Captive - Onyx martin (ebook offline reader txt) 📗

and protective, even though he could kill me with them easily. And our lips fit like puzzle pieces, his kisses were soft and gentle and loving. Louis’s were more eager, but less loving and warm. Like… sort of distant.
Whatever. I loved Louis. I had to find a way to stop this with Nick before it went too far.
It was ridiculous. I hadn’t even known I liked Nick until he kissed me. He stole my heart with just one kiss… how easy am I?

“How can you wear those contacts all day every day like that?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. The contacts were drying them out already, but I couldn’t take them out. We were at the La Maison again.
Nick laughed, “I got used to them. I also use better eye drops than you. I take them out after every concert, when I sleep and when I shower. Plus I have three different pairs I rotate between.”
I squinted, “Well then. What color are your eyes for real?”
“Hazel. I’m surprised you haven’t seen them. You mustn’t be too observant.”
I shrugged, “It’s amazing how much I don’t notice.”
The waiter finally returned and set our plates before us. Mine was full of spaghetti and Nick’s had chicken with rice. Once the waiter left, after recognizing Nick and demanding an autograph, we relaxed again and went back to talking.
“So… how did you get into singing?” I twirled the spaghetti awkwardly with my fork.
“Well. My parents divorced when I was really young, and both were always busy trying to find new partners, plus working and paying the bills, they were pretty much ignoring me. Then I was getting bullied at school, had no friends, the typical outcast. My father got into drinking and one night he came home drunk, started screaming at me for not doing the dishes and started beating me. I realized than that no one cared about me or loved me. So, at the age of 13, I ran away. We lived in Colorado at the time, by the way. So I just kept running and running. They didn’t even call the cops to report my missing. Just let me go. Easy as that. I started to miss my parents, but I knew I couldn’t go back. I couldn’t trust anybody, had no friends or anything, so I got into writing. First, short stories, but then poetry. Then I started singing my words to calm me down whenever I was mad or upset and it became a hobby.”
The waiter interrupted us, placing the bill on the table before Nick and smiled, asking if we’d like anything else. We both gently replied ‘no’ and she was off, back to serving an older couple that had just walked in.
“So did you form the band or how did you get in?” I asked, nervously looking around.
He raised an eyebrow, “I used to be in a band called Twistexistence, which is just a mix of twisted and existence. But on our last gig, the drummer quit and we were all drunk and him and the guitarist got into a fight, getting kicked out of the bar. Our band just kind of fell apart right there. But that night Contagious was there too and they had been looking for a singer. So they asked if I would like to join and I did.”
I nodded and Nick tilted his head a little, watching me, “Are you okay, Axel?”
“What? Y-Yeah. Just… can we go?”
He nodded and stood, walking away before I even had a chance to stand. I followed him to the cashier and he paid, and we were finally out of there, finally on the way back to the hotel room.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked as we sped down the highway.
I shifted uneasily.
He stifles a laugh, “This is about… when we kissed? And your boyfriend. I get it, Axel. You don’t want to hurt him. You hate me. So why did you kiss me? And why did you let me kiss you?”
I felt the tears claw at my eyes. Not now. I couldn’t deal with this.
“It’s up to you to decide what happens in your life. It’s your choice which paths to choose. Sometimes things do happen for a reason, to show you new opportunities, the things you never thought you wanted but you needed all along.”
He pulled the car into park. Everything was quiet for a moment, until he said, “It’s up to you to make the decision. I’ll still be here whichever you choose.”

He didn’t say much after that. Not even a goodbye when he left to practice. This hurt me more than it should have, but I kept my composure. This thing, whatever it was, between me and Nick, had to end. Here and now.
While he was gone I decided to steal onto his computer again, quickly turning it on and logging on to Facebook.
Louis was online. Idle, but online. I checked his profile. Just one new status update. A recent one… from 3 days ago.
“I miss her... I love her… but obviously she doesn’t care…”
Under that was a comment from some girl named Kristine Lauren. Her profile picture, I assumed, was of her. Curly blonde hair. Pale. Green eyes.
“Awww, it’s okay! I’m here for you, always!!! Talk to me? :)”
Louis was now active. But he had not messaged me yet. I clicked on to Kristine’s profile. From Michigan. 15. Relationship status: ‘it’s complicated’. 231 friends. 1 mutual.

