Author's Notes: Hello and welcome to this chapter! I decided to make this in Gatsby's POV. So without further adieu! (I own nothing!)


When I first laid eyes on her, I almost couldn't believe she existed. She was sitting on a bench, all alone, her head crouched over in some kind of journal. She would look up and stare at one of the two girls and she roll her eyes in contempt and envy. She was different than every other woman in town.

For one, she had long chocolate brown hair; every woman in town wore her hair short in the bob cut but not this girl. She let her long hair hang down in front of her face and every so often she would push it back behind her ears. She would chew on her bottom lip every so often and then scribble something down in that journal.

"Jordan, sweetheart, would you mind so terribly if you took my shift at the Red Cross today?"

"Of course not!"

The girl with long hair lifted her head and rolled those sapphire eyes once more before writing franticly into the journal. I watched her because she was such a strange thing to behold. Her shoulders tensed and I knew she found me out. As she looked up, I smiled my warmest smile and waved; she looked so confused but she recovered and sheepishly waved back.

"Please excuse me, ladies."

I stood and walked cautiously towards the young lady sitting all alone. She seemed to stop breathing but perhaps that was a trick of my mind.

"Hello." She sounded scared and timid.

"Good afternoon, what is a lovely woman doing here all alone?"

"I'm not alone. Anyway, I see you know my cousin."

I looked back at the women, who were giggling at something.

"Which one?"

"Daisy Fay, the other's my friend, Jordan Baker. My name's Nicolette Carraway."

"What a queer name." She relaxed and smiled into her book resting in her lap.

"Yes, but I like it. My friends called me Nick or Nicolette."

"Nick…" She smiled once more and so did I. I offered her my hand to go to the other side of the street to Daisy and Jordan. She refused my hand but walked towards the smiling women.

"Is that why you left us, Jay?" I tensed at my name. I don't know why I did or why I felt like I needed to be nervous about my name. She looked at me and smiled in a playful manner.

"Is that your name?"

"Yes…" She smiled even brighter and said, "And you called my name queer."

I laughed lightly and smiled at this girl. This odd girl with long brown hair and sapphire eyes. She was something else altogether. She raised her hand and I grasped it with mine. How small it looked in mine. I kissed it and suddenly a shock like one of a live wire coursed through my being.

"Daisy, your cousin is as witty as she is pretty."

Nick smiled and giggled, turning away from me as she did so. The blush on her face was too adorable to miss and the women laughed at her shyness. I had to know something important about her before I had to leave for war. I wanted, no needed, to know what she planned for her life.

"I want to be a writer. I'm going to be famous someday and I'm going to live in the most beautiful city in the whole world. I'm going to be married to a wonderful man with money and I'll have a garden, yes…yes…a garden all to myself."

Her eyes were sparkling like gems as she spoke of her dreams and I felt myself light up. She walked towards the house and unlocked the fence when she looked back at us. She met my eyes and ducked behind the fence. A moment later, an aeroplane came out of nowhere. I caught it in my hands and unfolded it.

'Stay safe soldier. Come home to all the beautiful ladies who need men like you.'


Five Years Later That note never left my side. During the war, I would read the note and hope to go home to the beautiful funny girl called Nicolette. I had moved to New York in hopes to make my fortune. I live right across the sound in West Egg from Daisy and Tom in East Egg. Despite the once brief love for Daisy, Tom and I have become good friends as I had with Daisy. She would look over the sound at my house and tell me over and over that my grand house must be so lonely.

But this time was different, Daisy was almost bouncing in her seat at something exciting.

"Oh Jay! I have the best news to give!"

"What is it?"

"Nicolette! She's coming to live here! Her books are selling and she's coming here!"

I froze with the bottle of whiskey in my hands. Tom walked in and told her that Nicolette was on the phone. Daisy rushed out and I recovered from my shock when Tom laid his hand on my shoulder.

"This is your chance, Jay."

It was my chance.

My chance to finally woo the woman of my dreams.


I watched all day for her to come when a taxi pulled up to the small cottage next to my home. Out of the backseat popped a petite woman with long chocolate hair tied back in a ponytail by a ribbon. She was given her bags and she went into the cottage when she noticed the large window facing my house.

She looked at me and waved out of politeness before closing the heavy curtains. I was stunned, she looked like she had never aged a day!

For the next few days, she had been in and out of the cottage, organizing it and moving in to make it a home. It was on Friday that she had pulled on her overalls and got into the patch of dirt that I knew she planned to make into a garden.

I got excited and told my butler to hand deliver the invite to the party tonight to the woman in the garden next door. I nearly ran to my room and looked through the clothes that I had sent from England. I dug throughout the pile to find something to wear but nothing looked right! I was ready to give up when I spotted the silver and sapphire ring. My eyes wondered to the pile of shirts and saw a silver shirt. The shirt was almost the same shade as the metal of the ring!

I looked at the shirt and remembered the lavender suit and purple tie I had worn one time at Daisy's. She remarked that it reminded her of Nicolette. I smiled and readied myself for the party. I waited for hours just to spot the woman who haunted my dreams. I had begun to worry that she didn't come when a woman walked up the stairs and looked all around for someone. Nicolette was beautiful; she pulled that long brown hair with a black ribbon and she was wearing a baby blue dress.

She sipped her drink and looked around for someone again. I smiled and walked to her side.

"Having a good time Old Sport?"

She looked at me and smiled a little, the pink hue of her cheeks spreading. She looked around and shouted over the roaring crowd.

