CH 46

Gia’s headache was gone now; she was alert, and trying to figure out a way to escape. After a good five minutes of screaming, and wiggling to try and get free, she gave up. She was now lying on her back and trying to think of a way to trick Zander into letting her go. She thought that if she was mean to him, that maybe he would get it through his thick head that she does not want to be with him. She attempted to look over her shoulder when the door was opened with little success. It made her more than just a little uncomfortable that she could not see the door from the direction she was facing. “Well hello beautiful. I brought you some breakfast.” Zander said as he showed her a brown bag. Gia turned her head away from him. “Don’t you want to know what it is? You still like blueberry muffins don’t you?” He asked. “I hate them.” She said quickly. Zander sighed. “I think I might have to gag you soon.” He said. Gia wondered if it was a joke. “Zander, I need to see Nikolas. Please, he must be worried sick about me.” She said pleadingly, in an attempt to reason with him. “On the contrary, that’s not the case at all. When I saw him, he didn’t seem concerned at all. He actually seemed pretty angry with you.” He said. Gia’s eyes darted around as her mind raced. “He doesn’t even know I’m gone.” She said aloud. “Oh he knows. He just doesn’t care.” Zander replied. Gia looked away from him again, trying to hold in her tears so that he wouldn’t see her cry. 

When Nikolas came home from Sonny’s, he needed to ride. He had ridden his horse to the sacred place that he shared with Gia, their hilltop under the pepper tree. He cried there, feeling lost and in a state of complete and utter confusion. He wondered what he should do now. He guessed he would need to tell his uncle that the engagement was off. He still couldn’t believe that she was gone. He slowly stood up and mounted Sheba again. He was weak and nauseous from crying. He rode back to the stables and put Sheba in her stall, brushing her down before he walked out. He stepped inside the house. “Uncle how was your trip?” Nik asked, seeing his uncle for the first time in weeks. “Tedious.” Stefan shrugged as he looked up at him. Stefan looked at his nephew and knew that something was wrong. There was something in his eyes, deep pain and sadness. “Nikolas? Are you alright?” He immediately asked. Stefan watched Nikolas fall apart, first his chin trembling and then the tears, rolling down his checks swiftly. “What happened?” Stefan asked as he stood up and gripped Nik’s shoulder. “It’s Gia. She left me.” Nik cried. “What do you mean Nikolas? Why would Gia leave you?” Stefan asked with concern. “Because she’s still in love with Zander.” Nik said. Stefan shook his head, still so very confused. He had come to know Gia very well and knew whom her heart belonged to. “She’s not in love with Zander.” He stated. “Yes uncle she is. It’s true. She’s been seeing him for a while now, I can’t believe I was so blind.” Nik said. “Nikolas this does not sound right. I know that Gia loves you. I think you need to talk to her.” Stefan said. “I don’t know where to find her if I wanted to uncle.” Nik replied.

Her hunger was starting to get to her; she looked over at Zander, who eating his dinner now. He had offered her food several times during the day but she refused to accept it. She felt nauseous and wondered if she would be able to keep it down even if she did accept it from him. She constantly felt like she was on the verge of crying, but she wanted to stay strong and let Zander know that she was in control of her emotions. But she was in a constant state of panic. The man in the room with her was not the man she once loved. She feared him, and had no idea what he was capable of doing to her. “I really wish you would eat something Gia.” Zander said. “Go to hell Zander!” She yelled back, her hunger and fear turning into anger. Zander got up and walked over to her. “Hell? What do you think it felt like when the woman I love was stolen from me? You don’t think that I was in a constant state of hell?” Zander said angrily. “I fell in love with Nikolas. I’m sorry but you need to face those facts. I’m not in love with you any more.” Gia said, searching his eyes. She felt so different when she looked into them now. Like she was looking into the eyes of a stranger. “I think you’re lying to yourself Gia. You still love me and you always will. Just like I will always love you.” Zander said. He brought his hand out and ran it along her cheek. Gia moved her face away from his touch and he grabbed her face in his hands pressed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. Gia fought him, and when he attempted to push his tongue into her mouth, she bit down hard on it; the coppery taste of his blood sickened her as it touched her tongue. “Bitch!” Zander yelled as he slapped her across her face. Gia’s head whipped to the side. “Fuck you Zander!” Gia spit. “That’s it.” Zander said angrily. He wiped the blood off of his mouth with the back of his hand and walked over to his deck and pulled out a roll of duck tape, tearing off as piece and covering her mouth with it. “Now you’ll think twice about talking back to me. You are not leaving me Gia. I’m taking you back to Brooklyn tomorrow.” Zander said, he flipped off the lights and left her in his bedroom.

Nikolas lay in his bed that night, lonely and crying. He inhaled the sweet familiar scent that lingered on the sheets he was wrapped up in. “Gia.” He breathed as he remembered the way her naked body looked with them wrapped around it. He brought his hands up and gripped his hair with his fists, sobbing violently. This was it. This was what it was going to be like every night from now on. When he came up to bed, he hoped that she would somehow be there. That she would be waiting for him, and sooth his aching heart by holding him in her arms all night long. But she wasn’t. She was still gone, and it was starting to become clear to Nikolas that she was not coming back. He didn’t know if he could go on without her. Somehow she had forced her way into his life and into his heart. Nikolas pulled her pillow to him; wrapping his arms around it, he let his tears fall onto it. “I love you Gia.” He whispered before he drifted into sleep.