Louis Merrick: hello
Axel Valles: hey babe
Louis Merrick: …what ya up to
Axel Valles: secretly using a computer to talk to my love
Louis Merrick: That’s kool
Axel Valles: what’s wrong? It’s me, right? Status update?
Louis Merrick: Mhm.
Louis Merrick: Am I not good enough for you, or something? If you don’t want me, just tell me. You don’t have to run away nd pretend youre kidnapped.
Axel Valles: but im not pretending… babe, youre perfect! :C
Louis Merrick: Whatever. Im sick of the lies. I love you, but you obviously don’t love me back. I hope your happy with whoever you with.
Louis Merrick has signed off at 7:43 p.m.

I sighed. Louis could be so ignorant and blind sometimes. I glared at Kristine’s profile picture, as if she could actually see me, before pressing the power button and slipping the computer back into its case. I curled up on the bed, sobbing quietly to myself, wishing Nick was here.
And he was. He returned about a half an hour later, finding me still crying on the bed. He lie beside me and swept me into his arms. I cried for some time into his soft chest as he ran his fingers through my hair, unsure of what else to do to cheer me up.
When everything fell silent again, and the sun had gone down, we were draped in utter darkness. But neither of us made any move to turn on a light. We were more than fine in each other’s arms.
“Nick?” my weak voice shattered the silence.
“Hmm?”
“I think I’ve made my decision…”
“Go on.” His voice was distant and tired. I had to get this through right quick.
“It’s true I love Louis and I don’t want to hurt him… but he’s never ever there for me when I need him the most… all he does is doubt me. He wants to be all him, him, him! He’s even cheated on me once or twice without the slightest bit of regret or guilt. He always seems to have time for everyone else besides me.”
“But I’m always here for you, and I always will be. We may not have met under the greatest circumstances, but I have a good feeling about the future. I will always do everything in my power to make you happy, no matter the cost.”
I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips. I trembled. He scooted as close to me as possible and wrapped his arm tighter around my waist.
I sealed my loose decision with a kiss. A long, deep, passionate kiss.

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I woke, still in his arms, loving the feeling of security and safety and belonging. Nick was still fast asleep. Well, it was still early. I adjusted my head slowly and carefully so I could watch him. His left eyebrow would twitch every now and then, and his nostrils would sometimes flare. Only now when I got a good, close-up view of him, I noticed his features. His skin. His eyes. His nose. His soft, delicious lips.
He was like the grown-up, perfected version of Louis. His body was skinny and almost perfectly shaped. Slight abs but I never really did care for them anyways so it didn’t matter. Louis didn’t have any.
I thought again about how Louis would feel and what he would do if he found out about me and Nick. He’d be devastated and hurt. He’d dump me and accuse me of betraying him and never loving him. But I did. I just didn’t feel it in return. That used to be us, me and him. Always talking to each other online and sneaking out to see each other every chance we got. Constant hugging and kissing.
But that faded over time. I always loved Louis and I tried to make it work but it didn’t do any good. Louis was distant with me. Didn’t trust me. Didn’t love me.
I had to move on eventually. But was this the right choice?
“Good morning.” Nick yawned, pulling me tighter against him, “Ready to go to Texas?”
“Texas?!” I almost shouted, utterly perplexed.
Nick chuckled, “Houston, Texas, to be exact. We’re on tour, remember?” He glanced at his watch, “Plane leaves in 5 hours.”
I bit my lip. Houston, Texas. I didn’t like Texas. Wasn’t it all farms and cows? Didn’t know farmers liked metal music. I shrugged. Maybe the cows like it.
Nick planted a kiss on my lips that I melted into almost immediately, my heart racing on the inside. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and I ran mine through his hair, holding the nape of his neck. I knew, even if I changed my mind and decided to make the right decision… it wasn’t going to happen. I was far too deep now.

The plane ride was long and boring. Nick fell asleep ten minutes in and didn’t wake until we got to Texas. And instead of making me wait in a hotel room this time, Nick invited me to the