"Quite though I wish I knew this 'Gatsby.' The man seems to be a ghost."

She didn't remember me. I felt a little sick but I managed to hide it. I knew the fireworks were going to go off soon and I shouted over them so she could hear me.

"I'm Gatsby! Jay Gatsby!"

"Jay…"

For a small moment, there was confusion but then, like the birth of a star, Nicolette's face lit up and I knew she remembered who I was. I took her hand like I had dreamed of doing so many times before. She smiled and laughed in shyness.

"Welcome Old Sport, to my humble abode."

"It's so good to see you again, Soldier."

I pulled her away from everyone, from everything and into the library. The loud noise of the party was almost instantly gone and we were left standing there. I was bubbling on the inside but I couldn't let it show.

"I can't wait to talk to you."

"Master Gatsby, Chicago is on the phone."

I waved the butler away and pulled Nicolette to one of the green armchairs that I had in the library. Many times I had sat in the chair, reading or talking on the phone, thinking about everything and sometimes nothing at all. Now she sat there, she was there, in the chair looking at me with friendship in her eyes.

"How long has it been Old Sport?"

"I'd said five or six years, friend. You made quite a name for yourself here."

"Well yes, I dare say I've been quite fortunate to have such a vast amount of money."

I kept watching her out of the corner of my eye. She noticed my clothing and she kept looking me over. Her eyes went glassy-eyed and I took this time to grab the book I was reading before she came to town.

"You have my book…" She trailed off, looking like she was surprised that her book even sold.

"You're a talented writer, Old Sport, a lot better than most today."

"You…you really think so?"

"I know so." She blushed and looked at me in a way that made my stomach turn and flip. She stood and I handed her the book when she reached for it. She opened it to a page and read clearly from the text.

"'Never in my life have I found a more interesting man than Mr. Robert Falls. Even with his millions and priceless gems and clothes, he was humble and generous to everyone he met. Strong like a soldier but gentle like a gentleman; I am proud that I, Rose Danielle Fay, am able to call him my closest friend.'"

She closed the book quietly and I was in awe at her. I remembered how soft spoken she was when I first met her. Nicolette had really grown up in the five years that we've been apart.

"I hope you know I based him off of you."

"Me?" She smiled and laughed. I would never get sick of seeing that smile or hearing that lovely laugh. It sounded like the summer breeze and notes off the piano.

"Yes, you. From the moment I met you, Gatsby, I knew you were gonna be big. But I never in my wildest dreams imagined how big!"

I smiled and took her hand to lead her back to the party. That shock, that wonderful fantastic shock, was stronger than ever. I couldn't imagine letting her go again.

"Let's rejoin the party before they tear my house apart."


That night was the first night in years that I enjoyed my own party. Most of the night was spent talking and drinking with Nicolette; she became looser with every drink she had. It was unnerving for me to watch her become a different woman when she drinks; the scariest part of the party was went she disappeared.

I spent an hour looking for her when I saw someone stumbling to her cottage. The person looked back and I watched Nicolette go inside. The party dimmed after she left and I retired to my chambers overlooking the sound.

I watched the stars shine over the water and for the first time in years, I slept soundly.


The next morning, I walked over to Nicolette's cottage, the morning dew still wet on the grass; I noticed how untamed her lawn was, how over grown the ivy was on the walls; it looked like something from a story. I knocked and waited for the door to open, trying to fix my tie before Nicolette opened the door.

"Gatsby?"

"Old Sport, lovely morning isn't it?" She stepped outside and looked around for a moment. She looked tired and I could tell she had something of a headache.

"Quite. What are you doing here?"

"You left before the party was over and I wanted to make sure you were ok."

Her eyebrows furled in concentration and she shook her head a little. Her face was tense and it unsettled me a little. I begun to worry when she smiled sheepishly. "Oh…I'm sorry."

"Whatever for Old Sport?"

"I was a little drunk and I decided to come home before I said or did anything I might regret."

It sounded logical but I was worried, scared, the list could go on. Nicolette lifted her head and closed her eyes to the morning sun on her face. She looked so peaceful, so relaxed. I wanted to touch her because I wasn't really sure if she was real. She opened her eyes, inspected my outfit and smiled nervously.

"I was wondering if you would like to come to the city and have brunch with me and a friend of mine."

Her eyes met mine and I smiled out of habit.

"Of course, I would love to come."

My smiled got bigger and I walked to my lovely car. I didn't hear her walking behind me, though.

"Just…let me get dressed."

I looked back and realized she was still in her night clothes. She smiled sheepishly and I shied away because I didn't want to embarrass her. When she finally was ready, we took off in my car. We rushed by people who honked at us and cried out to us, the partygoers from last night cheering for us. We got a little further down when a silly man on a motorcycle pulled up beside us and called himself the police.

I rolled my eyes and showed him the card with the commissioner's name on it. He pulled behind us and Nicolette turned around in her seat to watch him do so.

"How did you do that?"

"I was able to do a favor for the police commissioner once. He sends me a Christmas card every year."

I swerved around a blue car and she sat right in her seat again as people waved and cheered as we went by. It was almost amusing to watch her get amazed by the little things.

"Old Sport, what do you think of me?"

"Whatever do you mean?" I looked at her for a moment and brought my eyes back to the road.

"I mean, when you hear my name, what do you think of?"

Nicolette became very silent, not even looking at the people waving to us like she was before. She was so deep in thought that I began to worry. I seem to be doing that a lot lately when it concerns her.

