Reckless Entitlement

Chapter 42: Nick

I knew he would do something to ruin the night. I just knew it.

I tried my best to keep my cool while I dropped Maya off at home, but I was close to exploding. Seeing her cry had broken my heart. And after she told me the things that he said to her--I wanted to kill him.

I didn't so much care what he said or thought about me, he made his feelings about my decisions to go to the Kennedy Institute crystal clear, but for him to basically call her a gold digger and reduce her down to just a phase, I wasn't having it. And then for him to come on to her. It made me so livid I could barely see straight.

I sat in my car trying to slow my heart rate before going inside. I needed to calm down or who knows what I would do. Maya told me not to do anything that would send me to jail and I said I would try. I'm not so sure I could keep that promise.

"Hey, where did you guys go?" He sat at the kitchen counter eating the dinner that Martha had made straight from the pan. "We didn't get to eat dinner."

"Maybe you shouldn't have offered my girlfriend two million dollars to break up with me," I said standing across from him. I thought it was best if I keep the counter between us, lest I decide to slam his face into that casserole dish he was eating out of.

"Oh brother," he groaned. "It was only a hypothetical offer. I would never pay that much money for you, five-hundred thousand would be the cap."

I clenched my fists at my sides stopping myself from slamming his face into the tray of potatoes.

"She would never take your money anyway!" I snapped. "She's not with me for my money. She doesn't even like me to buy her things, but you just assumed she was using me. She's not like those girls that you date, she wouldn't use me."

He scoffed, mocking me, "And why is that?" He put his hands up before I could answer. "Oh, wait, let me guess. Because she loves you."

My jaw tensed. "She does love me."

"She really has you fooled," he guffawed. He put his fork down sitting up straight on his stool. "Let me tell you something, kid, they all don't want the gifts in the beginning. Take your mother for example, when we first got together she would politely reject my gifts at first, but at the end of the day, she would always take them. Then she stopped shying away from taking my credit card. And then after years of spending my money, she leaves with the fucking pool boy. Do you want that?"

"Maya's not mom."

"You're right about that," he said. "But what does it matter anyway? It's not like you're going to marry her."

"I could marry her." At that moment, I was just saying it to spite him, but the thought of it didn't scare me as it should have. I love her more than anything, and I'd be with her forever if she wanted me.

"Oh, boy," he exhaled. "She's going to bleed you dry."

I was sure she wouldn't considering how frugal she is if anything she would save me money. "When are you leaving?" I asked him, knowing it would be soon. He never stays longer than a week.

"Tomorrow, actually. That's what I wanted to talk to you about over dinner but you and Maya stormed out so abruptly."

"Because of you."

He waved me off. "I only told her the truth." What a load of bullshit. "Anyway, the thing is, I'm moving."

"What do you mean you're moving?" It's not like he lives here in the first place.

"I'm moving to Florence, Italy," he smiled, "I bought a villa there."

I put a hand to my forehead. "So you're just moving...like for good?"