Chapter 43
Noelle
It’s hard to believe it’s only twenty-four hours later. I didn’t want to sleep; my mind and body yearned to stay close to Nik and make sure that being together wasn’t a dream. I felt safe and loved, and I didn’t want to lose that feeling. Something shifted between us and I knew I never would.
Somewhere close to dawn, our bodies finally gave up, and we fell asleep. I slept peacefully until sometime later, my heart began to race, and in my dream, I was gripping the sheets. I startled awake, opened my eyes, willing myself out of the impending nightmare, but found the dream a sweet reality.
“Shh, let me taste you. I need my sugar rush before tonight’s game.
” I looked down my body and found the most gorgeous brown eyes staring back at me.
I lay my head back down, grinning and stretching my arms over my head.
He reached up, flicking my nipple in rhythm with his tongue on my clit, and in a matter of moments, I detonated.
Nik crawled up my body, sliding inside and said, “Close your eyes, let me rock you back to sleep.” I giggled at him and let him do just that.
At half past three, he kissed me goodbye and headed to the Falls Stadium.
I took my time having coffee, then showering.
I went into my lingerie drawer and closet, and pulled out his favorites.
A sexy lace lingerie bra and panties set in Warrior green, jeans that fit just right, and his Papas home jersey.
Of course, I took a picture before the jeans and jersey went on and sent it to him, letting him know there’d be an extra reward if he won tonight.
And the reward would be mine, too, after I handled things with my editor.
I was about to stand up for myself, for Nik, for us together, and for the truth that always seems to be misconstrued when needing to serve a different purpose.
And that's what social media does, what newspapers report. They twist the truth to benefit their sales. It’s disgusting and immoral, and I wouldn't be a part of it.
Stone was waiting for me as I closed the condo door behind me and we walked down to the car together.
“So, what happens now? Will you go back to work with Dante?”
He nods as he opens my door for me, and I slide into the passenger seat. He shuts it tight and walks to the driver’s door. Starting the engine, he lets the car warm up for a moment.
“Yeah, I’ll be back at the club full time.”
“I’ll miss you, kind of.” I laugh, and he does, too.
“I’m going to miss my hallway suite,” he jokes, and when I shoot him a dirty look, he laughs again. “And you.”
I shift in my seat. “That’s better.”
We drive a block or two before he begins. “You know, I’ve been working with Dante for almost eight years now.”
“So, you know Nik’s dad?”
He nods. “I do, from sight. His name is Constantine, but I didn’t have much communication with him.
But I do know he started getting deeper because he wanted to make sure he had enough money to get Nik whatever he needed.
He honestly did what he did for his kids.
He wanted to give Eva start-up money, and he wanted Nik to only worry about class and practice.
He just went about doing it the wrong way. ”
I nod, turning it over in my mind. “Kind of how Nik got involved.”
“Right. And I’ve known Nik since Dante brought him in, as a seventeen-year-old kid.
” He huffs a laugh. “He was this string bean of a kid, but he was fast as fuck. Dante and I watched some of his high school highlights, and that’s when Dante decided he was going to do for Nik what his father couldn't."
“So, he didn’t pull him in strictly as repayment?”
Stone shakes his head. “No. I think Dante took it upon himself to be Nik's guide because his dad was so lost. Dante made sure he always had what he needed: practice gear, cleats, and food.”
“That’s a good friend.”
“Yup. I think Dante saw a bit of himself in Nik and the two of them bonded.”
The city zooms past us as we drive, heading toward my office building. “Why are you telling me all this?”
He grows quiet. “Because Nik is in a high-profile position, and he needs to know that the people around him are good. That they love him. He’s been kicked over a few times, but his core group right now? Dante, Loving, and Soba… you… you all love him, and he needs that.”
I grin in my seat and tease, “Is this your way of warning me?”
He pulls into the parking lot of Falls Press and puts the car in park.
“Warning you? No, I knew you were all in the moment you mouthed back at him the night you first came to the club.” He chuckles.
“I knew you were going to hold your own against him. No, I say it because he’s going to doubt people's true intentions now, and you need to be the one to guide him through it. You’re the one he loves, so you’re going to have to sift through the mess. ”
“How do you know he loves me?”
“Psst. How do I not?” He winks at me. “Go on in. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
I roll my lips in, grab my bag, and check to make sure my notebook is inside.
