Seattle, Washington, early May 2018

Nikki nervously tapped her foot as she waited for one of the cabs to stop and finally get her out of the rain. A typical day for Seattle. The goddamn rain had been falling steadily now for more than a week, killing everyone's will to live. She hated the rain and this town, yet, the place where you've lived your whole life is not that easy to replace. Here lived the most important people in her life, including her mother, stepfather, stepbrother and all her friends with whom she was spending time on a daily basis.

Although her clothes were completely wet, Nikki was looking forward to one thing. In a week, her third book will finally see the light of day and bring new money to her bank account. She knew that her parents would be delighted. She could already see her mother's, Susan's, and her new husband's faces praising her. She could also imagine the blog posts discussing the newest adventure of Detectives Clark and Patty.

Riveting plot twists and steamy tension...

Absolutely thrilling...

An intricate chase that will leave you begging for more...

Critics often commented on Nikki's style of writing and praised her as one of the most promising young writers in America.

It would be a lie not to admit that Nikki was very proud of herself and her achievements in the literary world. But she was most interested in another opinion. The opinion of her fiancé, Darnell. Darnell Adams, with his 27 years, was an up and coming lawyer in Seattle. He had a lot of attention in the business world. She had met him at a reception and he had immediately wooed her with his charm. Considering the ease with which he led the conversation going, she didn't doubt a lot of women had gone through his bed before. But now, Darnell was only hers and he gave her a security she has been looking for so long. Even the fact that her mother wasn't exactly thrilled with her choice of person-to-spend-your-entire-life-with didn't turn her from Darnell.

One of the cabs finally stopped next to her, which snapped Nikki out of her haze and she quickly entered the car.

„Finally" she groaned, pulling a soaked brown coat from her body. „Drive to Broadview. The address is written on this paper."

The driver took a completely wet paper from her, trying to read smudged letters. They slowly moved forward and Nikki finally relaxed. She shifted her thick curly black hair over her shoulder and took her phone out of her bag. The screen showed a missed call. Nikki unlocked the device and then saw it was Addison, her manager and best friend.

She dialed the number again and waited a few moments until she heard a well-known happy voice from the other side of the line.

Addison: „Nikki, finally. New Libri Press just called me. I have great news."

Nikki smiled.

Nikki: „I'm just getting back from there. I know what you need to tell me."

Addison: (enthusiastically) „We're going out! FINALLY!"

Nikki: „Yeah...finally."

Addison: „This is great. Your fans will be thrilled. I already can see the posters. You'll make a bunch of money."

Nikki: „You know I'm not doing this for money, Addy. I love to write."

As the words left her mouth, Nikki could practically hear Addison rolling her eyes. Her best friend didn't believe a word of what she just said.

Addison: „Be realistic."

Nikki: „Fine, maybe just a little. To be honest, I need money. The wedding is here and every dollar comes in handy."

Addison: „Oh...Darnell. For a moment I forgot whom you're getting married to."

When it came to her fiancé, Addison proudly stood by Susan's side and didn't approve of her choice. Nikki didn't understand why the two most important women in her life didn't like Darnell but she gave up on trying to convince them otherwise. Sometimes, you just had to ignore some things in exchange for a peaceful life.

Nikki: „Speaking of which, I have to go. I'm on my way to his apartment. I want to surprise him and tell him the good news. He'll be delighted."

Addison: „I can imagine. I just hope you won't bump into some other woman in his apartment. You know...who is not you? But...I won't hold you anymore and I'll let you know when I get all the details about the time of publishing."

Nikki ignored her last statement and focused only on the last sentence. The time of publishing. The very thought of it brought a big smile on her face. The driver found the dark-skinned woman's eyes in the rearview mirror and smiled at her ecstatic expression.

„You're in a good mood," he commented, breaking the silence that occurred after she ended her conversation with Addison.

„I'm happy!" Nikki answered with a grin.

The driver looked back at the road.

„Don't take this the wrong way, but you're very attractive." He turned to her again, which made Nikki raise an eyebrow in question. „I promise I'm not hitting on you. Just stating a fact."