"Old Sport?"

"What do I think of you?"

She turned herself towards me and smiled.

"When I hear your name, three words pop up."

She held up her hand and laughed silently. "Grand," lowering her thumb. "Dazzling," smiling that brilliant smile. "And honorable."

"Honorable?" That one shocked me a little.

"Yes, Gatsby, honorable; you are so generous that you throw expensive parties for people you hardly know and someone told me you once gave a woman a dress because she tore hers on a chair!"

I didn't say anything more because this all seemed so strange. This little woman has haunted his dreams during the war and after so many years, she has just walked back into my life like she never left it. She thought I was grand and dazzling but honorable? I admit, I am generous to others but I hardly count that as honor.

I was losing track of where I intended us to go and nearly missed the exit. I drove us to the restaurant where Tom and Daisy were waiting for us. I gave the car keys to the valet and ushered Nicolette inside.

"Nicolette!"

"Daisy!"

It was almost beautiful how the girls greeted each other, Daisy and Nicolette just hugging and laughing like they hadn't seen each other in forever.

"Nick, this is my husband, Tom."

"How do you do?"

"Now Nick, there's no need to be so formal!"

Tom stood up and bear hugged Nicolette, picking her up in the process before setting her back down. I pulled her a chair and we sat down to talk when the music started playing. Daisy tried to get Nick on the dance floor but over and over she refused to go. Tom and Daisy walked into the crowd, leaving us alone.

"Why can't you dance?"

"Never learned." That was a big lie. Daisy talked about how many times she caught Nicolette dancing and how she tried teaching her once.

"Why don't you try?"

"Cause I know I'm no good."

"Didn't you ever try?"

"No." Another big lie.

"Then why don't you?" I had her then and I told her to get out of the chair or I would pull her out of it myself. I walked her out to the dance floor and I tried dancing but she kept pulling out of my grasp. I pulled her back into my arms and told her that I wasn't going to let her go.

"But Gatsby!" She pulled out again and ran to the restrooms when I finally caught up with her. She looked like she was terrified of me. I adjusted my emotions and tried talking to her in a softer tone.

"Old Sport, why are you so against dancing with me?"

"I…"

"Yes?"

"I…I don't want to embarrass you."

"What?" She looked down at the ground and I asked her again.

"I…I don't want you to be embarrassed about dancing with me. I can't dance and Daisy tried teaching me before but I just stumbled and fell a lot. I just didn't want you to be embarrassed by me."

Embarrassed by her? How could anyone be embarrassed by her? I pulled her gently to the floor and waved to the band for a slower song. I knew the band leader and he owed me for a favor. The crowd thinned and we began to sway to the music. Some of the couples were moving in circles to the music but I was perfectly fine swaying to the music with this wonderful, beautiful woman.

When the song ended and we finally separated, I could only smile and think to myself, 'That wasn't too bad, now was it?'


"Enjoying yourself, Old Sport?"

"I am. Where are you going dressed up like that?"

"Business meeting in the city; I just saw you here and thought you'd like to know, Old Sport."

She was beautifully modest as she rested her head on her arms. She seemed so happy, so content, so relaxed that almost nothing could make her mad.

"That's sweet of you, Gatsby."

Her eyes met mine and for the longest time, we didn't move, didn't speak. It was like her eyes trapped mine and she seemed lost in the vast escape that was her beautiful mind. I had seen her like this before. She would sit on her porch and just stare at the water. She would sit and think for hours on end until the milk man came or the sunlight rested on her face.

"Gatsby shouldn't you get going, your meeting?" Meeting? What meeting?

"Oh, oh yes! My meeting! Would you like to, um, go into the city later today after my meeting?"

"That's a sweet gesture Gatsby but I need to tend to my garden."

"I can have my servants…"

"Thank you but no thank you, Gatsby; I don't like anyone but me to touch my garden."

I helped her up from the wooden dock and walked her to the door. She seemed so wonderful and so protective over a patch of dirt that could grow some flowers or anything she wanted. I couldn't imagine why.

"What if someone you knew wanted to help you?"

"Then they need to be ready to learn how to garden. Enjoy your meeting, Gatsby."

She walked inside and I smiled broadly; she wanted someone that already knew how to garden to spend time in that precious dirt she had.


I stood there for what seemed like forever just watching Nicolette in the dirt. She moved plants, shovels dirt, pulled the weeds that choked the dirt. I wasn't standing in the shadows to be secret but to hide myself. I worried about if someone saw me the way I was. I was wearing farmer's clothes and a straw hat; I looked like one of my gardeners!

'Come on Gatsby! Be a man, be a man for Nicolette!'

I sighed and walked over to the garden, blocking some of the sunlight falling on Nicolette.

"Would you like some help?"

She looked up and I could tell she couldn't recognize me at all. "Old Sport, it's me."

"Gatsby! You're in overalls and a straw hat! You almost look like a farmer or a gardener!"

I smiled out of nervousness and I looked around again. I felt so exposed, so different, so weak. I felt like nothing.

"What's the matter, Gatsby?"

"I haven't worn this outfit in the longest of time. I'm afraid someone will see me."

"Well I saw you."

"You're different; I only wore this to see if you would let me help you. It seems like a giant job if you do it on your own."

She wiped the sweat off her brow and told me that I could help; I dropped to my knees and begun to plant the delicate little flowers into the little holes I would make for them. I identified each one of them: White lace, baby's breath, roses, and pansies where the main ones that I recognized.