“Thanks, Stone. For everything.” I open the car door and get out, arching my neck back to look at the high-rise building before me.
I close my eyes, take a breath, and whisper to myself, “It’s now or never,” as I shut the door and walk towards a new day.
~~
Walking into the building, I thought I’d have some nervous energy.
I thought maybe I’d even have a bit of sadness that where I started and how it’s ending are not what I envisioned.
But instead, when I take the elevator to the third floor and step out, inhaling that same old recycled, day-old coffee smell, I feel invigorated. I feel in control.
I walk in, believing there is still so much life left here for me, and as long as I can relay that to Sherrece, we’re going to go places and do big things.
But if not?
I’ll clean out my desk today.
I round the corner and find my editor sitting behind her desk, glasses perched low, nails tapping against the wood with the sound of disapproval. She’s staring at her laptop, no doubt skimming over last-minute changes to tomorrow’s stories.
I knock lightly, and she looks up. She doesn’t say a word, nor does she stand. She just waves me in. I drop my shoulders and square my chest, taking a deep breath before walking in.
“You’re late,” she says flatly. “And unless you’re here to hand me the takedown you promised, you’re wasting both our time.”
There it is, the ultimatum that’s pushed me from the beginning. Find the scandal, deliver the dirt, and rise to the top. It was enticing. I wanted to break something open, but I had no idea what I was stepping into.
I set my notebook on the desk between us, the way a soldier might set down a weapon, laying myself bare, wanting to be able to speak freely and with nothing between us. “You’ll get your story,” I said, my voice steady. “But it won’t be the one you think you want.”
Her eyes flicked up, sharp and calculating. “Excuse me?”
“You wanted a scandal. You wanted me to write the fall of Saint Nik. But that’s not the truth.
” My throat tightens, but I don't flinch. “What I have is better. It’s about survival, family, and the man behind the jersey. The story isn’t about tearing him down.
It’s about showing who he really is. And if you run it right, it’ll get more eyes than your smear job ever could. ”
She leans back in her chair, unimpressed, and for a moment, I can almost hear her thoughts: rookie reporter, soft heart, no killer instinct.
Just like they said about Nik: rookie wasn’t ready, rookie can’t catch, rookie needs his friends.
But I wasn’t soft, and I wasn't letting her push me around on this. I stayed silent when Dylan screwed me over, and I stayed silent when my first editor was being a misogynist. Not anymore.
“You’re not here to tell me how to do my job,” she says.
“No,” I shoot back, my pulse pounding in my ears, “I’m here to tell you how I’m going to do mine.
This started as an assignment, but it stopped being just another story a long time ago.
You sent me to dig up dirt, and instead, I found a man who has fought harder than anyone to stand where he is.
A man who carries his family’s name like armor.
A man who saved me when I didn’t even know I needed saving. ”
Her expression flickers with annoyance, maybe even a bit of disbelief. I know she’s thinking I’m just blinded by a good dick. I am. And I don’t care.
“This isn’t just about Nik,” I continue, heat rising in my chest. “It’s about me. About who I am as a reporter, and who I refuse to become. I won’t sell my soul for a headline. Not his, and definitely not mine.”
The silence stretches, thick and suffocating. She folds her arms, but I keep going because, for once, I’m not afraid of losing.
“You can run my piece or not. But if you kill it, someone else will publish it, and you’ll have to explain why every other outlet in town has the story you were too blind to take. Either way, I’m not backing down. Not for him. Not for me.”
I pick up my notebook, hands trembling at the adrenaline running through me, and walk to the door.
I pause, turning back around. “You wanted a scandal, but I found something bigger. I found the truth. And for the first time in my career, I know exactly what kind of reporter I want to be. So, while I’m grateful for the opportunities you've given me here, for being a friend as well as a mentor, if you need to fire me, have at it. But understand that it won’t stop me. And this story will get out.”
Her mouth opens, then closes, lips pressing tight. But I don’t wait for an answer. I walk out, feeling lighter with each step.
It had started as an assignment. At one point, I would have bet everything I own that no one is as good as they look.
There are secrets, dark lies, events that would end us if they got out.
But then there was Nik. Sure, he is a little morally grey around the collar, but he is still proof that love always shines through.
And somewhere between the questions, the danger, and the nights spent unraveling Nik’s world, it had become my life.
And now, it is mine to write.