The once gentle night had grown suffocating with the tense standoff between the two men.


    Pete red at Nichs. His breathing turned heavy the moment Nichs casually draped his arm over my shoulders. He expected me to pull away, but I didn''t Pete''s face paled. "You two..."


    I turned my head to see Nichs staring coldly at Pete. The situation was undeniably awkward.


    I softly asked, "How have you beentely? Are you doing okay?"


    The arm around my shoulders tightened suddenly. Nichs raised his hand in front of me and asked in a strange tone, "Can''t you tell who''s worse off right now?" Pete''s eyes red with anger. Nichs''s actions were only adding fuel to the fire.


    I pushed his arm away. "Don''t do this. Let me talk to Pete for a moment."


    I


    "We''re not done here. The blood is still coursing through my veins. It''s not the right time for you to be


    talking to another man.


    Nichs lifted his gaze, ring at Pete. He coldly uttered, "Get lost!"


    Pete clenched his fists tightly, barely containing his anger. "Nichs! Don''t push me too far!"


    Nichs took a step forward,pletely blocking Pete with his chest. His voice was dark and menacing. "Yeah, I''m picking on you."


    my


    "Enough!" I bent down to grab my shoes by the door.


    "I''m going outside for a few minutes to talk to him alone." Seeing Pete again had caught me off guard, and we never really had a proper goodbye. "No." Nichs refused without hesitation. His voice turned icy. "It''s dangerous to go out at night."


    "What danger could there possibly be if she goes out with me?"


    "It''s dangerous because she''s going out with you!"


    The tension between the two escted once again.


    I tugged at Nichs''s shirt from behind, pulling him back slightly. When I looked up, I met Pete''s heartbroken eyes.


    "Ari, you... Why are you with him again? He''s not a good man. Don''t let him fool you."


    Nichs pressed his lips together and snorted coldly. He pulled me into his embrace as if staking his


    im.


    "If I weren''t a good man, you would still be locked up at home by your family."


    Pete gritted his teeth. "Nichs, aren''t you afraid I''ll spill all the shady things you''ve done?"


    My heart skipped a beat, fearing that the emotions I had just stirred would soon face another storm.


    12


    "Those were your choices. Don''t try to pin them on me now."


    Despite his words, his demeanor had changed significantly. His voice held a diffident tone.


    "Stop arguing!" My voice trembled. My heart felt like it was hanging by a thread.


    Before Pete could say anything, tears streamed down his face. He choked up, lowering his head to gather


    himself.


    It took a full half minute before he finally calmed down although his eyes remained misty. He looked at me with deep sadness.


    He said, "You told me countless


    times


    and to seek revenge for you


    of


    confront Marcus because


    you. But I refused every single time." .


    "Yes..."


    SWI wn


    The moment I responded, Nichs wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me tightly against him. It was as if he wanted to merge our bodies into one.


    Hearing me admit it out loud didn''t make Nichs feel any better.


    Pete continued, "Being with you was all IN?velDrama.Org content.


    alex wanted, more than


    Did you ever


    so stubborn about