’s a knife straight to the back and I want nothing more than to tear him apart.

“Really?” I whisper, keeping my voice low in fear of it breaking. “Out of all the girls you could be fucking around with, you pick her?”

His heart is on his sleeve and I see him desperately trying to figure out a way to make this all okay. He turns and looks back at the half-naked girl. “Get out,” he demands, his voice a low warning that sends chills spiraling down my spine.

“What?” she snaps, looking back at me with distaste. “No. Tell that little slut to come back later. I’m not nearly done with you yet.”

Nic moves like lightning. One second he’s standing before me in the doorway and the next his arm is stretched out with the tip of his gun pressed firmly against her temple. “GET OUT,” he roars, making my back stiffen with fear as he uses that same tone he used in the warehouse. “You’re the fucking reason she’s not with me in the first place. Just because you’ve got a tight fucking pussy doesn’t mean I won’t hesitate to end you, now get the fuck out of my house.”

Her eyes are wide and she doesn’t wait a goddamn second before darting through the open door, slamming her shoulder into mine in the process.

Nic lowers his gun as his dark gaze sweeps back to mine. “Was that really necessary?” I question, silently getting a thrill out of seeing her fear. In the end, she’s the girl who knowingly seduced a taken man, but he’s the one who cheated. So even though she’s also at fault, the error is on Nic, but that doesn’t change the fact that seeing her squirm felt like fucking victory.

Nic shrugs his shoulders as I hover awkwardly in the doorway. “I wasn’t really going to kill her.”