Clearing The Air

Playlist for this Chapter: Blank Space by Taylor Swift, Someday by OneRepublic.

* DOVE *

I searched my closet for my black skinny jeans, and finally found them somewhere at the back of my closet. I was half in and half out of my closet when I heard Abby call out to me an come running into my room.

"Dove where the hell are you?" She said.

"In here!" I called out and she walked over to me.

"God why are you in there?"

I flung my pants at her and struggled to get out, taking a deep breath when I was finally out.

"I couldn't find my pants." I told her, picking my them up and placing them neatly on my bed next to my shirt.

"Okay well I need you to tell me which color's better." She said and showed me two sweaters.

"I think the red one is nice no?" I said, picking out some earrings and she beamed at me.

"Yeah I thought so too. Anyways, you better get ready its already 5 pm." She said and hurried out of my room. We decided to cook together since that would be fun and I asked Nico if he could come by earlier and he said he was fine with it.

My dad even invited Liam over and thought we should clear the air and any misunderstandings and I agreed with him. I just didn't know how Nico would take it.

I obviously had a serious talk with Cole, Abby, Ava and Dan who were very concerned about me but I assured them again and again. They were still wary of Nico, but they said they were happy for me.

I was floating on cloud nine as I changed my clothes, wearing my skinny black pants and a black sweater on top. I decided to wear a white button down underneath the sweater and settled with small silver earrings.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, smoothing out my straightened hair and applying some lip gloss, when the door bell rang. I quickly spritzed on some perfume and ran down just as my dad opened the door.

"Ah Liam! You came. Come on in boy." He said and Liam walked in, wearing a green sweater that matched his eyes and dark blue jeans underneath. I stood frozen on the stairs as his gaze met mine and he gave me a light smile.

I smiled back, averting my gaze and walked down to him.

"Hi." He said as my dad eyed us and went towards the kitchen.

"Hey." I answered.

"How are you?" He asked and I looked at him. He was a little taller than me, but an inch or two shorter than Nico.

"I'm good. How are you?" I asked him and he smiled at me.

"I'm fine too..." We stood there in an awkward silence when Cole walked past us and noticed the tense atmosphere.

"Hey Liam, you mind helping me carry the groceries?" He asked him and Liam looked at him.

"Yeah sure man." He said and followed Cole out. I mouthed Cole a thank you and he gave me a thumbs up as he caught up with Liam.

"Well that was awkward." Ava said from behind me and I sighed.

"Tell me about it." I said and plopped down on the couch.

"When's Nicholas coming?" She asked me and I glanced at the time. It was five thirty.

"He said he had some work and would be here by 6 pm." I told her and she nodded, switching her attention back to her phone. I took to helping my mom gather all the groceries and put them in the pantry. We decided that we wouldn't let any maid or staff into the kitchen and would deal with everything ourselves.

I was placing the cups in the cupboard when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Liam and smiled at him.

"Oh hey Liam. Do you need anything?" I asked him and he smiled nervously.

"I was.. I was hoping we could uh-... talk.." He said and I nodded, because I knew I couldn't delay the inevitable anyway. We both decided to settle on the stools near the kitchen island. He sat across me and I was grateful for the space.

"So uh... about yesterday..." He started off and rubbed the back of his neck. I could tell he was nervous. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry if I crossed a line with kissing you... I don't what came over me."

"It's okay, I understand." I said and he exhaled.

"Really? I hate how awkward things are between us." He said and I chuckled.

"Yes really. And I don't like it either." I said and he shot me a smile.

"Good. Good.. I also wanted to ask who that man was with you yesterday. The one with the brown hair... I think you called him Jack?" He said and I smiled.

"Oh that was Jake. He's a friend of mine." I said and he nodded.

"And the other one?" He said it quietly and I just stared at him. "The one who kissed you on your cheek... With the jet black hair. Who was he?" He asked me and I thought of what I'd say to him.

Should I take it slow or should I just rip the band-aid off?

"Um... he's also a friend. I met them both at a café near my college." I said and he nodded before furrowing his eyebrows.

"He uh.. He called you 'my love'..." He said and I rolled my eyes.

"He's a big flirt." I said chuckling and Liam chuckled too, more relaxed now.

"He looked intimidating. And he had all these men with him. Is he someone important?" He asked me and I nodded.

"He is. He's quite famous actually." I said, and poured myself a glass of water from the jug, taking small sips.

"He's a King, isn't he?" Nico said and I choked on my water.

"How do you know that?" I asked him and he shrugged.

"I saw the signet on his finger. Anyone can recognize it." He said and I nodded, suddenly very aware of the cold necklace that touched my skin under my shirt.

Is that why people were giving me looks this morning at the supermarket? Even the staff there kept on hovering around me and asking me if I needed anything.

"He also picked your phone up yesterday when I called to check on you." He said and I remembered when Nico picked my phone up last night.

"Yeah I was a little busy so he took it for me." I said.

"You sure everything's fine? You seemed upset last night when you went with them." He looked at me worried and I smiled at him reassuringly.

"Yeah I had to sort some things out with them We got into an argument before I came here and I had to clear the air." I told him.

"And did you? Clear the air I mean?"

"Yeah. We did actually. I feel a lot better now." I said and he smiled at me.

"He sounded very protective of you on the phone last night." He spoke suddenly and I looked at him.

"That's because I am." I heard a deep and velvety voice behind me before an arm wrapped around my waist and he placed a kiss on my head.

"I missed you my love." He said and I glanced at Liam who looked at us baffled and then looked at me surprised.

"What's this? Where's your necklace?" Nico asked me.

"Oh it's right here. I'm wearing it under my sweater." I told him patting my chest and he frowned. His hands reached to the back of my neck and he pulled at the necklace, tugging it out of my shirt and placing it on top so it was visible to the eye.

"There. Much better." He said and glanced at Liam whose eyes were widened in shock as he looked at the signet around my neck and then back at me.

"You.. You're the girl everyone was talking about from this morning." He said and I frowned.

"What girl?" I asked him and saw his face feign shock as he glanced at me.

"They said a girl from the King family was shopping at the supermarket today with their family crest around her neck. It was you." He whispered and I looked at Nico smirking.

"Why? How?" He asked me and Nico smirked.

Time to rip the band-aid off.

"Liam, this is Nicholas King." I said and Liam paled suddenly, fear evident in his eyes as he glanced at Nico.

"Why are you with him?" He asked me with wide eyes, but before I could say anything, Nico spoke.

"Because she's my girlfriend." He said with a straight face and leaned down to place a lingering kiss on my lips. My hand went to cup his face automatically as he pulled me closer. And I could swear he smirked.

Great. Just great.