8. Nadia
Chapter 8
Nadia
As my cell chimes, I immediately recognize the distinct sound I assigned to my mom’s messages. My grandpa has already been released from the hospital, but a wave of anxiety washes over me at the mere thought of him being readmitted.
I quickly reach for my cell phone and eagerly open the text message.
I stand there, my mouth hanging open in shock as I read her message.
Mom: Dominic has called here.
I quickly call her. “What did he say?”
“He said he’s been trying to contact you, but you’re not answering.”
“Because we are over. I don’t need to talk to him,” I say, exasperation in my tone.
Mom sighs. “Have you seen the newsstands? He’s telling the world how much he loves you.”
“What?” Why the hell would he do that when we’ve broken up? “He kept me a secret for two years, and then he cheated on me. Why would I even consider taking him back?”
Oscar strides toward me, his eyes focused. A somber look spreads across his face as he gets closer, evidently having caught wind of my conversation with Mom.
His jaw clenches tightly, his eyes narrow in concentration.
“Everything okay?” he asks, though we both know the answer.
I exhale heavily, running a hand through my hair. “Dominic! Apparently, he’s been trying to reach me and is now taking his pleas public by blabbing to the press about how much he ‘loves’ me.” I use air quotes derisively.
Oscar frowns. “That jerk who cheated on you? Why would he do something like that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I mutter. “We’ve been over for months after his infidelity. I don’t owe him anything, least of all a response to whatever pathetic public displays he’s pulling.”
Mom’s voice comes through the phone again. “Sweetheart, I know you’re upset. You need to respond to the article, otherwise it’ll fester.”
With an eye roll, I silently express my annoyance. “Mom, you know what he did. I’m not getting dragged back into that toxic situation again, and I’m not playing the games he thinks I’ll play.”
I glance at Oscar and whisper, “I’m sorry.”
Oscar puts a reassuring hand on my arm, his touch calming me a little. “We’ll go home and decide what to do. There are reporters in his building.”
Nodding slowly, I lean into him gratefully. “Thanks, Oscar. You’re right, I’m not responding to his mind games.” I turn my attention back to the phone. “Mom, I’ll let you go. Don’t talk to him if he calls you again.”
“He called your mother?” Oscar murmurs, taking my hand and we stride out of the arena and toward the car park reserved for the players of the team. “He really wants you back.” His voice drops.
“No. Of course he doesn’t,” I say as we reach his car. “And I’m surprised he went public. We did nothing in the public eye. He said the fans liked to think he was single.”
“And you believed that?” Oscar asks.
I laugh. “Can I tell you a secret?”
Oscar stares, waiting. He nods.
“Dominic asked me to have children with him. And yet, minutes before, I told him that we were over. I ended our relationship, and he tried to save it by giving me the one thing he knew I wanted.”
Oscar’s nostrils flare as he takes in my words. It’s as if my revelation has caught him off guard, and he’s struggling to process it.
“Why would he do that?” I ask. I never understood it. He wanted to keep me a secret for two years. And it took him to realize our relationship was over before he acted.
“Because he used your needs against you.”
I slide my tongue over my teeth and nod. “Like you did when we were nineteen.”
Oscar's eyes lock on mine. “That’s not fair. I never cheated on you. I just didn’t want you to leave me.”
I don’t reply.
Oscar’s jaw tightens, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes before he masks it with a shrug. “I know I made mistakes back then. But I never manipulated you like Dominic did.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “And I’m sorry for everything. You deserved better. Maybe better than me, too.”
I nod, the weight of his words settling heavily in the air between us.
Silence settles in the car, broken only by the soft hum of the engine. I watch the city lights pass by, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.
“I know you didn’t cheat on me, Oscar,” I whisper. “But your words hurt me, too. It made me feel like I wasn’t worth being shown off to the world.”
Truthfully, the weight of his words wounded me deeply, and I never believed I was as good a model as the girls I walked the runway with.
Oscar’s jaw tightens, his expression pained. “I was young and stupid back then. I was trying so hard to keep you, but I see now that in the end, it hurt us both.”
