Chapter 10: Chapter 10

"Huh?!" Kate was startled to hear Nick ask. She thought only her nose heard what her mouth said. How come Nick's ear did when she isn't even sure her own ears heard them? This man is so scary. You can never hide anything from him!

"Weren't you saying anything?" Nick asked again.

"Mhmm... nnnno...thing..."Kate stammered. She just hopes her face is convincing enough to satisfy him that she meant what she just said. She cannot tell him what she murmured a while ago, no matter if he strangled her to say it out loud, anyway.

"We are going to speak to a lawyer. I suggest you say everything that would be helpful to solve this issue," Nick did not look at her as he spoke. He knew she was walking behind him, so he informed her of where they were going next.

Kate felt even smaller in front of Nick with how he can manage and deal with everything son smartly.

He took her to the company. The lawyer came ten minutes later than Nick and Kate. They talked bout the issue, and Kate answered every question asked of her. After less than an hour, the lawyer left.

"Do your homework or research if you have some," Nick ordered to Kate as he was busy attending to some paperwork. But since there was no extra table and chair where she could comfortably do her homework, Nick guided her to a private room behind his office. It was his dad's space to rest even before he met Kelly. The room had become Elijah's second home when he had so much works to do. Nick had not had the need to use it yet, but the cleaners keep it tidy every day.

"You can use these to study," Nick found a small table from the side, unfolded it, and placed it above the bed to use as she does her homework.

"Thanks," Kate faked a big smile. She did not know how to express herself in front of this cold, no, no, freezing man. Yeah, cold is too mild. Nick is best described as freezing! Her smile mindlessly became genuine.

Nick noticed the sudden change in Kate's face. He could swear she was faking a smile at first, but it turned warm and serene. He wanted to ask what she was thinking, but he shook his head. Kowing a lot about her will only result in more chaos for him.

"Let me know if you need anything," Nick turned to leave the room. "Leave the door open," he was worried he wouldn't hear her if she said anything behind the door, so to keep him out of worry, he ordered for her to leave the door open.

Two hours passed it was already time off work. All employees were starting to leave one by one. Nick had so much delayed paperwork. He forgot about the time, and when he looked up, it was already dark outside the window. He stretched and realized he wasn't alone in the office, in his office. He worried Kate would be hungry already but did not come out to bother him, afraid he might scold her again. Nick briskly crossed the distance between his table to where Kate was.

To his fear, the whole room was too dark, the lights weren't on, and the room was so quiet from a distance. But as he walked closer, he heard a soft snoring sound. He turned the hallway halogen bulb to see where he was walking but not wake Kate with a blinding light. Then he walked towards her. She was sleeping so heavily with the table folded, placed back to the corner where Kate saw Nick take it out from earlier. Her bag was also neatly placed by the foot end of the bed, and she was lying flat with her legs, from the knees, down the bed, foot rested on the floor, and her hands folded above her abdomen. She looked so peaceful and in deep slumber. Her skirt length is the longest among the student in the school. Other students want their skirts as short as above the knee as possible, but Kate asked for her skirt to be more than five inches below her knees. She must have been more eye-catching because of that, but she did not mention anything about being bullied or teased at school. Or not that he has heard of. Nick tried to wake her up.

"Kate! Kate!" Nick gently shook her by the arm.

"What?" Kate weakly answered.

Nick was startled at how sweetly her voice seemed to arrive in his ears.

"Aren't you hungry?" Nick carefully asked. He was now sitting on the bed next to her.

"No, I'm so sleepy," Kate softly murmured.

Nick was sure she was sleep talking. She wasn't awake, but she was replying like she was.

"Is she a sleeptalker?" Nick asked himself. He has heard you can ask sleeptalker questions, and they would answer honestly like being hypnotized by a therapist or something. Nick wanted to ask a lot of things Kate, but he could not do it when she was wide awake. He thought about giving himself a try.

"Why are you so sleepy?"

"Mmmm..?" Kate replied.

"Why are you so sleepy?" Nick asked again.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I was afraid of Nick being mad at me," she softly answered.

"What is it to you if he gets mad?" asked Nick again. He was smiling foolishly.

"It makes me sad," Kate pouted.

"Why?"

"I don't want him mad at me," Kate answered so sadly a bead of tear rolled to the side of her eyes down to her ear.

"Why?" Nick started to feel sad that she was feeling sad.

"I don't know, I..." Kate paused. "I like him, but..." she paused again. Tears were running down the side of her face. She seemed so sad.

"But what..?" Nick softly asked as he leaned a palm next to her head, and his other hand gently wiped her tears.

"But he hates me..." Kate turned to her side and curled in a fetal position, and drifted fell quiet.

"No, he doesn't," Nick replied. "Do you know why?"

But Kate did not answer. Nick waited. When she did not say anything, he asked again.

"Do you wanna know why he doesn't hate you?"

No answer. Nick realized Kate drifted off again. He sighed deeply. He decided to lie down next to her. He kept watching her sleeping form. Then he softly confessed.

"Because I love you, Kate Taylor..." Nick felt his heart ache. "But I know you are not ready. Your mom is not ready. But I will wait. I will always be right beside you, even if you don't know. I just hope you feel the same way, too."

Nick laid flat on his back to look at the dark ceiling. Then he sighed. His future seems as dark as the view in front of him with Kate. He is not sure his wait will fruit into something worth harvesting. But he felt like he is willing to invest time and effort to make her fall for him, not now, when the right time comes.

"I love you so much it almost hurts like crazy..."

Nick closed his eyes and with indescribable pain and sadness, he fell into an equally serene slumber.