Beautiful Disaster (The Bet) (17 page)

She shoved the stick a
way from her, as though it were
infected, but regardless of what she did, Maddie couldn't escape the fact
that she was pregnant.

The holidays w
ere rapidly approaching and Ellie couldn't have been more grateful. Life had been
hectic over the last few months. I
t would be a treat to settle down with the family and take
a breather for a bit. Of course,
having Nicholas around wouldn't
hurt either. The invitation
she'd made to Thanksgiving dinner was still up in the air, he'd yet to give her an answer, but Ellie was hoping he'd come.

She grabbed
th
e bag of apples from the fridge and
dumped them into the si
nk running cold water over them
. She couldn't help
,
but smile as she thought about the changes she'd seen in Nicholas over the last few weeks.

He was sweet in his own way, quite caring when he wanted to be. Ellie was even surprised to discover that he could still blush. It was quite rare and
on those
occasions when she had witnessed it, she'd felt a silent sense of joy
to know
s
he'd been the provocateur of this
uncommon reaction. The usually reserved facade of stoicism he had
presented
obliterated every time he was in Sophie's presence.

It never ceased to amaze Ellie when she saw him on the ca
rpeted floor of her living room; he was
completely oblivious to his surroundings as he obliged Sophie
in
w
hatever game she wanted to play; whether it were having
tea parties with her countless stuffed animals, building multicolored fortresses made completely out of Legos or Nicholas teaching her how to read. He was always game and Sophie couldn't have loved him more for it.

Each time Nicholas came around, Ellie swore he took a little piece of them with him and she was quickly coming to realize that she didn't mind it at all.

"I don't think I've seen you smile like that since you were twelve." Gabe reached around Ellie's body to grab an apple.

Ellie shrugged, peeling the apples with a little too much enthusiasm. "I'm just happy school's almost out."

Gabe chomped down on the apple, curiously regarding his goddaughter. "Uh huh, and I've developed a sudden affinity for that rat of a sperm donor you use
d
to go out with."

"That rat happens to be Sophie’s father."

"Only by blood and if I have any say in it
,
it'll remain that way. Now, stop changing the subject
and tell me why you're so happy.
"

"Don't I have the right to be happy?" Ellie inquired, scooping up the sliced apples and dumping them into the large bowl she’d based with lemon juice, cinnamon, water and sugar. Handing her the flour bag, Gabe leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing his legs at the ankles.

"You have all the right in the world. Forgive me
,
if I made you think otherwise. I'm just wondering why the goofy grin."

Ellie worried her bottom lip, "Gabe?" she looked up from her task,
meeting Gabe's royal blue gaze. S
he wondered whether
or not
she should proceed with her next question.

"
Hmm?" Gabe tossed the apple core in the trash, washed his hand and
Gabe readied the pie crust as he waited for Ellie to continue.

"What do you think of Nicholas?" The question came from left field and easily took Gabe by surprise. He
turned
his facial features to neutral before responding.

"Do you want my honest opinion?

Ellie washed her hands, not sure she wanted to hear this. "Of course."

"I d
on't trust him for one goddamn second. I may not know much, but I know people and I know that Nicholas is trouble. He's trying to get something from you and I guarantee he'll say and do anything until he gets it. I'm the last person to judge anyone, but my first concern is and will always be you and Soph and I don't think Nicholas Grayson is at all good for either of you."

"He's changed."

"He's a charmer and
he can make you see whatever he wants you to see. I'm not saying he's not a good person and I could be wrong about his intentions
,
but I just want you to be careful.
I don’t
want you to fall too hard."

Ellie sighed suddenly
,
not in the best moods. "I'm not falling for anything. He's my friend, I have faith in him. He's different when he's with me and Soph and I trust the fact that he's become a better person because of it."

"Good, the
n I trust your judgment and I hope it never fails you." He
reassuringly
squeezed Ellie's hands. "Just as long as I continue to see that smile on your face
,
I'm happy that you're happy."

Ellie nodded. "Nicholas makes me happy."

"Then I'll try my very hardest to ease up on him and try to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Thanks, Gabe, that's all I ask. He'll be here for dinner soon..." The doorbell rang and like magic
,
Ellie's smile was quick in making a comeback. Gabe watched in mild amusement as she practically tripped over her own feet in her haste to answer the door.

Despite his misgivings, Gabe was happy to see Ellie in such high spirits, even if the cause was a boy he didn't completely trust. At least
,
Nicholas was better than the sad excuse of human flesh, Carlyle.

"Hey man, can I talk to you for a sec?" Matt pulled the cigarette from his lips, flicked the ashes on the black and white veined floor and set aside his book to look up at Nicholas.

"What's up?" Nicholas’s somber expression gave him cause to worry. Matt scooted over
,
making room for Nicholas to sit. "Talk to me Grayson, we've been friends for a butt load of a long time. You know you can tell me shit---"

"I want to call off the bet."

"Th'fuck? Why?"

"It's just not my thing anymore."

Matt scoffed
,
taking a drag of his cigarette. "She's fucked with your mind, huh? Has you all domesticated, all happy with her baby and shit?"

Nicholas scowled. "Watch it, Matt."

