Dog Tags

Chapter 66

Quinn's POV

The next morning, I wake up with a smile on my face but also a depressing feeling in my bones as the events of last night run through my mind but a big part of me doesn't regret it but I also know that there will be hell to pay if anyone ever found out. I sit up in Nick's bed and run my hand through the tangled nest I call my hair when suddenly I hear the sound of groaning as I turn my head to the other side of the bed to see Nick laying on his stomach, "What time is it?" His groggy voice asks as I look over at the nightstand to read the clock, "It is 11: 25 in the morning." I say while Nick lets out a huge breath reaching for his cell phone.

"And I have nothing to do today but lay in bed." I giggle and laying down placing my head-on Nick's back, "I should get going back home, I am sure that my family knows I am missing." I place soft kisses on his bare skin getting the reaction of his back muscles tensing up, "I wish you could stay longer, but just a warning that if you keep teasing me like you are, you aren't going to make it out of the bedroom." I laugh nibbling on his earlobe a little,"Is that so Mr. Romero?" Nick rolls over onto his back not caring about what the sheet is or is not covering.

"How are you feeling this morning?" He asks with a small amount concern in his voice while I smile at him and run my fingers through his messy hair, "I feel sore for personal reasons and I feel a mixture of emotions about what happened last night." Nick sits up in the bed with his back resting against what is left of the headboard. "Why don't we get dressed and I will cook us some breakfast before you head back home." Nick leans forwards giving me a soft kiss on my lips, "That sounds like heavenly." I say smiling into the kiss as I kiss him back. "You'll never how much last night meant to me." Nick says pulling out of the kiss and I look into his eyes and without saying a word let him know that last night meant just as much to him as it did to me.

I get dressed in my clothes from last night and put my messy hair in a bun while Nick on the other hand just throws on a pair of sweatpants that are so loose on him that they show off his entire V line and almost everything else. Nick walks out of the bedroom first and heads towards the kitchen as I walk out to the main area of the apartment and sit on the couch and turn on the TV, "I can't believe after all this time I finally know the answer of where your phoenix tattoo starts." I say looking over at Nick who just smiles and starts making what smells like French toast.

Out of nowhere the elevator dings and that doors open to reveal Nikki who looks at me with a shocked but angry expression. "What are you doing here?" Nikki asks walking further into the room and placing her stuff down, "She crashed here last night, she made a rough night and was in no condition to drive." Nick lies for me giving me a wink as he turns his sour look at Nikki. "And she couldn't have stayed with any of her other friends?" Nikki snaps placing her hands on her hips, "Relax Nikki, she slept here on the couch and I stayed in my room."Nick walks out of the kitchen and into the living room area,

"Well,I don't like her here Nick and even more so knowing that the two of you were alone all night." Nick rolls his eyes leaning against the staircase. "It is hard for me to believe anything since I hear threw my grapevine that everyone thinks that the two of you are the epitome of relationship goals." I look at Nick as we both share the same baffled look of confusion. "Since she is still here and talking to you, I am assuming that you haven't told her even the slightly amount of the truth yet." Nikki asks turning her attention to Nick whose whole body tenses up right away, 

"Truth about what?" I ask looking between Nick and Nikki. "I don't know what she is talking about." I am not buying that, first it was my friends and now it is Nick. "No, something is going on because now your acting just a weird as my friends did at the diner." I say standing up off the couch looking at Nick who turns his attention to Nikki, "You're really going to pull this now?" Nick asks as Nikki shrugs her shoulders with a wicked grin on her lips. "Not lies if they turn out to be facts." Nick lightly growls at Nikki before looking back over at me, "Quinn you have to believe me when I say nothing is going on." I want to believe him but this feeling in my gut is telling otherwise,

"Why do I feel like I am missing something that is right in my face?" Nick walks over to me grabbing my hand as I look in his eyes, "Just please listen to me and let me handle her." I shake my head wanting people to be honest with me, "I just can't shake the feeling that when it comes to Nikki you and my friends are hiding something." Nikki goes to say something but Nick cuts her off before she can, "You just need to trust me and ignore her." I look past him over to Nikki who clearly is annoyed with what is going on, "I can't believe that you have gone this far Nick and still haven't told her the truth." I am fed up with people talking about me like I am not even in the room.

"What is she talking about Nick? What is going on?" Nick doesn't answer me but by the way Nick looks at me with worry and shame written on his face I know that something is going to come out that Nick has been trying to hide from me. "Something that your naïve and innocent little brain couldn't even think of." Nikki comments in a nasty tone of voice acting like all spoiled rich girl do. "Shut up your mouth Nikki!" Nick yells standing in front of me blocking Nikki from my point of view. "Quinn please just walk away and once we are alone I will tell you everything that you need to know." I can tell from the look on Nick's face that whatever Nikki is talking about really has him shaken up, "Remember the night at the grand opening of Spitfire?" Nikki asks while Nick turns around looking at Nikki with a pleading and painful look on his face.

"I danced with Nick for Chris's song then left with Anthony who took me right home." I say wondering what that night could possibly have to do with anything."Nikki please don't do this, I am begging you." I look at Nick never hearing this type of fear in voice. "If you all want to keep lying to her then be my guess, but I am woman enough to tell her the truth." I lose control of my anger wanting the truth once and for all. "SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON!" Both Nick and Nikki look at me stunned that I would yell like that.

"After you left that night Nick and Emery had their worst fight ever and Emery let it slip out about how he really felt about you." I just shrug my shoulders but I know that there is more to it than that. "Okay?" I say while Nikki looks at Nick who just shakes his head and stays quiet, "That is the only reason Nick took an interest in you Quinn, he knew that Emery had feelings for you and all Nick wanted to prove that he was more a man than Emery." As the words leave Nikki's lips I stand there in motionless as my world feels like has shattered all around me. "You were just a means to an end for Nick's pride." Nikki says in a cheerful tone almost like she is happy that she was the one that got tell me.

"Quinn?"Nick asks in a low tone of voice but I don't answer him as I sit back down on the couch and a numb feeling starts spreading through my body. "Quinn, please say something." Nick worry tone of voice sounds muffled as he kneels in front of me. I don't answer him all I do is look into his eyes to see sorrow in them but now I don't know that is real or what is an act when it comes Nick. "You have my word that once I got to know the real Quinn I gave up on that and truly got feelings for you." Through my tear-filled eyes, I look deep into the eyes of Nick thinking of everything Nick and I have been through over the last couple of months.

"Is what that harper just said true Nick?" Nick doesn't answer me as he lowers his head looking at the ground. "All my friends knew? Emery, Chris, Anthony,Tiffany, Alexa, and Clay all knew the whole time." A few tears slip from my eyes as I feel like I am having out of body experience as everything around me starts to fade away and the look on Nick's face tell me the whole story without him even saying another word. "At least you know the truth about the company you keep." I glare at Nikki and I want nothing more than to ring her neck but with her carrying a baby keeps her safe from my wrath.

I grab my purse and everything else I had with me last night and head towards the elevator with Nick right there trying to stop me and tell me what I can only think of are more lies. "Just let me explain Quinn, please." There is nothing you could possibly say that I would believe, but now I am sure that you will have plenty to tell your buddies and Emery for that matter." I growl at him feeling completely shattered as tears run down my face as the elevator doors open and I walk inside, "I was right about last night by the way it did help me make up my mind, and now with this out in the open it, just makes my decision a lot more easier." I just as the elevator door close.