Chapter 72: Crossed Lines and Apologies

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Crossed Lines and Apologies As expected, he only laughed and ended the call. When I saw Nicki, he acted like I didn’t even exist. We exchanged a brief, casual greeting before heading into the boardroom. The meeting went on as usual, with discussions about the project’s progress, updates from his team, and James handing me files I needed to review. It was part of the project update, so I knew what to say and how to handle it. Nicki added a few points here and there, his tone professional, but his face betrayed him. I knew that look, the tight jaw, the slight downturn of his lips, the way his eyes avoided mine. Nicki was angry. I’d known him too long not to recognize it. And he knew me just as well. When the meeting ended, both his team and mine began to leave. But the way Nicki carried himself unsettled me. The truth was, if he hadn’t complicated things by throwing himself at me, Nicki would’ve been one of the few people I genuinely liked keeping around. Back when we were dating, he had been my only real friend, shameless, loud-mouthed, free-spirited. And that made me like him even more. The last thing I wanted was for us to turn into enemies. So, before he could walk out the door, I called his name. "Nicki." He paused, answering casually, "Yes?" "Can I see you for a second in my office?" He turned to his team and waved them off. "I’ll join you later." Then he followed me. Inside my office, he sat down in a chair across the room, far away from me. The distance said everything. "Make it fast," he said flatly. "I have somewhere else to be." I studied him for a moment. "Are you angry with me?" Nicki scoffed. "I don’t have time to get angry." That was so like him, his mouth always quicker than his patience. The room went silent until he finally stood, his chair scraping against the floor. "If you don’t have anything else to say, Evric, I’ll be on my way." "Wait." I stopped him, rising to my feet and stepping in front of him. I stood close enough that he had to meet my eyes. Nicki immediately took a step back, defensive. "I know you’re angry," I said carefully. "But don’t be. Maybe it’s about last time... but listen, Nicki. The way you’re trying to get me back, it’s wrong, and it’s not acceptable. I told you I already have someone I love. But you keep throwing yourself at me." That’s when he snapped. His jaw tensed, and his voice dropped low, strained with barely contained anger. "Evric, this is your office and working hour. Don’t make me raise my voice here. You think I’m throwing myself at you?" He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "You’re just so full of yourself." He turned to leave, but I called after him. "Spill it. Whatever it is. I’ll apologize." Nicki stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned back, his eyes burning. "You stand there, looking me in the eye, and you tell me you’d rather sleep with a hooker than sleep with me. Is that how little I’m worth to you?" "I was..." I started, but he cut me off, shouting. "Don’t you dare talk when I’m still talking, Evric!" His voice broke, raw with hurt. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Just forget it. Forget this whole conversation. Forget I ever came back to you. Once this project ends, you and I are done. We won’t have anything to do with each other anymore." "Nicki..." I called his name, but he didn’t wait. He walked out, leaving me with the silence and the weight of everything unsaid. Frustration burned in my chest, but beneath it was something sharper, regret. I pulled out my phone and typed a message with fingers that weren’t as steady as I’d like. I’m sorry, Nicki. I really am. Please let me apologize properly. Have lunch with me before you leave. Don’t refuse me this. I stared at the screen for a long moment, debating whether I should send it. But I did, because the truth was simple: when I’ve cared for someone once, even in the past, I can’t stand letting it rot into bitterness. I couldn’t bear the thought of us becoming enemies. Minutes dragged, each one pressing down on me until my phone buzzed with his reply. Okay. A small breath of relief escaped me. I typed back quickly: I’ll meet you downstairs. Grabbing my jacket, I told my driver to get the car ready. By the time I reached the lobby, Nicki was there, leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. The sight of him twisted something inside me. Without a word, I gestured for him to follow. We stepped into the car, silence stretching