She asked me how I knew how to plant and I lied about learning from my gardeners. I didn't want her to know the truth about me yet. We worked long and the work was tiring but I have to admit, the garden actually looked like a garden. The familiar smell of wet dirt and water filled my nose and I think for the first time in forever, I didn't get sick to my stomach.

"You look so handsome, Mr. Gatsby."

"Handsome?"

"Yes, Mr. Gatsby, handsome."

"How can you think of me as handsome when I am like this?"

I looked at my dirty clothes and felt so silly. Handsome? How can someone like me be so handsome like this?

"I don't see the dirt or the dirty clothes but rather…the man in the dirty clothes, the man who chose to help me personally rather than let me do it by myself…"

I smiled because it was easy for her to think of me as honorable and grand and wonderful and all those words she thought I was, but it was another thing to still see me in that light even when I'm not as grand as I hope to be.

"I don't know about you but I'm going to get clean now. Thank you Gatsby."

"It should be me thanking you."

"Gatsby?"

"You said you wouldn't let anyone touch your garden but you. You let me help you; you trusted me with some you held precious."

She looked at the garden as if looking at it for the first time and once again got lost in a train of thought. She looked so peaceful when she got lost in her own mind.

"What do you think of Old Sport?"

"What?" She asked, suddenly startled that I was talking. I never meant to ask her but I couldn't chicken out now.

"I said, what are you thinking of, Old Sport?"

"A nice hot shower, Gatsby."

She bowed her head and walked quietly back to her house and I turned to mine. I looked back at the bright cottage and shook my head. Close but so far away.


I wanted to treat Nicolette to something special, to give her the things that she deserved. So I did what I thought every girl liked to go: go shopping. It was a normal shopping trip except for when a store clerk began to argue with me about Nicolette.

He made some bull about her hair being an autumn instead of a spring and I was getting frustrated. Nicolette was waiting patiently for us to begin acting like civil adults again when I studied her looks.

I was no expert on women's clothing but I had a vague idea of what made a woman a summer or winter or what have you.

Nicolette's long brown hair hung in little waves, possibly from the bun she put in the night before. Her large blue sapphire eyes looked dreamily into the distance and her head was resting on her hand; her skin was tanned and she looked so lovely.

"What if, old sport, what if she's…a summer?"

Nicolette snapped out of her dream-like state and clapped loudly, smiling like she just watched a brilliant performance at the theater.

"You knew what you were?"

"Of course, I may be a farmer's daughter but I'm also a lady."

"Why did you tell us?!" She looked very cool and calmly spoke to the salesperson.

"You and my friend were fighting so loudly about it that I couldn't voice my opinion."

I was about to lose it myself except I saw this look in her eyes; a look of pure joy and happiness, a look of absolute fun that I found myself laughing as loud as she was as the man walked away.

"You're a tricky one, Old Sport."

The salesperson brought back the clothes for a summer girl and one by one, Nicolette tried on the clothes. With each passing outfit, she was getting madder and madder until finally I stood to yell at the dim-witted salesperson.

"No, no, no! It's not right! Everything's wrong!"

"But sir we have the most extensive summer fashions in all of New York!"

I began arguing again because I couldn't think of anything else to do. Nicolette was unhappy, I was unhappy, and this stupid son of a-

A sharp loud whistle broke the air and we turned to look at the pile of clothes she had picked out. These were more like her, I handed the salesperson a tip and told Nicolette to get dressed. I paid for her things and we walked out together; the air was tense and angry between us until she spoke up.

"I promise to pay you back, Jay…"

"Nonsense, I wanted to buy these things."

"But Jay…" I turned around sharply and she flinched. She flinched like I was going to hit her. 'Who did this to you, Nicolette?' I felt my heart breaking and she looked down at the pavement and I got her to look into my eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Gatsby…"

"I'm sorry for doing that to you, to that salesperson. I just…I just want to give you everything you would ever want and the looks on your face…"

She reached to pull me out of the sidewalk and she didn't let go of my hand. It was like live wires in my arm leading straight to my heart.

"Gatsby, I was getting frustrated with myself. I didn't mean to upset or discourage you. Truth be told, I didn't mind the attention."

"You didn't?" I couldn't keep the hope from my voice.

"No, I wouldn't have cared if we were here in the city or back in West Egg, I…I just like spending my time with you." The rain opened up and we made a mad dash for the car. I wasn't worried that the seats would get wet or ruined but that Nicolette would become sick from the cold driving rain. I began driving faster home until I realized she was freezing. I wrapped her in my suit jacket and continued to drive. I nearly crashed the car when I realized something truly important. She called me Jay…not Gatsby but Jay…


We ran inside and my servants gathered our coats before someone running out to us and telling us that my pianist was awake and wishing to play for Nicolette. She looked so confused but I knew better.

My maid, Winnie, took us to my favorite room in the entire house and she and I left so we could find the pianist. I had three grand pianos in the house and the main on was in the grand ballroom for the parties. We couldn't find the lazy man anywhere so Winnie went to his room and I went to tell Nicolette about the delay.

She was playing the grand piano as well as, if not better than, my own pianist. She developed this beautiful, delicate and strangely sad piece. I could not place the song but I stood and she played and played on. My servants were standing behind me, equally as shocked as me. Nicolette's song became sadder when she changed the song into a minor key. It made one or two of my employees cry and I could see a slight tear run down her cheek. In what seemed like a few seconds, the music faded away, Nicolette's shoulders relaxed and she once again looked dreamy-eyed.

