27. A BETTER MAN

He turns around and my jaw clenches as soon as I look at the familiar face that I am not a fan of.

His eyes are wide open as he openly stares at me, "You are her boyfriend?" He asks incredulously.

"Yes, I am her boyfriend."

"Didn't you already have a girl-" He pauses when realization dawn on his face.

"Is she your Eliza?"

"She's my Liza, yes." I stress out.

My eyes shift quickly to Liza who is standing there confused while watching the interaction between me and him.

"She's beautiful." Daniel remarks and my eyes snap to his.

He has a smirk on his face and I try to keep my temper in check for Liza's sake. I don't want to pick a fight in her presence.

"I know. Now get out of my face." I bite out.

"I like her." He continues to bark.

I ignore his comment and grab Liza by her elbow before turning around to go towards the cafeteria.

"I want her, Nicholas. And I will take her." He shouts and his voice echoes in the empty hallway.

I stop in my tracks to give him a piece of my mind but Liza squeezes my hand, "He's not worth it." She whispers loud enough for me to hear.

I swallow my anger and give her a sharp nod before taking another step forward but of course, the bastard had to push my buttons.

"She's a virgin, isn't she? Maybe you can share."

Liza freezes next to me and I turn around abruptly and speed walk in his direction before throwing a punch at his face.

The sound of a bone-cracking fills the air and he falls on the floor while groaning in pain. His hand covers his now broken nose and I straddle him before throwing a series of punches.

He attempts to cover his face with his arms but I was seeing red and throw punch after punch blindly, "How fuckin' dare you?!" I grit out.

My mind registers someone shouting my name in the background but I was too blinded by the rage to ponder over it.

"I shouldn't have let you off the hook so easy, you bastard." I say and jab his chest with my fist.

I raise my fist in the air again and feel fingers curling around my arm making me freeze for a minute before I turn my head to look at Liza who is crouching beside me with eyes full of tears.

"Please." She pleads.

I grit my teeth and get off of him before standing up and kicking him with my foot one last time before stepping back from his unconscious body.

Liza's shaky hand takes a hold of my bruised knuckles and she brings it closer to her face to examine it. I sigh as I look at the scared look on her face.

I gently unwrap her fingers from my hand and bring her closer to my chest. Burying my nose in her neck, I tighten my arms around her and inhale her floral scent.

"Nick." She whispers and rubs my back with her small hands.

"It's alright." She spoke quietly and gently strokes my nape.

My body relaxes against hers and she pulls back after a second, "Come, I'll take you to the nurse."

"I'm sorry." I say with sincerity and she smiles softly in return.

"We'll talk about it later." She replies and drags me to the medical room.

As soon as we open the door, Nurse Brenda recognizes me and gives me a motherly smile which I return.

"Nicholas, my child. The only time you've been here was when you fought with that, God forgive me amen, despicable child. Daniel, was it?" she asks.

I nod my head, "It was him again." I admit and she gasps.

"Was not he suspended?" She asks s Liza sits me down on the bed.

"He's back." I answer.

"I see. And who might you be?" She asks Liza while examining my knuckles.

"I'm Eliza." Eliza replies politely.

Brenda gazes questioningly at the both of us and Liza adds, "I'm his girlfriend."

My heart starts to beat a little faster as I look at her standing there with a smile on her face. I feel like the luckiest man alive whenever I am around her. She's unmatchable. No one even comes close to her. She is the purest being to walk this planet and the fact that she's mine makes me feel honored.

"Oh, so you're the lucky girl?" She questions which causes Liza to blush.

"No, I am the lucky one." I tell Brenda as she starts to clean my knuckles.

"Aw, young love." She gushes.

"By the way, he's unconscious in the hallway." I tell her and she gasps before calling the assistant male nurse and telling him to get the beaten boy here.

After she wraps my hand in gauze, I thank her and walk out with Liza who was awfully quiet.

"Wanna get out of here?" I ask her and she nods her head.

Together we make our way out of the school and towards the parking lot, "I am gonna leave Lily and mom a text." She says and I nod my head in agreement.

I open the passenger side door and close it once she's seated before rounding the car and getting behind the wheel myself.

"Liza, park in my spot from tomorrow. I forgot to tell you this earlier." I say.

"Are you not going to pick me up anymore?" She questions looking at me.

I chuckle, "Of course, I will."

"Then you can keep your parking spot." She replies with a soft smile.

The smile I'd die for any time of the day. I thought to myself.

"Where are you taking me?" She asks.

"Somewhere." I reply vaguely.