between us. I didn’t take him to any flashy place; instead, I directed the driver to a private restaurant I trusted... quiet, discreet, the kind of place where tempers could soften without an audience. As we walked inside, the staff greeted me and led us to a secluded corner. Nicki sat across from me, his posture stiff, eyes sharp. This wasn’t going to be easy. But I was determined. "I’ll have them bring the menu," I offered, trying to break the tension. Nicki shook his head. "No. Apologize first. That’ll determine whether I order, or walk out." I almost laughed. I knew Nicki. The moment he agreed to meet me here, he’d already forgiven me. Still, I leaned forward and said softly, "Nicki, listen... the way I spoke to you the last time, we talked, I regret it. I hope you can forgive me." He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Apology accepted. But don’t think that stops me from chasing you. I might still get a chance, you know." I couldn’t help but smile, shaking my head at his audacity. Nicki smirked. "I must say this though, you’ve really learned how to stay calm, Evric. Earlier, I shouted at you, and you didn’t even react. Wow. This new version of you is cool." I tilted my head. "And how exactly did the old version look?" "Do you want to show me?" "Yes," he said instantly. Then, in typical Nicki fashion, he straightened up dramatically, miming anger. "I can’t shout here, but trust me, your old version wouldn’t have liked it. If it was before, the moment I raised my voice, you’d have..." I burst out laughing before he could finish, shaking my head. "Come on, place an order already," I teased. He finally picked up the menu, flipping through it slowly. The waiter came by more than once, and Vanya kept calling me repeatedly, and at last, Nicki placed his order. Then he looked back at me with narrowed eyes." "By the way... why won’t you pick up your calls?" I hesitated. Silence stretched between us until he smirked. "Oh, right. Not my business." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It’s... complicated," I admitted. "My father is forcing me to work with her, Vanya... both here and abroad. He even wants me to appear with her in the media. But honestly, I don’t want to work with her at all." Nicki raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "So? Work with her. Do your job. Ignore the rest. Why make it a bigger deal than it is?" I gave a wry smile. "You know, my partner said something similar. Like he doesn’t even care." Nicki laughed loudly. shaking his head "Why should he care? You’re working with a woman, not a man. He knows you’ve got zero interest in women and she’s just a task. If I were him, I’d act the same way." I frowned. "What do you mean, Nicki?" His grin widened, leaning forward slightly. "It’s not that he doesn’t care. He just knows... you can’t get that up for a woman. He trusts you. He knows there’s nothing to worry about." I frowned. "What do you mean I can’t get that up for a woman?" Nicki’s grin widened mischievously. He leaned forward, pointing with a playful smirk. "Can you? Can you really?" For a moment, we just stared at each other, eyes locked. Then, without warning, we both burst out laughing, the tension between us melting into shared amusement. I leaned back in my chair, realizing he was right. A smile tugged at my lips. "So it’s not about him not caring... It’s about him knowing I wouldn’t cheat. Not with a woman." Nicki chuckled, shaking his head. Free-spirited, blunt, and bad-mouthed as always but somehow, it helped. I quickly placed a simple meal in front of me, enough so I wouldn’t just sit there doing nothing. I didn’t actually intend to eat much; it was just to avoid sitting idly while Nicki ate. Not long after we finished, my phone rang. "Excuse me," I said to Nicki before answering. "Hey, where are you?" Zayn’s voice came through. "Hey, love, how’s it going?" "I’m at your office. Should I stay or leave?" "Stay," I told him. "I’m on my way back. I’ll be there soon." "Okay..." "Love you, baby." "Just come here on time. Don’t keep me waiting," he said. "Okay, you’ll see me soon." He hung up, and I looked back at Nicki. He clapped slowly. "I must applaud him," he said with a grin. Then, pointing at me, "Evric." "Yes?" I answered, smiling. "Didn’t you always say those words are clingy when we are together?" he teased. I laughed, shaking my head. "I need to go, Nicki." "Should I drop you?" I asked him. He waved me off. "Don’t worry about me. Someone will pick me up." I nodded, then stood, giving him a small smile before leaving.