"How on Earth…"

"Mr. Edwin, please escort everyone out."

I sat on the piano bench and threw my arm around her shoulders. It tingled with excitement and nerves.

"Where did you learn to play like that?"

"My cousin taught me when I was staying with her. I also play the violin and the cello." She smiled shyly but I just laughed and smiled at her.

"My god, I've been hiring entertainment for ages and you were right next door!" Our combined laughter echoed through my home and I felt very lonely even though Nicolette was sitting right there. Nicolette looked at me and began to play a very slow but beautiful song. She smiled at me and hummed the melody out loud.

"Follow me, Gatsby." She placed my hand on the A, G and Middle C keys and showed me how to repeat the pattern over and over. When I got it, she continued to play the melody with her right hand. I realized we were working together and somehow were making beautiful music.

"It sounds sad, beautiful but sad…" She looked at me and told me to speed up just a little bit. She placed her hand higher up and hummed out the brighter key. The sound changed, it sounded like a song for a party.

"Better?"

"Much." She smiled and I smiled with her. This music was nothing like the music Nicolette made alone but this was their music. They made this wonderful, simple music together and that in itself was beautiful.


A couple a days later, Nicolette left in a coupe without a word to where she was going. I wasn't worried because she was a level-headed person. It wasn't until she rode up in the coupe with a man.

He was dirty and he wore overalls; she introduced him as Arthur. He kissed her hand and after he left, she left and I was left alone. I felt so…alone…angry…betrayed…afraid…everything that stabbed me like a knife in my stomach. I wanted to do something.

I wanted to go have a little talk with that Arthur.

I wanted to run over to Old Sport's cottage and tell her what I really had on my mind. Before I realized what was happening, I was halfway to her door when I stopped myself.

This was crazy! I was behaving like a little brat!

Nicolette is not bound to me! She has no reason to stay with me and live with me and make music with me… She no reason to stay with me; I shouldn't get jealous because she has someone in her life. Still, I was afraid. If I got this angry about a friend who was a man in her life, I was in no condition to see or speak to her. I needed to get away for a few days…


"More tea, Jay?"

"Please, Daisy…"

Tom and Daisy were too nice to me sometimes. Daisy offered me her extra room while I cooled down. I told her everything about the Arthur character and after I told her everything that I felt, I felt better and she gave me some advice.

"Jay, think about this. Nicolette is a level-headed person, she doesn't fly off the handle because of her emotions. She is so…controlled and stable that I am pretty sure that she will not just do something because she feels like doing it. She's a good person." I knew this was true but it didn't quell the storm in my heart and brain. But Daisy wasn't done yet.

"You know something Jay? I never understood why you liked her so much but I think I've finally figured it out." I looked up and once she saw that I had her undivided attention, she picked up her teacup and sipped it lightly.

"You always want a challenge."

"What?!" I began to cough on my tea but she didn't wait for me to continue talking.

"You want a challenge; when we were together, you were the man, I was the woman. I was always by your side, didn't do anything that I knew you wouldn't like and never really grew as a lover. But Nicolette is not me. She's controlled and secretive and everything that I'm not."

"But…"

"Jay, I've lived with her for years." She looked at me with a look of smug knowledge, "She strived to be everything that I wasn't. She doesn't like to flirt, she pushes a man's buttons until he pushes back. But once she has someone, she's loyal to a fault. She makes herself seem like the average woman of the world but she is one of the greatest mysteries of the world."

Daisy stopped and reached for a cookie before continuing.

"I know you've noticed how she leaves the world and goes somewhere else. She leaves the world when she has a problem, emotionally and physically. I saw it all the time when her father was trying to get her to marry the cheating son of a bitch, Humphrey Rein. She is so in tune with her thoughts that…sometimes…her judgment gets clouded and…she ends up getting hurt."

"What did he do?"

Daisy didn't answer me for a long time because she was trying to quell the angry storm behind her eyes. When she finally did speak, it was tense and quiet.

"Humphrey Rein was the son of a very wealthy man in our hometown. Nicolette was always very quiet and shy and one day, during my father's parties, Humphrey found her. In three little months, they were engaged and everything was ok. Then the lies and sleeping around happened; every single time Nicolette left the house, Humphrey was in bed with a maid or cook. I caught them one time too; I tried telling her but she never listened to me. It wasn't until she caught Humphrey in bed with her best friend. She broke off the engagement and left town, living in Pittsburgh for a while before the war."

Daisy looked at the old painting that hung over my head and I noticed how relaxed she became after she explained everything. "She decided not to let anything take her anymore. She became almost…numb," Daisy looked at me with a pained stare with a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"But she smiles, Jay. She smiles! I had not seen that for years. And she laughs again! I was always worried that she would stay dead-panned, numb forever but you…you brought her to life again."

She smiled and stood up to face the window facing my home. A long time pasted before she finally looked back and frowned at me. "Why are you still here when the greatest mystery of your life is across the sound?"


I got to the front door and found it open. I assumed the worst but I found her laying down on the couch, rubbing her eyes from focusing on the typewriter for so long.

"Old Sport?" She sat up and I could tell that she was happy to see me. We talked for a while and I wanted to tell her something when she screamed loud and I turned around to find a man in a black tux holding flowers. He looked distressed and he dropped the flowers quickly.

