276- Once Again, My World Collapses

276- Once Again, My World Collapses
POV Raica:

"I'm sorry, my love." She joins her hand with mine and squeezes it in a pledge of trust.
"Deloy, that bastard was arrested?"
"No."
"What do you mean, no? He managed to escape?" She stares at me with a rigid expression.
"Deloy is dead."

My eyes widen in surprise. But I don’t feel sorry for him.
"A shootout with the police?"
"Nicholas killed him, Raica."

I cover my mouth, dizzy from how things reached this point. Isabella explains the crucial points, making it clear that much of what she knows was explained by Gael, the only one who accompanied Nicholas to the meeting with Deloy.

"All right, then why isn’t Nicholas here, Isabella?"

Isabella left several holes in the story, and I know the missing details have to do with him.
She fills her cheeks with air and exhales all at once.

"The bastard shot at him and almost hit Dominic."
"My God!" To hell with the pain, I need to see Nick. "Where is he? I want to see him." I lower my legs; Isabella lifts hers. I pull at the IV, staining the sheet with blood, and she grabs my arm.
"Raica, calm down…"
"Calm down? Nicholas was shot and you want me to stay calm?"
"Yes. Even if you leave here, you won’t be able to see him, he’s in the ICU."

I sink back into the pillow, tears forming like drops of pain.
"It’s serious, Preta, so recover yourself so you can support him. Besides, all the Whitmores are out there, the world exploding with news. I need you to be prudent and not do anything foolish with your health," Isabella says, harsh and inflexible.

"All right…" Silent tears fall. Isabella gathers my body into her embrace.
"He’s going to survive…" It’s a prayer.
"Yes, Nicholas will pull through, he’s stubborn, ill-mannered."

The irresistible and chaotic Nicholas Whitmore had entered my life like a storm—too heavy, too intense—and even in the center of an ocean of bitterness, breathless with his own anguish, he shared with me what was left of his oxygen.

I don’t deny that at times I got lost trying to find him, trying to understand why he refused healing, why he accepted living with his demons when the light shone over his body.

My life has always been an unending search for happy moments, and when a cruel blow threw me into the pit of despair, I couldn’t see the light—then I understood Nicholas. Even if our tragedies didn’t follow the same road, we are survivors.

About two hours later, Investigator Rebecca, with two other officers, makes a point of personally bringing the good news: all the murderers of my brother have been arrested. I can’t hold back the tears; it’s too much for my heart. She decided to come clean about the neo-Nazi group, explained the entire line of investigation, and I understood the reason for all the secrecy.

"Rebecca, what about Nicholas’s situation regarding the death of that bastard Deloy?" That’s the point that’s been worrying me ever since Isabella told me everything. Nicholas might pay for this crime, he might be convicted and…

"Deloy was considered an accomplice of the Trolls. He tried to rape you and then handed you over to the killers who would have murdered you if we hadn’t intercepted them. When his partner found out about everything there was a fight between them, and Nicholas shot in self-defense. Deloy died and Nicholas is recovering. That’s it."

If I understood correctly, Nicholas killed Deloy in legitimate self-defense.

Rebecca, very exhausted from the turbulent and in some way victorious day, reserved a few more minutes to answer my questions and leaves as soon as Lucca and my boss Jéssica arrive with flowers and smiles. Pietro makes his presence known, trying to improve my worried state.

Dona Ana, Isabella’s mother, and her faithful companion Marcos make an effort to make me smile. But they are not successful. A little before sunset, Dominic knocks twice on the door before entering.

"Hi, sister-in-law."

I smile and shake my head.
"You know this engagement is fake, right?"
"I hope it becomes real."

He slides his hands into the front pockets as he walks slowly toward my bed. Dominic wears a heavy, exhausted expression, like someone who hasn’t slept in days.

"Isabella took advantage of your nap to go have a coffee."
"She’s not going home, is she?" He shakes his head.
"Not until you’re discharged."

My eyes fall to my restless hands, tears forming.
"Nick? He…"

The broken man fills his chest and fixes his eyes on mine.

"He’ll come back, Raica. I need him to come back."
"Sorry, Dominic, but do you intend to keep up this strange relationship?"

I admit I don’t understand this acidic distance and closeness between you.

I hear him sigh.
"No." He gives a weak smile. "Nicholas deserves more. I hope he manages to earn your forgiveness and that way he can be happy with you. Do you love him?"
"This feeling consumes me completely."

"I know exactly what that’s like."

Two knocks and a gray-haired head peeks into the room.
"How are you feeling, Miss Vásquez?" The doctor’s body fills the doorway.
"Fine, Doctor," I answer briefly—he’s my doctor and Nicholas’s as well. "Any news about Nicholas?"

He shifts his tense gaze from me to the other man.
"He’s going to be fine." He doesn’t look me in the eyes as he says it. "Dominic, could you come with me?"

Something’s wrong. I can feel it.
"Sister-in-law, take care of yourself. My parents are here, so I can’t come often."
"All right, Isabella keeps me company and…"
"Mr. Whitmore, please…" The urgency in the tone speeds up my heart.
"See you later, Raica," Dominic says and follows the doctor.

I can barely swallow as the silence settles; something inside me signals, to my despair, that something is wrong. Very wrong.

I walk carefully toward the door. There, near the wood, I hear the men whispering and then a loud thud followed by a painful “no.”

I open a crack and the men come into view. Dominic throws his hands over his head, eyes brimming with tears, an expression of pain.

No, it can’t be… Nicholas, he… no…

When I realize it, I’m already standing before them. Isabella appears on the other side holding a cup of coffee, and there are no words to explain the knife stabbing my chest.

Once again, my world collapses.