But still, she felt uncomfortable.

„Umm...thanks. You're very kind."

Once again, the driver looked at her through the rearview mirror, raising his hand. There was a ring on his ring finger.

„I've been happily married for more than fifteen years now. Just to clarify the situation. Besides, I think I'm pretty old for you. But your smile just made my day better. I thought it was a good idea to point that out."

Nikki gave him a sincere smile. She couldn't blame him. She noticed the man looked relatively young but information about him being married for over fifteen years led to the assumption that he somewhere around forty. His brown eyes offered some kind of warmth and security, which helped her to get rid of discomfort.

After ten minutes, they had finally stopped at the parking lot in front of a modern building. Nikki took a handful of bills from her bag and gave it to the man.

„Keep the change," she said. „As a thank you for the compliment."

He nodded gratefully.

„Have a nice day."

She climbed out of the cab and watched him drive away before turning her gaze to a modern white building in front of her. More precisely, the second floor where the windows of Darnell's apartment were. She couldn't see the light in the apartment because of the dark curtains. Nikki assumed her fiancé was sleeping.

As the stairs slowly climbed to the second floor, she could hardly remove a broad smile from her face. The very thought of Darnell's reaction had left her squirming in anticipation.

Nikki decided she wouldn't ring the bell because she didn't want to wake up Darnell, who spent all day at the office, so she quietly turned the key and entered the apartment. She entered well-known surroundings, leading to the dimly lit living room.

„Darnell?" she called softly, before looking at the sofa. The smile melted off Nikki's face in an instant. She recognized the chocolate skin and firm jaw of her fiancé in the arms of an unknown blonde. She was sitting on his lap, exchanging kisses with him.

At the sound of her voice, Darnell whipped his head toward the door and his pupils were dilated in total surprise.

„Nikki..." he said, swallowing heavily.

The blonde immediately jumped up, looking between Nikki and Darnell.

Nikki blinked several times, not wanting to believe what she had just seen and then she started laughing, the sound shrill and cold like arctic wind.

„You're trash!" she spat.

Darnell got up, coughed and readjusted the black shirt he wore. Powerful muscles, formed by a religious exercise regime, were clearly visible under the piece of clothing.

„Umm...Emma, would you please leave me alone with Nikki?" he asked his guest awkwardly. She simply nodded.

„Will you call me?!" the blonde asked, picking up her belongings.

Nikki shook her head still not believing what was going on here.

Suddenly, Darnell was even more embarrassed and he just nodded. That was apparently enough for Emma, who came to him and softly kissed his cheek.

„See you!"

Both of them waited a few moments until they heard the sound of closing doors. Then Nikki furiously threw her purse on the sofa, where, just a few minutes before, her fiancé had been kissing another woman.

„Seriously?!" she demanded, staring at her fiancé in disgust.

Darnell didn't even bother to defend himself. He just stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at the floor.

„Say something!" Nikki shouted in frustration. „I came here to tell you some good news and what do I find? You and some cheap slut, sucking the life from each other."

He finally looked up and met his fiancé's hurt eyes.

„I'm sorry!"

Nikki quickly looked up. Darnell was waiting for the slap, but it didn't happen.

„We're supposed to get married. We were about to get married in two months from now. Two fucking months, Darnell!" she shouted, clenching his shaking hands into fists. „You pull this kind of crap and all you say is „I'm sorry"? I defended you from everyone, I said you were an honest and good man. All of them tried to tell me, but no...I blindly trusted you."

Her last words snapped him out of his silence and Darnell finally started to defend himself.

„Look...she doesn't mean anything to me. It was a one-time thing and I won't see her again. What you just saw doesn't mean that the wedding is off. I still love only you but sometimes I need someone...on the side. To break the routine."

Nikki immediately turned her head toward his eyes. This time, she didn't hesitate to slap him hard.

„You really know how to show your love," she sneered. „I'd be crazy to marry you."

She picked up her belongings and took off toward the exit, with Darnell right behind her, calling her to come to her senses. Nikki ignored his shouts. She walked down the stairs toward the exit of the building.