"Wait Nick!" A moment of silence…

"Oh my God!" Nick ran outside and hugged the man like she had missed him, like she hadn't seen him for years. I felt a pit deep in my stomach; what if this was Humphrey? What if she never got over him?

"Private Darren, you old son of a gun."

"Nurse Nick, looking well." Private Darren noticed me standing a little away and he snapped to attention.

Suddenly a memory of a young, naïve soldier flashed in my mind and recognized the man as one of my solders during the war.

"Hello, Commanding Officer Gatsby."

"At ease, private." Nicolette looked at me and I could feel the question coming.

"Commanding Officer?" I nodded sheepishly.

"You were in the war?"

"Yes…you were a nurse in the war."

"Field nurse, I got shuttled around as the commanding officers saw fit." I felt like bashing my head into the side of the house but I didn't want to make a mess of her wall. I never would have sent her away if I knew that Nurse Nicky was my Nicolette!

"What are you doing here private?"

"I'm marring my sweetheart, Lauren, today. She wanted you to be a witness today."

"Today?!"

"Yes, you can bring someone if you wish." She ran into the house to change and suddenly I felt very awkward standing there with Private Darren.

"Gatsby, if you're going to this wedding, you better get dressed in five minutes or I will take Daisy!"


I knew my parties fascinated Nick because she always left mine or Jordan's side to explore my vast mansion. I never minded but after the silent car ride after the wedding and the avoiding after, Jordan and I didn't want her to leave our side.

After we let her leave to use the restroom there was silence between me and Jordan, who was drinking even more than usual. She looked at various men at the party and I kept telling her that she could go and mingle.

"Oh Gatzby, I'm fine."

I knew she wanted to go to bed soon so it didn't faze me when she stood up and said she was leaving to find a room. I'm not really sure what happened next but all I know is that Jordan tripped, I stood to help her and the next thing I knew, Jordan was kissing me.

I didn't move because I was in shock.

I heard someone grasping and saw Nicolette at the doorway. I pushed Jordan away and tried explaining myself when she started talking about some bogus promise to her father. I wanted to explain myself but she weaved in and out of the crowd and blended in.

By the time I followed her outside, she was pulling away from the party in a taxi to where I had no clue…


I walked to her cottage and sat on the porch. I was waiting for her to come home. I wanted to explain, to say I was sorry.

When morning came, Jordan was sober and Daisy joined the tense party. Jordan told Daisy everything and of course Daisy was quiet but furious at both of us. We were waiting for hours when Nicolette finally walked up. She looked tired and her eyes were still red and puffy but she had a pasted on smile on her face.

Daisy and Jordan jumped and ran to hug Nicolette before I started to explain.

"Oh Nicolette, we have something to tell you!"

"No need Gatsby. I figured out last night that you and Jordan were dating and I'm happy for you." I nearly threw up but not because Jordan is unattractive or anything. It was once or twice that I considered dating her but then my heart would painfully remind me of Nicolette. She was walking back to the house when she spoke next.

"My news is bigger; I'm re-meeting an old friend today. I believe he's pulling up…now." A man pulled up in a big and flashy car…one even flashier than mine. He was wearing a tan suit and a porkpie hat with a blue feather in the brim. His eyes looked kind and caring on the surface but I could see they were hard and cruel. I knew instantly that this was Humphrey.

"You! I thought you would know better than to come here again!" Nicolette ran out, jumped into his car and looked at me and Daisy in vain revenge.

"Don't wait up!" They took off in the car and in a spray of dust and wind, they were gone down the road. I felt so angry and jealous that I had to walk away into the garden we made together. This Humphrey had better watch out.


For hours I sat in the garden on the bench waiting for Nicolette to come home, to explain myself, to tell her the truth. Daisy had left with Jordan and came back around noon with some food she packed for me.

"Jay, we should go inside, the papers said it was going to rain today."

"Let it rain, I'm not going inside until I talk to Nick." Amazingly, she stayed with me all day and it didn't rain at all. It wasn't until late at night that Nicolette stumbled into the backyard. She looked terrible, like being with Humphrey was a temporary fix for her broken heart.

"Old Sport."

Nicolette saw me and Daisy sitting on the swing and she tried putting on this fake smile and tried to change her voice. Love her I do but she is a terrible actress.

"Cousin, Gatsby, what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you sweetheart."

Daisy ran to hug Nicolette tight and for a moment her smile fell. She looked ready to cry.

"I wanted to make sure that piece of trash didn't hurt you."

"Don't speak of him that way."

Daisy was pushed away from Nicolette, who was looking furious but I knew better. Nicolette never got mad at anyone but rather, extremely frustrated.

"You don't know him. I saw him and he's changed. He really loves me and I love him."

"But Nick…"

"NO! No, Daisy I love you but I will not have you putting down Humphrey! If you are going to be rude and mean to him and our relationship then…then I won't hang around you or Tom anymore!" Nicolette ran to her cottage in sadness and anger while Daisy and I stood there in shock. Nicolette has never raised her voice to us…ever. We ran to her slammed door and began to knock franticly on the wooden door.

"GO AWAY AND NEVER EVER COME BACK!" We stopped knocking but I threw my fist against the door one last time before shutting my eyes against the wetness in them. Jay Gatsby has never, ever cried for someone…but…James Gatz…he was willing to cry for Nicolette.


For months we had no contact with Humphrey or Nicolette; every single day she was gone and with each day I was growing even more depressed. There were times when I didn't get out of bed because I knew Nicolette wasn't there.