She decides not to probe any further and we fall into a comfortable silence throughout the ride. My mind goes back to the incident that had taken place earlier today and I can't help but tighten my grip on the staring wheel.

I was ashamed of myself that Liza had to witness something like that but I could not just stand there and listen to all the bullshit that had been spewing out of his stupid fuckin' mouth.

Especially when it comes to Liza. I will not tolerate a word against my girl.

We reach the park near Liza's house and I turn off my car before looking at the side to see Liza playing Subway Surf on her phone.

"You still play that?"

"Hm? Yeah." She answers distractedly.

I deliberately tap on the phone resulting in Jake colliding with a train. Liza gapes at me in shock while I laugh.

"Sorry bambi, but we're here." I tell her.

She looks out the window and her eyes shine with recognition before she lets out a small smile. We both get out and enter the deserted park, "I like it when it's quiet here." She comments.

"Me too." I reply as we both sit down on a bench, facing each other.

"What's going on in your head?" She asks.

"When did you become so observant?"

"I have always been observant when it comes to you, I guess."

I smile at the innocent answer and shake my head, "I guess, you're right."

"Then tell me?"

"Is it just me or ever since I came back you've been more mature?" I evade her question.

"I'd like to think that." She shrugs.

"What's up, bambi?"

"I don't know. I just realized that you're not always going to be here." She says so quietly that for a second I think I have misheard her.

Guilt starts to bubble inside my chest when I hear her say those words and a frown forms between my eyebrows, "I'm sorry."

She sighs and crawls onto my lap, taking me by surprise, "No, Nick. That's not what I meant. I don't say that so you can apologize for something that wasn't even in your control. I just, I have been shadowed by people all my life. By mom and dad, then Elijah, and now you. I don't mind it because Elijah's been away for a while and dad has stopped being overprotective, thank the Lord. But when you were absent, I felt exposed and vulnerable just like I felt when Eli first left for New Hampshire and I don't like feeling that way." She pauses for a while and looks around while her hands come to rest on my chest.

She gulps and starts to speak again, "I was scared because I thought I might not get the chance to tell you that I really, really, love you."

I smile and kiss the tip of her nose, "I love you, too."

"But then I realized that I cannot let it get to my head because I had to be strong for you, right?" She asks rhetorically but I still nod my head.

"So I converted this weakness into my strength. I started to take care of myself for myself and you of course because if I wouldn't be fine then how could I be with you?" She finishes.

My heart swells as I stare in her grey eyes that held the promise of tranquility after every storm. If I was proud of her before, I am utterly impressed now. She is beautiful inside and out and it reflects in everything she does and says.

I am pleased to hear her talk like that. To me, it sounds as if a child has grown up in a span of few weeks.

"Nick, you remember Uncle Nate?"

I nod my head and she says, "You play the role in my life that he did in my mother's. The role of a guiding light, the role of a true best friend. Mom is still not okay with the fact that he is no more but she is content because even after his death, he did not cease to play that role. So many life-changing truths came to light on the day of his funeral. I believe every person has a defined role in one's life and they're meant to fulfill it till they can't anymore."

I am left tongue-tied as soon as she stops speaking and peers directly at me. She's put me on a pedestal and I'd be damned if I ever disappoint her.

Wordlessly, I place my hand on the back of her head and bring her face closer before capturing her lips. I was so in love with her and it had increased even more now, if possible.

Her soft lips moved in sync with mine and her fingers curl around my shirt as I continue to suck on her bottom lip. I am feeling a lot of things at this moment and I make sure to pour each and every emotion in the kiss. Our noses brush against each other when I lightly bite her lip and she easily grants me the access.

My tongue caresses hers before moving to explore every crevice of her mouth. The way her tongue hesitantly sways a little every now and then shows just exactly how much inexperienced she is which gives me an odd sense of satisfaction because I will be the one to show her new things.

Am I corrupting her? Maybe.

Do I regret it? No.

The need to breathe soon makes the both of us pull away and I stare at her cherry-red cheeks and swollen lips feeling absolutely ecstatic.

"I am so lucky to have found my best friend and boyfriend in one person." She says after catching her breath.

"I love you, bambi. I love you more than the stars in the galaxies. The fact that you're mine makes me the happiest and I feel so privileged just to be standing beside a person like you. You make me wanna be a better man."

"You're already a better man."

"Not really." I shake my head.

"Why are you saying that?" She asks with a frown.

"Eliza, I didn't have sex with Primrose willingly." I state.

Her frown deepens, "What are you saying, Nick?"

"We were at a party and Daniel slipped some drug in my drink. I wasn't in my senses, Liza. I-I would never do that to you deliberately."