„You'll regret this. Remember that!" he shouted after her.

Nikki came out to the fresh air and took a deep breath. She felt the familiar burn in her eyes, and she quickly looked around to make sure nobody was around to see her cry.

She still refused to believe what happened in the last few minutes. She headed to the nearby park and sat down on a bench. Tears were now falling freely from her eyes. Four years of her life had just been thrown into the wind. What a waste. Darnell had proved to be the biggest asshole in the world. She never should've trusted him.

„God, I'm so naive." she groaned, putting her hands on her face. „This isn't happening."

Yet, Darnell being unfaithful to her wasn't the biggest problem. The worst of all was that Nikki felt like she had no one to call. No one would give her comfort. They would only say „we told you so". Pointing out her own mistakes was the last thing she needed.

She pressed her knees to her chest and hugged them with her arms, while violent sobs shook her body. How could Darnell do this to her? How she didn't see this? Was it possible that for all this time she was so blind? Questions were just coming, one after another and she had no answer to them.

She didn't know how much time she spent on the bench, but eventually, her tears slowed began to ebb and her breathing became steadier. She heaved a shaky sigh and cleaned her face from the last traces of tears as she managed to gather herself. For the first time that day, Nikki was angry because she had decided to take a cab.

She needed a few minutes to get to the main road. As the night slowly fell over the city, the streets were empty, which worried her even more. Everything that Nikki wanted at that moment was her apartment and bed so she could curl up into a ball and never get up again. Minutes were passing slowly. The stabbing pain in her heart increased with every step she took, and all she could think about was her fiancé in another woman's arms.

Nikki decided to call a cab again. She shortly negotiated with a person on the other side of the line. The woman told her the nearest cab would arrive soon.

The call ended and the picture of Darnell with his blinding smile flashed up on the display, saying quiet hello to her. Nausea hit her hard. The picture was taken the same evening in which Darnell had proposed to her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and made sure the tears were staying right where they were. It was still unclear to her how everything fell apart in just a few moments.

The sound of a car engine snapped her out of her haze. She recognized the same car which had left her in this part of the town a little over an hour ago. The friendly driver smiled at her compassionately. Nikki entered the cab, trying to smile back.

„You were fast. With your obligations," the man commented.

Nikki sighed and nodded her head.

„Yeah...that certainly wasn't in my plans," she replied, turning her eyes to the road. He moved slowly along the same way, which he had previously come from, while Nikki gave him instructions on how to get to her apartment at the other end of the northern part of the town.

They were riding in silence. The driver knew his boundaries and didn't ask what happened but the change in her mood was more than obvious.

After a few minutes of driving, the car finally stopped. Nikki didn't react. The man turned to her.

„Miss? We've arrived."

She looked at him and nodded, giving him a few bills. The man refused to take the money. Instead, he gently took her hand in his own.

„He's making a big mistake," he said sympathetically.

Nikki simply grimaced, accepting stranger's compassion and nodding several times.

„Thank you," she replied, pulling herself out of the cab. In the last moment, she leaned against the window.

„You know, I'd like to know your name."

„Arthur."

Nikki smiled slightly.

„Well, Arthur, thank you again."

He just smiled widely, then shifted gears and easily slid back into the light, late night traffic. Nikki took several deep breaths, before heading to her apartment. Yes, what was supposed to be a wonderful evening in Darnell's company turned into mourning in her own apartment. Mourning over someone who didn't even have the decency to admit he was wrong. How could she misjudge someone so badly?.

Nikki entered the silence of her apartment, throwing her belongings at the small table next to the entrance. She sighed. Her stomach protested loudly and she realized she hadn't eaten anything since morning. Although food was the last thing on her mind, Nikki couldn't allow not to worry about herself.

She dragged herself into the kitchen and peered into the fridge. As usual, it was half-empty but she managed to find something that looked like a frozen dinner. Spaghetti Bolognese. She sarcastically smiled to herself for the hundredth time that day.