However, I would see her in her window facing me; she would be dressed to the nines in something that he bought her, wearing the expensive make-up he wanted her to wear, and looking absolutely wonderful…but she would be crying the make-up off, wearing the uncomfortable clothes over something she would actually wear, looking like an absolute mess.

There would be times where our eyes would meet but she would always be the first to look away, too embarrassed to face me.

I missed that spicy, saucy side of her. I finally had to pull myself out of depression when Daisy called me up and told me that I had to be dressed and ready for the Ritz in twenty. I arrived a few minutes late and was directed to the top room where Daisy, Tom and He was sitting.

The air was tense and thick with smugness and anger until Nicolette arrived. She was beautiful, wearing a wonderful sky blue dress and not wearing any make-up at all.

She looked like herself again.

Humphrey walked over and took her in his arms, raising my blood pressure to almost the ceiling. I heard nothing of what Humphrey was saying but I understood why he was on one knee loud and clear. I was ready to attack the evil son of a bitch when Arthur ran in.

"Miss Nick! Before you say anything, I have something to tell you."

He explained that Humphrey has been messing around with Wilson's wife the whole time that he was with Nicolette.

For the longest time that I've ever known her, she was quiet and still. She glared at the man still kneeling on the ground and demanded the truth. She started screaming at Humphrey and for the slightest second, I thought I saw her glance at the ice pick that was sitting on the table. She stomped out of the room and said the saddest thing I have ever heard.

"I can't trust anyone. I can't love anyone. I…I deserve to live alone and miserable."

She ran down the hallway before anyone could stop her and finally the hate came pouring out of me. I punched Humphrey as hard as I could before Tom could stop me. I heard his jaw pop and a groan of pain from him as he was laying on the floor. I grinned and flexed my hand to make sure it wasn't broken.

"Gatsby, you could be arrested for assault!"

"Don't care," I growled out as I ran out the room. I had to get to Nicolette before she did something she would regret.


Daisy and Tom followed me in their car while I recklessly drove back to the cottage. I knew she wouldn't stay in one place for long so I had to stop her. I got to the cottage and found her car in the driveway but no lights were on. I pounded my fist on the door and when no one answered I started to panic.

Where would she go?

I felt myself die a little with each passing moment until softly, like a gentle wind above the howling wind, I heard a voice. "…Jay Gatsby…"

I strained to listen against the wind and again it came a little louder, "…Jay…"

I ran to the woods behind the garden and used the lightening to find someone crying in the woods when…I saw her. She was laying in the mud, heels broken and her head was bleeding; she stared vacantly at nothing and I couldn't see her breathing.

I was cold like ice and I felt my eyes watering as I saw Nicolette, MY Nicolette, dead in front of me. Humphrey was going to dead tonight.

"Nick…oh God, Nick…"

She stirred and blinked; hope filled my entire being and I tried talking to her. "Nick!"

She couldn't hear me under the roaring of the wind and by the time the others found me, I was straining to shout for her.

"OLD SPORT!"

She looked up at us and she looked like she was seeing ghosts. Her eyes were red and watery from crying and she looked like she couldn't remember who we were.

"HOLD ON NICK, PLEASE!" I picked up her shaking frame and made sure that she was comfortable in my arms. She came to my chest and held onto my shirt like it was the only thing keeping her up. I ran as fast as I could home so she could get warmer. I told Daisy and Jordan to give her a bath to keep her warm and safe. I quickly changed and waited for the girls to come back when Tom and Arthur questioned me about punching Humphrey. I decided to tell them the truth.

"Do you remember when she first came here? She was surrounded by a rainbow of color. She was everything a girl should be: modest, beautiful, wonderful, and colorful; that son of a bitch stole that from her! She is grayer than the sky outside. She couldn't see it but I did; I didn't do anything to save her from this heartbreak and that's my fault…if it means I have to spend everything until I'm a poor farmer again to have her trust me again, so be it."

"Everything, Jay?" I looked around my mansion and then back at the men.

"Every cent, Nick is worth more to me than anything else." The door opened and Nicolette was standing there, small and fragile between the girls. I stood up and took her in my arms once more before walking back to the chair. She kept trying to say she was sorry to us and we kept saying it didn't matter. She just couldn't believe that we loved her so much.

I almost lost her to a cheating bastard.

When Tom and Daisy had to leave, Nicolette snapped back to life and escorted them to the door. She offered Arthur her home when he told us the problem. Even now with a broken heart, she is trying to take care of everyone. I wrapped my arms around her from behind and told her that she was staying with me; did she really expect me to let her go? I took her to the guest room and tucked her in when she cried out.

"Jay, I don't want to sleep. I'm…I'm afraid I won't wake up…"

"We can just talk instead."


For hours, I told her everything about me; my family, the war, even the brief love for Daisy. What I didn't tell her was the love I had for her. I told her that I wanted to make her dreams come true, that she deserved the love she wanted.

When she starting talking about her mother and her long hair, I ran my fingers through the soft locks. Because of this hair, she stood out from the crowd like a swan from ducks. She honored her past unlike me, who tried burying it.

I continued to run my fingers through her hair until I felt her nod off. She slept for an hour before waking up again.

While she slept, I noticed the sun just coming up; I thought about the pouring rain outside and thought about rainbows. I know it's strange but it got me thinking about something I couldn't understand. In Nicolette's book, Rose kept telling Robert about the colors a person is but he can't understand anything she says until the ending when he is talking to her grave marker.

