Chapter 45
NICK
Ididn’t wait another second. Leaving Michelle and Richard to their conversation, I bolted out the back door, searching for Mel.
My heart pounded as I scanned the yard until I spotted her beneath one of the white oak trees, Loco sitting faithfully by her side.
She stood still, arms wrapped around herself, staring off into the distance as if lost in another world.
Something inside me twisted at the sight.
I approached cautiously, the cool night air biting against my skin.
“Are you okay?” I asked softly.
She didn’t answer. Didn’t even glance at me. Just kept staring, her expression unreadable.
So, I stood beside her, waiting and giving her the space she needed, even as my chest tightened with the weight of everything left unsaid.
Finally, after what felt like forever, she spoke. Her voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it that cut through me like a blade.
“What is Richard talking about, Nick? What aren’t you telling me?”
I exhaled sharply, closing my eyes for a brief moment before turning my gaze to the ground. “Guess you heard that.”
“Yeah,” she said, arms tightening around herself. “The walls aren’t exactly soundproof, and the giant glass windows don’t help.”
I raked a hand through my hair, the strands longer than I liked.
I made a mental note to cut it after the new year—like that would somehow fix everything.
I reached in my pocket and grabbed the box of cigarettes and pulled one out without even thinking about it.
I’ve tried to quit for years and Melanie had been my only reason.
I found it fair since she quit drinking.
When I was about to light the cancer stick, I met her gaze, and she gave me a disappointing look.
Fuck. Letting the cigarette fall to the ground, I squashed it with the heel of my shoe and slipped the lighter back in my pocket
“When I was eighteen, I met this guy at a party,” I began, my voice hollow.
“At first, we were just bullshitting, having a drink. But then I saw the car he drove, the girls hanging all over him. I figured he came from money, even though he didn’t act like it.
I kept running into him at parties, so one night, I finally asked—‘If you’re rich, what the hell are you doing in this part of town? ’”
Mel shifted slightly beside me, her gaze locked on mine.
“That’s when he told me he wasn’t here to party—but to make money. And then he pulled out a bag of pills and cocaine.”
I slipped a hand into my pocket, my fingers clenching into a fist. “That night, when he told me how much he made in a week, I went home and told myself if he could do it, I could too. If I saved enough, maybe I could get my mom and my sister out of that shithole we lived in. So the next time I saw him, I told him I wanted in.”
Mel let out a slow breath. “Okay… so you sold drugs?”
“No.” I turned to face her fully.
She frowned. “Then what?”
“I didn’t have the money to buy the drugs upfront, so I asked if he could front them for me. Let me sell, then pay him back. He didn’t trust me at first, but after hours of convincing, he finally agreed. He gave me one week.” I swallowed hard. “But I never even got the chance.”
Mel’s brows furrowed. “Why?”
I looked away, my throat tightening. “My sister found my stash.”
A beat of silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.
“She was being bullied at school. Kids made fun of her for wearing the same clothes every week. I didn’t know how bad it was, didn’t know how much she hated her life—until she swallowed a handful of pills.”
Mel’s breath hitched. “Oh my God…”
“I came home early that night,” I continued, my voice rough. “They cut my shift at the restaurant, so I walked in and found her lying on the floor—pills scattered around her hand.”
The memory hit me like a punch to the gut. The cold panic. The way my legs nearly gave out as I dropped beside her, shaking her, begging her to wake up.
“I thought she was dead,” I whispered. “I remember praying over and over as I called 911.”
Mel covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes glassy.
“They saved her,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“But that night, I had to tell my mom the truth. I’ll never forget the way she looked at me—like she didn’t even recognize me anymore.
” I exhaled shakily. “So, I decided I was done. I wasn’t going to sell the drugs. I was going to give them back.”
Mel nodded, like that made sense. Like that was the end of it.
But it wasn’t.
“That’s not what Richard was talking about,” I said bitterly. “Before I could return the drugs, someone snitched on my dealer—Diablo. Cops raided his place. He shot someone trying to escape. Two people were injured. One died.”
Mel’s face paled. “Jesus…”
“He went to prison. But before he did, he decided it had to be me who ratted him out. I was the new guy. The one who suddenly wanted out. In his mind, it made sense—I set him up so I wouldn’t have to pay him back.”
“How long was he in prison?”
“He was sentenced to twenty-five years.” I clenched my jaw. “But somehow, he got out early.”
Her breath caught. “So… he’s out?”
I nodded. “And he wants his money. Plus interest.”
Mel inhaled sharply. “How much?”
“Thirty thousand.”
Her eyes widened. “Damn, Nick. Tell him to fuck off.”
“I can’t.” My voice was low, deadly serious. “Guys like Diablo—when they have nothing to lose, they don’t let things go. If I don’t pay, he’ll come after me. My family. Eden, you, and I can’t let that happen. I won’t.”
She ran a hand through her hair, her breathing uneven. “How much do you still owe him?”
“Almost twenty thousand. But thanks to my awesome marketing department, the restaurant’s picking up business.”
A faint, almost ironic smile tugged at her lips. “Well, at least there’s that.”
“I should have it all paid off soon.”
Mel rubbed her face, letting out a shaky laugh. “So my life is potentially in danger?”
I hesitated. “Yes. No. Shit—maybe. But I’m handling it.”
She let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Jesus, Nick. Why didn’t you tell me all this before I agreed?”
I met her gaze, my stomach twisting. “Because I was desperate. And I didn’t want you to say no.”
Silence stretched between us. The weight of everything pressed down like a vice.
Mel exhaled, long and slow, shaking her head. “So… after everything with Diablo, what made you enlist?”
I hesitated. “Honestly? It wasn’t some noble decision.” I let out a small, bitter laugh. “A buddy of mine was talking about it—how he enlisted, how he would see the world, how the military paid decently. And I just stood there thinking… maybe that was my way out.”
Mel’s gaze softened, but she stayed quiet, letting me continue.
“Colt just got drafted to the NFL and I felt stuck, like I didn’t have a future.
Not one that didn’t involve running or constantly looking over my shoulder.
My sister needed me to be something better, and my mom…
she never said it, but I think she was afraid of what I’d become if I stayed.
” I swallowed hard. “So I walked into the recruitment office the next day and signed up.”
Mel studied me for a long moment before whispering, “Did it work?”
I huffed out a breath, glancing up at the night sky. “For a while.” My voice dropped. “But the past doesn’t just disappear, Mel. And now it’s caught up to me.”
She reached for my hand then, her fingers warm against mine. “Then we’ll figure it out.”
I wanted to believe her. God, I wanted to believe her. But deep down, I knew—this wasn’t something you just figured out. This was something that either buried you or forced you to fight like hell to survive. And I wasn’t sure which one I was headed for yet.