I reach out and place a hand on his arm, giving him a small smile. “And you know I’m still a model. I’m still going to be traveling the world and most of the time living in Europe.”
He audibly swallows as all hope leaves his eyes. “You’re trying to let me down gently.”
A huff of a laugh releases from my lips. “Your career is here, in New York. Mine…”
“Could be here. New York could be your base. You could travel to Europe when you need to.”
“It won’t work…” I say lightly. “You did what Dominic did. You tried to hide me. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
“Sorry?” Oscar’s eyes flick to mine.
“You hid me. In the restaurant … You deleted the photos of us and threatened the photographer,” I say.
“I did that for you. I thought you wanted to keep your private life private. I didn’t want the media to twist our relationship into something it’s not,” Oscar explains, his voice tinged with regret.
I shake my head, feeling the weight of his words bearing down on me. “I understand that, Oscar. But I need more than secrecy and hidden moments. I need someone who is proud to stand by my side, not someone who wants to keep me in the shadows. I had that with…”
“Don’t say his name, Nadia. Don’t compare how I’m treating you to the way he is.”
I swallow as Oscar’s eyes search mine, a mix of emotions swirling within them. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I thought I was protecting you, and yes, I was a fool for what I said to you when we were younger, but please don’t hold it against me.”
Taking a deep breath, I gather my thoughts before speaking again. “I care about you, Oscar. I truly do. You’re the only man I’ve loved, but I deserve to be with someone who doesn’t hide me until it’s too late.”
A heavy silence settles between us once more as we both come to terms with the inevitable end of our relationship.
“I don’t want to hide you. I like my life to be private too. Because of my father’s sex club, my family has faced a lot of criticism. I hated it,” Oscar replies, his voice laced with sadness.
I take a deep breath, trying to process his words. The city lights blur outside the car window as we drive in silence for a few moments.
Finally, I turn to face him. “Oscar, I need to feel you’re proud to be with me, and of what I do. And that you want the world to know we’re together.”
He meets my gaze, his eyes searching mine. “You think I’m not fucking proud of you? Of what you became. I’ve stalked you for five years, your career, and I was so fucking happy you made it, despite what I said to you.” He hesitates for a moment. “Never think I’m not proud of you.”
A flicker of hope stirs in my heart at his frankness. Maybe we can overcome this hurdle. Maybe we can work through the pain and find a way back to each other.
My teeth dig into my lip as I chew nervously. “You are?” I breathe.
"Yes. I want to tell the world that you're mine. I want to be yours."
"I want that too," I whisper.
He quickly pulls the car into a free space at the side of the road. Turning off the engine, he turns to me and says, “Are you saying what I think you are?”
I nod. “Until I have children, I’ll be traveling the world. Can you handle that?”
“But you’ll live here? With me?”
“Do you want that?”
“I’ve wanted you forever, Nadia. I keep asking you to marry me because now you’re in my life, I can’t stand the thought of you not being in it forever.”
He checks his side mirror before he opens the door and gets of the car. Rushing to my side, he opens the door and takes my hand.
“Where are we going?”
“Dinner.”
I glance around. There are no restaurants in sight.
“We’re starting again and doing things differently this time.”
I consider his words as he takes my hand, and we walk. “Where are we going?”
He shrugs his shoulder. “No idea. But I won’t hide you away. You’re mine, Nadia, and I want everyone to know it.”
Tears coat my eyes as we stroll down the busy street, his grip on my hand grounding. As we turn a corner, I catch a glimpse of a small, cozy café nestled between two shops, its warm lights inviting us in.
“Let’s go there,” I suggest, pointing at the café. My body freezes when I hear a car screech to a halt and two paps jump out of the car, cameras flashing.
“So it’s true, Nadia,” one of the paparazzo starts, “You’re having an affair with Oscar Bridge behind Dominic Logan’s back.”
Oscar grunts. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze.
“I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll give you one quote and one picture, and then you can leave us to have dinner in peace, or…”