I think he said, 'Rainbows are made from the weeping of a storm and the rays of sunlight but this color in front of me…this new, scary and dreadful color…it is made of sadness…and uncertainty…"

At first I thought he was speaking of grief but as I look at this beautiful creature in my arms, I finally understand what he was talking about. It's about regrets.

Regret for loves lost, regret for family lost, regrets of things left unsaid. Rose hinted that she had feelings for Robert but he never told her that he loved her until the end of her life.

He regrets not seeing all the colors she wanted to show him and in the process, created a new color for himself, a color that he must look at forever.


The doctor came and made sure that Nicolette was fine at the crack of dawn and as I wondered back into the room, she was smoking on the veranda. I never knew she did that.

I joined her for a cigarette and we just stared at the sun over the leaves. I looked at her hands, which were shaking like the leaves falling from the trees. I looked to the pool and decided to have one more swim before it all goes wrong.

"Nick, would you like to go swimming? I haven't used that pool all summer."

She looked at the pool and then tensed like a coiled spring. I thought I went too far when she ran from my arms. She screamed that her book wasn't done, that she needed more time from the publishers to finish. As she pulled away from the front door, I felt the balloon in me deflating; now I knew how Robert felt.


I went to change into my swimsuit and had just stepped onto the patio before hearing a gun being cocked and loaded.

"Don't move." Humphrey.

"Don't hurt Nicolette."

"The only one I plan to hurt is you, Gatsby, it's all your fault that she left me. As soon as I get rid of you, I will marry Nicky and we'll finally be happy."

I couldn't help the bubbling laughter from coming as I heard this reasoning, "You thought I was the problem? You're the cheating bastard. You broke her heart, I'm trying to mend the pieces."

"That won't be necessary."

"JAY!"

Humphrey accidently shot Nicolette in the leg and I momentary forgot that he had a gun. I ran as fast as I could to her and tried stopping the blood. She hugged me and turned so she got shot in the arm. She was losing blood and yet she didn't care.

"Nick!"

"Don't you dare touch her you…"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH HUMPHREY REIN! WHY ARE YOU HERE YOU SON OF A BITCH?! I HATE YOU; YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE HERE! LEAVE MY LIFE AND NEVER COME BACK!"

He went to shoot me again and again she got in his way; lucky he didn't shoot. "WHY DO YOU PROTECT HIM?!"

"YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH YOU PIECE OF TRASH?! I'M PROTECTING HIM BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" Everyone was quiet; she loved me?

"THAT'S RIGHT I LOVE JAY GATSBY! I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM!" The blood was pumping out of her faster and I saw Humphrey raise the gun to his head.

"I love Jay…" There was a final gunshot and Humphrey fell in the pool. I picked her up and drove as fast as I could to the hospital. I couldn't lose her, not now, not ever.


"Jay, go home."

"No." I was still covered in blood and so tired I could sleep in the chair but I needed to be here for Nicolette. She needed to see me alive. I needed to tell her the truth.

"She'll be here, go clean up."

I didn't answer Daisy this time but Tom placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and he gave me the stern look of a father.

"Jay go home, we will call if she wakes up. Please…she wouldn't want to see you like this." I nodded and finally went home. I washed and made sure I was presentable but before I could leave my room, I decided to wear something that reminded me of Nicolette. I wore the overalls that I wore when we planted that garden and I decided to go to the pool to see if I could wash the blood off.

I know I could have someone else do it but it was something I needed to do; I wanted to forget that Humphrey did this to her, to erase him from memory. Before I could start, I felt a yearning deep inside of me, a yearning that I didn't feel for years; a yearning to pray. I kneeled on the cement and prayed for Nicolette, Daisy, Tom, everyone affected by Humphrey including myself.

In an act of goodwill, I even prayed for Humphrey, that he rested in peace and finally found God. I don't know how long I was kneeling there but the next thing I know, I'm being called by a familiar voice. As I stood up thinking that my entire world will never have any color again, I saw possible the most beautiful sight in my life; Nicolette was standing just a few feet from me, her hair was down and in her face and all I wanted to do was to push it out of her face. I stood up and I could feel the tears in my eyes but I didn't dare stop them.

I ran and held Nicolette so close that I could feel the blood leaving my fingers. She didn't move at all unless it was to rub her hand up and down my spine as we cried together. It was a while before she moved away and when she did, she began to laugh.

"Nicolette?"

"Jay, what are you wearing?"

"What…I…" I looked down to my clothes and felt so foolish. No wonder she was laughing, I looked like an idiot!

"Jay, aren't you afraid someone's going to see you?" She was smiling at me and the words turned slowly in my mind until I remembered the day we spent in her garden. I began to laugh because her humor was something I could never find somewhere else.

"God Nicolette…"

"Gatsby, were you crying?"

"What?"

"Crying, Jay; were you crying just a second ago?" She was still messing with me and frankly I didn't like it.

"And what if I was, Old Sport?" She took a couple of seconds to look into my eyes before grabbing my face. I thought she was going to punch me but she kissed me instead. She kissed me like I was going to disappear under the ground and never resurface again. I felt emotion explode in my chest, so powerful and rich that I could feel the Earth move.

She backed off, scared she had gone too far, and turned away as though to run away. I wrapped my arms around her and whispered those words she needed to hear.

"I love you Nicolette Carraway."

"I love you Jay Gatsby." And to this day I still do.