A Tormented Heart

Ch 21: Baffling Behaviours

Numb, Cecilia stood like a puppet on strings unable to see or hear anything except for the terrible hatred in Nic's eyes, and wondered how she could have missed it. How could she not have seen how much Nic hated her?

"But there is one thing I do know: I never ever want to see your face again." He straightened, walking towards the door and unlocking it with a key from his trouser pocket. He pulled the door wide open.

"Get the hell out of my building."

----

You are nothing. You are nothing. You are nothing. You are nothing. Nothing... nothing...noth...

The words reverberated around her again and again, impossible to push away, impossible to ignore. 

He had said she was nothing to him... Nothing...

Cecilia whimpered slightly, eyelids fluttering as she slept.

Nothing.

You're nothing you filthy b*tch! You should be grateful I took you in. You ungrateful piece of sh*t! You don't want me, but you want that ugly orange thing I gave you. You wouldn't have had it without me! You're nothing. You don't want me, you don't get that thing either!

NO! Mama! Mama! Don't hit mama. She's crying. Mama don't cry.

"Mama." Cecilia mumbled, tears pouring down her temples into her hair as she tossed and turned. "Mama, don't cry."

You're nothing...

***

Nicolas stared out his office window blankly, unable to register a word his secretary was telling him. 

"And you've got a business dinner with Mr Ryland at 8pm tonight, and - Nic, are you even listening to me?!" Sophia burst out, irritated. 

"Sorry, what?" He whirled around, aware for the first time that he wasn't alone.

"Nic, I've been reciting your appointments for almost half an hour now! Where are you? Because you sure as hell aren't here!" She hissed.

"Language." Nic reprimanded, almost as reflex, but his usual bite was missing. He sighed, laying his head into his hands. "I'm sorry."

Sophia grew immediately alarmed - this was so far removed from the Nicolas Freire she knew that there had to be something wrong. Very wrong. The lack of attention in itself was a tell-tale sign, but sighing, slouched posture and apologising without being under duress? 

Someone was dying.

"Nic. Tell me, who is it? Who is the poor, unfortunate soul - "

He immediately sat up scowling. "Cecilia Rose Knight is not a poor, unfortunate soul and I'd thank you to - "

"Cecilia?!" She gasped. "Cecilia is - "

"- keep yourself out of her concerns. She's nothing but trouble and - "

"- dying?! Oh God, we have to call the ambulance! Or wait, do we have to call the police - "

"- she's an awful influence on you. I don't know why you insist on calling her a friend- Wait. What?!"

"What?" Sophia was equally confused.

"Cecilia is dying?! What's wrong with her?" Nicolas stood up so abruptly his chair went flying out from underneath him. "Where is she? WHERE IS SHE?!!" He ran to the door, then ran back to shake Sophia as he questioned her, then ran back to the door again. "No, no, this isn't important right now. I need to find her..."

Sophia ran out the door after him, barely able to keep up, shouting after him. "How should I know? You're the one who said - "

But Nic was already on the phone to 999. "Yes, this a goddamn emergency! How many times do I need to say it?! Someone is dying here - What, what do you mean what's wrong with her? That's your job to find out! No, I don't care what the official procedure is! Just send someone over right now! If someone isn't over here in the next 2 minutes, I swear to God, I'll put you all behind bars for medical negligence! Who am I? I'm Nicolas Freire, that's who I am! Send someone now!" Running towards the stairs when the lifts weren't quick enough to arrive for his satisfaction, he spared Sophia a glance. "Where did you say she was?"

Running up to him, Sophia panted, bewildered. "How should I know? You're the one who -"

"You don't know? But you're the one who -"

"Sir?" A young man approached Nic with some trepidation as he took in his wild state. "There is an ambulance waiting outside and they're asking who -"

"Yes, yes, we need to get them inside..." Running down the stairs without looking back, Nicolas missed the baffled glances his employees exchanged behind him.

***

 "I'm so sorry. Yes there's been a misunderstanding. We were misinformed. We're so sorry to have wasted your time. Yes, yes of course, we'll be careful next time." Sophia mumbled platitudes to the grumbling ambulance staff, only turning back once she'd seen them off with promises of fresh coffee and cream cake.

Nic glared at her.

"Nic, you -" She faltered under his glare. "You... honestly..." Unable to hold it back anymore, she burst into fresh guffaws of laughter.

"Soph." He growled in warning, but that only made her double over, tears in her eyes.

"Honestly, you were so impatient..." She hiccuped, unable to stop laughing. "If you'd just listened for one moment..." She shook her head in mock exasperation. 

Nic felt his ears burning. He'd never been so humiliated in his life. And all for that stupid girl... Honestly, he felt he may deserve the stupidity title more than she did.

Either Sophia practised the art of telepathy and mind-reading, or great minds really did think alike, because she was soon thinking the same track of thoughts.

"It's strange though." She looked at him speculatively. 

"Wha-what is?" Nic almost gulped.

"Why would the guy, with so much self-professed hatred towards Cess, be so concerned for her? So concerned that he went out of his mind with worry?"

"Who? Who went out of his mind with worry?" 

Sophia just stared at him, arms folded.

Nic cleared his throat. "Don't think any useless thoughts. It meant nothing. She's just the daughter of -"

"Yes, yes I know." Sophia waved a hand. "The daughter of the Mr Knight whom you respect and admire so much, etc, etc. Please Nic. I've known you since childhood. You don't behave like this towards every daughter of every man that you've ever admired." She observed him through narrowed eyes. 

"Yes, but - "

"But, nothing. For God's sake, when will you accept that you care for her? That you care for Cecilia?"

----

AN: 

Hey guys! Hope you all enjoyed the update. And I am so sorry and so happy at the same time! 

Sorry because, despite all my good intentions, it has literally been impossible for me to make time for writing - med school is no joke! And happy because, wow guys, 21.9K reads?? Wow. 

I only hope I can continue to live up to your expectations of me!

Thank you so much for all your love!! xoxox

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