OFF-SIDE

𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞-𝖘𝖎𝖝

Nash
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Nikolai suddenly asks surprising me, it's been a week since I last saw him at the masquerade ball and I honestly don't know what made me end up at his place today, I clear my throat and push my thoughts away, "I feel like everything is falling apart." I say my lips twitching, he raises a brow "your feeling is right." He says in his normal robotic calm annoying tone, "you're very helping, thanks" I tell him, sarcasm heavy in my tone, "always here for you." He replies amusement glistening in his eyes, god I hate him, I mean...I'd definitely jump over a cliff for him but still.

"Falling apart how?" He asks more serious, I sigh then raise my hands in the air frustrated "I feel like I'm losing her." I say and a smirk appears on his face, I'm an inch away from punching him, a fucking inch, "oh so you're really falling for her like I said." He says and I ignore him "how did you convince Victoria to not leave you?" I ask and his smirk drops while clinching his jaw, he's pissed, good, absolutely perfect.

"I didn't give her a choice." He says raising a brow at me, the fucker is a psychopath I don't even know why I'm surprised, "lovely technic." I say and he shrugs off his shoulder, "I know, and without the "lovely technic" I would've lost her." He tells me, and I shake my head slowly "I'm not pushing myself into her privacy 24/7 and I'm not gonna act like a bitch like you did." I say and he narrows his eyes,

"Then convince her that none of this is fake." He says looking straight into my eyes, I swallow the lump in my throat, "maybe that's just to me-I mean maybe it's not fake to me but it's always been fake to her, I don't want to make things weird while we're going through...all this shit." I say and run a hand through my hair absolutely frustrated.

He raises his brow "she's obviously attracted to you." He says so casually and I almost choke on my breath, "you think?" I ask my eyes wide open, "I'm sure, go ask Victoria or even that..guy, her best friend or whatever, they'll say the same, it's obvious from the way she reacts to you." He says and I raise my brows "and may I ask, why are you noticing all this?" I ask, jealousy creeping through my veins, yes fucking jealousy, perfect, he snorts dismissively "because my wife keeps whispering all that unnecessary information about how both of you are made for each other in my fucking ears." He says then sighs, "and I can't say no to her, she looks fucking adorable while watching you two so I'm sacrificing my hearing for this." He says and a smile pulls at his lips as if he's remembering the moment.

"I heard my name." A voice comes from the halls and Victoria appears with the biggest grin on her face while holding a plate of cookies and placing it right in front of us, "We could've just bought it, love, you didn't have to exhaust yourself." Nikolai says his voice softening, he pulls her to him by the waist, "I wanted to try, and homemade is always better." She says smiling, "you sound like a mom." I mutter under my breath and she shrugs her shoulders, I pick a cookie and she slaps my hand away, "it's still hot, leave it there for more minute." She says and I make a face at her, "I'm hungry." I say, "another minute won't kill you."She says and Nikolai chuckles at the conversation.

"Now let's go back to the point, what were you talking about?" She asks raising a brow at me, "none of your business." I grin at her and although I don't look in his direction but I can feel Nikolai's glare burning through my skin, "you obviously talked about me so technically it's my business, don't play smart asshole, now tell me." She shoots back narrowing her eyes, I groan and throw my head back in frustration before telling her everything again.

***

"Hey, honey." Mom says and hugs me hard, "what's wrong?" I ask slowly when I take in her expression, "it's your...sister." She says and my stomach clenches, "is she okay? Mom what's wrong? Where is she?" I ask rapidly, worry flipping my stomach, "she's...fine and she's upstairs." She say and I release a relieved breath, "okayy..then what's wrong?" I ask still concerned, "honestly, she's ruining everything, her income has been so low." She says and runs a hand through her long blonde hair.

My jaw clenches and I feel myself glaring, "mom."I say and the word comes out harsh, harsher than I intended anyway, "maybe it's becoming fucking low because she doesn't want to model, because she absolutely hates what she's doing." I say not caring if I sounded harsh or rude, she swallows hardly and looks at the floor, "we need the money." She says, and anger floods through my body, "more than the money I give you? What the fuck do you need it for mom?" I yell angrily, she stares at me for a second "the rent for this place is so expensiv-" she starts but i stop her "what rent? This is ours, it was dad's, and we never spent any rent on it." I Say laughing bitterly, "i need it." She whispers, "yes YOU need it, so you torture Layla with this fucking life she despise so much, and that's enough mom, it's Fucking enough." I say my chest heaving with fast breaths.

"Nash." A voice comes from around and I turn around taking my sister in my arms, my anger fading immediately, she hugs me back tightly, and I caress her back, "let's go upstairs." I tell her and she nods, her eyes puffy and red from crying and my hands clench into fists beside me as we take the stairs not bothering to acknowledge mom's existence.

***

"Helloooo?" Adrian's voice comes from over the phone and I flip the screen to make sure it's Adrian that I'm calling, "are you drunk?" I ask lowkey amused, "uh huh, maybe." He says, "where are you?" I ask smiling without even noticing, "with your girlfriend, I hate this name, it's cringy, I'm with Octavia." I laugh at his mood swings, "where?" I ask again, "at her house." He says his voice sloppy, then I hear a happy giggle beside him, "oh, please come over, I misssseeed you." Octavia's voice takes over and my chest flutters with a weird feeling, just as a smile spreads across my face.

***

I park infront of her house and step outside, knock a couple of times before a very drunk Adrian appears infront of my face and raises his brows playfully, his eyes shining with...a spark, something I've never seen before, they're always dark, like his soul as I always said, but I'm starting to believe otherwise, "come in, asshole." He says so casually and motions for me to go downstairs, I find Octavia sprawled on the stairs biting into a piece of cake, she slowly looks up at me her pupils dilated and full of delight and something else, something completely pure, "you came." She says smiling so big at me, I can't help but smile back, "you asked me to." I say softly and Adrian whistles.

"Ugh please don't tell me you're gonna get together for real, stay single Octavia it's superior." Adrian winks at Octavia and for a second I'm taken back, surprised by him being absolutely out of character, alcohol is playing it's role though, "ugh shut up, I'm already taken you know...by maaany fictional men." She stutters then laughs, good right now I'm jealous of fictional men, she looks at me, motioning to her cake "do you want some?" She asks, "no thanks." I say and her expression falters, "you're missing out." She says then takes a huge bite filling her cheeks and smiling throughout it, I smile at her, and for a moment I get lost in her breathtaking features, the way her eyes shine with happiness, the way her cheeks turn a beautiful shade of pink, the way her lips part the more she realizes that I'm staring, and there are so many things I want to say right now, but staying quiet is the best option here, so I choose it.

****

I get on the bed carefully and grab my phone from the nightstand and check my messages, I have a couple from a groupchat that Victoria created with me and Nikolai and named it "Nash's love life" , I groan and put my phone aside, that's so...Victoria, I'm not even surprised.

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