It took her a few minutes to warm up the dinner but for all she cared, it could have taken hours. Her heart was just not into it. She seriously began to think about calling Addison. She thought about all those endless conversations when Addison had tried to convince her she was making a big mistake by marrying Darnell. Nikki hadn't believed her. Instead, she had been stubbornly clinging to her fiancé and desperately trying to prove her best friend wrong. What was she supposed to do with that loyalty now?

She closed her eyes, trying to get her shit together and make the best decision. As she took the last bit of her dinner, there was a loud lightning strike accompanied by rain. Droplets began to beat on the window pane, creating an irritating noise.

„I'm so tired of this awful weather. Can't the sun shine just like for once?" she said, slowly realizing she was talking to herself. It was just too much.

Her fingers gently rubbed her eyes while she thought about another day full of rainy Washington's spring weather.

Shortly after dinner, Nikki slowly got ready for bed. Lying in her bed with her eyes staring unseeing at the ceiling, she began to realize how much truth held the statement that at night everything seems somewhat scarier. The emotions are twice as intense and you think that every problem is the end of the world. Her current feelings pulled out the worst in her. Nikki frowned and stuck her head into the pillow. Though she was aware that the worst part of healing hasn't even started yet, she was already visibly annoyed.

For the next few days, her feelings remained the same. Her mood was changing every minute. At one point, Nikki would be tearing up for Darnell but in the next she would be swearing, hating on her now former fiancé. She didn't leave her apartment or respond to her mother's calls. She didn't want to talk about what had happened in Darnell's apartment. Nikki was convinced that her loved ones would judge her for even trusting Darnell in the first place.

The rain was still pouring inexorably, ruining the springtime in Seattle. She became tired from the same walls surrounding her and this awful weather. Nikki slowly realized that self-pity wouldn't help her.

And then it hit her.

She suddenly sat up in bed. Her pupils were spread from the surprise to the idea which just jumped in her head. She quickly rushed to the laptop in the living room and turned the device on.

After a few minutes of researching the internet, she found exactly what she was looking for. Top ten vacation places in Florida.

„To hell with Seattle, rain, and Darnell. I'm out of here" she said, her smile breaking its way to her face again.

-

An IMPORTANT author's note to my future readers:

This is just an intro. The story is a little bit slow at the beginning, but you just have to continue reading it and you'll soon realize where I'm heading with it. It'll be worth it.

I want to give you a few pieces of information about me as a writer. If you don't want to read it just skip to the part written in Italic (this part is important). But I'm suggesting you read this part because it could be helpful later, to understand some of the situations better.

Well...I've written my first short story back in middle school and I didn't show it to anyone. I've decided to write because I've really found myself in it. I absolutely love to write and haven't stopped since then. With the time passing, I was slowly gathering the courage to show my work to my friends. Feedback was so positive that I was left in shock. They've asked me where I find the inspiration and ideas. The answer is simple. In real life. There's no better inspiration than real-life situations. Love is real, happiness is real, friendship is real but so is sadness, grief, loss or pain. I've always been very observant. I was watching people and their problems, pain, losses, or their happiness. I was watching them and making stories based on everything I've seen. My friends have started encouraging me to publish my stories but I was feeling so self-conscious that even thinking about it was making me anxious. I won't lie, I still don't feel 100% confident. I still think I'm not at the level I want to be but I'm making progress every single day. In the end, my boyfriend was the one who had pushed me to finally publish this particular story. I found out about Wattpad and joined the site little over a year ago. It turned out that I needed a little more courage. Today, I finally have it! Today, I've published it!

To conclude...I'm realistic and I know that I won't gather the audience over a night. It would take some time but I'm willing to wait and I'll be persistent. I promise each and every one of you who will hopefully like my story that I'll stay dedicated and, no matter how big the audience will be, I'll finish it. I hope it'll be worth it.

There's just one thing for you to always remember: We all are here to have fun, to chill and to forget about our stressful lives. This is what I want for my story to be to you. An escape from problems. I truly want you to enjoy it, feel it and live it through my characters. If you have any questions or if you, at any moment feel triggered reading the story, feel free to contact me any time. I'll always find a time to respond or talk to you about it.

Stay true to yourself and have a nice day.