"It's been fucking annoying watching you make a fool of yourself following her around like a lovesick puppy, while she carries your dick and balls in her messenger bag. It's not love Nicholas! It's called being fucked around with and you were the master of that! What the hell happened?" Matt blew the white smoke from his cigarette on Nicholas
’
face in frustration.

In one swift move, Nicholas had the front of Matt's shirt bunched in his hands, Matt's face inches away from his own. "I grew up! Do the same and maybe I'll consider telling you about my relationship with Ellie," Nicholas released Matt from his hold and abruptly stood up. "The bet is off."

Matt watched as Nicholas walked away and angrily tried to smooth the wrinkles from his shirt.

"That's fucking courtesy for ya," he muttered bitterly to himself as he continued to fume. "Try to keep the guy from getting hurt again and he throws it back in my face!
Well good fucking riddance to you, too, buddy!”
he threw the nearest thing in his reach which happened to be his black and silver mobile phone. It crashed against the nearest wall
,
falling to the ground in pieces.

It really pissed him off that he still lusted after the lovelorn moron. With a heavy sigh Matt stood from the couch, picked up his book and made his way to his room.

More of a miniature apartment than bedroom, the grandiose décor of Matt's room was perfectly styled to his taste. From the dominating onyx hued four-poster bed that took up a great portion of the room, to the opaque burgundy curtains that hung from the arching windows and imported Persian carpet that was spread across the bedroom floor.

The latest technological gadgets were positioned in his 'play area' to the far right of the room adjacent to his bathroom. He tossed his book on the freshly made
bed and headed to the ceiling
high bookcase. With a small smile, he tugged the black Bible down and immediately the bookcase shifted to the right. Matte walked in and disappeared behind the bookcase.

He reappeared inside a dimly lit room, slightly modest in décor from his bedroom but not the least bit frumpy as it boasted three flat screen TV's strategically placed on the surrounding walls, monitoring cameras, and an expansive library of DVD's to the left of where Matt stood. He picked up one the remotes positioned on the small table in front of him and pointed it at the main television in front of him. Instantly
,
the screen flickered
,
displ
aying the contents of Nicholas'
empty bedroom.

"Pity," Matt muttered, falling unceremoniously into the chair in front of the center flat screen. Pressing the Play button brought Nicholas's tattooed body into focus
,
beautiful and naked as the day he was born.

Riveted,
Matt watched the man he had been in love for more than four years as he stood beneath the spraying jets of water.

The water glided down Nicholas's body in the ways Matt wished he could. Never had Matt envied water more, rivulets caressed Nicholas's chest, swept over his well-formed abdomen, down his corded back, over firm buttocks, and down muscular calves. Seduced by the image, Matt’s hand disappeared inside his pants.

The image of Nicholas switched from the shower to his bedroom and this time he was with his latest conquest. Fatty Maddie. She was seated on the bed, partially naked
,
staring adoringly at Nicholas as though graced by the presence of a God.

"I think," Nicholas'
back was to the camera as he stalked towards the wide-eyed Maddie. "That you're just little bit overdressed. Why don't you do me a favor and strip for me, hmm?" Matt's hand moved rhythmically up and down as he watched the scene unfolding.

He was beautiful, simply that, as he dropped to his knees, between her thighs and worshiped her with his mouth. She was
a
whimpering mass, pleading for Nicholas to continue.

The motion of Matt’s hand quickened as he imagined himself in Maddie’s place, recei
ving the pleasures of Nicholas’
mouth. With his imagination running wild, it didn’t take Matt long to find completion and once he was done he felt dismally empty.

He’d seen this video over fifty times now and each time he watched it
,
the reaction was the same. Matt wondered if Nicholas w
as really as good as he looked and
fucked as well as those stupid bitches said he did. Grabbing the roll of hand towels he had for cases like this, he slowly cleaned himself as an idea quickly formed in his head.

He and Nicholas had shared so much
. Matt wasn't wrong in assuming that he would one day end up in Nicholas's bed. It was all a matter of working the universe to his will.

Now, didn't Carlyle say he would be in town soon?

"Maybe I should give my beloved dealer a call."

Tony Carlyle was a complete mind-fuck. He'd worked out the semantics of screwing with people
’
s mind
s
a very long time ago and so dealing with someone like Maddie Tate was
a
virtual cakewalk. It was so easy to play
a
hero to a downtrodden angst ridden teen who was so close to calling it quits that it was almost sad. He should've felt sorry for her, but Tony was beyond feeling remorse for anyone. This was about preservation and he was determined to get his-even if it meant using someone else to get it.

"Nicky…Nicky…" Tony looked into XTC glazed sea-green eyes. The stupid girl really was pathetic. It seemed her only driving force was that dark haired asshole Ellie had wrapped around her finger.

Hate couldn't come close
to
describing how Tony felt about that guy. He had been there, annoyingly intrusive when all Tony had wanted was to spend time with Ellie and their daughter, he'd been there!
He was constantly
stealing Tony's fucking thunder and throwing that cocky smirk his way as if saying that he was the top dog of
his
family!

What was most infuriating of all
was the way Ellie looked at him, w
ith those adoring eyes that should've been aimed Tony's way...not at the silver eyed bastard.

With his thrusts becoming increasingly erratic, Tony didn’t stop until he felt the urgent slap on his biceps. He looked down, frowning when he saw fear in tear filled eyes. He finished quick and smiled thinly when she retreated from him, curling her body in a fetal position.