Chapter 28:Be there to catch you
So, here we are, the last chapter.
Amalia took the frame in her hands.
She didn't have to be a genius to know the photo belonged to the girl. She had an extraordinary resemblance with who she supposed was her mother. The desire she felt to crush the frame on the floor just for the pleasure of causing her some pain was too strong, but Amalia held back the impulse, vandalize Sabrina's property wasn't part of her plan for the day.
What she needed was to have a word or two with her.
She continued roaming around the room, observing every little detail in it, the color of the linens, the books, she was surprised to find a reliquary in a small jewelry box. Inside there was a small photo of Sabrina with another boy. An old love, Amalia thought. She had just sat down in the desk chair when the door clicked open.
"Prudence…" Sabrina started to say thinking that it was she who kept the light in the room on, she stopped when she saw the unknown woman sitting in her desk's chair "You are not Prudence"
Amalia smiled at her but didn't introduce herself and just continued looking at Sabrina.
"Who are you?"
The woman stood up, she was taller than her and something in her way of moving was somewhat intimidating. But she wasn't afraid of her, Sabrina stood up as tall as she was and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Who are you?" she insisted.
"You don't know me personally, Sabrina, but you have heard of me before" she said "I'm Amalia"
Sabrina's eyes widened but she quickly regained her composure and looked at the woman with narrowed eyes. While she didn't blame her –not completely, at least– for her break-up with Nick, she did blame her for taking advantage of him when he was just a boy. She blamed her for trying to continue controlling Nick's life. She clenched her fists trying to keep her anger at bay.
"What are you doing here? How did you get in?"
Amalia smiled even more while looking at her nails painted in an intense red color. She was ignoring her and that only infuriated Sabrina.
"I have my methods, girl" she answered enigmatically some seconds later.
"I'll ask this kindly, please leave… now"
The woman clicked her tongue.
"This youth, so impatient"
Sabrina just stared at her hoping the woman went away but she seemed to be taking her time. Amalia was looking at her closely too. Yes, the girl was pretty but that didn't explain why Nick had given up everything for her. She could give him so much more than the Spellman girl ever could.
"I want you to stay away from Nick"
"Nick and I are over, not that it's any of your business"
Amalia laughed out loud.
"I already know that, silly girl" she looked at her nails again "I did a good job; don't you think?"
Sabrina didn't say a thing and just looked at the woman with barely contained anger shinning in her brown eyes, she had just confirmed what Nick had told her. The photo had been a trap settled by Amalia. He hadn't cheated on her.
But he didn't tell her the truth, she remembered. And that hurt her. A lot.
"Stay away from Nick, he's mine"
That ended with the little patience Sabrina had left.
"Nick is not a thing you could be claiming as your own" she replied with an irritated voice "And now, I insist, get out of my room. This is the last time I'll ask politely"
"Look, Sabrina, you are a smart girl, right?" she didn't wait for an answer and continued talking "Stay away from Nick. Don't see him anymore, don't talk to him. Don't even dream about being with him again, do as I say and everything will be fine for you"
Sabrina looked at the woman with wide eyes. The not-so-subtle threat didn't go unnoticed to her.
"And what if I don't want to?" she asked defiant, she wasn't intimidated by Amalia's words. She wasn't a coward "What if I want to go back with him?"
Something merciless shone in Amalia's eyes.
"Do you value your life so little, girl?"
"Are you threatening me…?"
She didn't answer her and just walked until she was less than a span away from Sabrina's face. She wasn't intimidated by the woman nearness, she looked up at her.
"Stay away from Nick," Amalia insisted "and nothing will happen to that pretty little face of yours"
She took a lock of Sabrina's hair and tucked it behind her ear in a gesture that might have seemed tender coming from other person but Amalia made it look threatening. She walked to the door without saying anything more.
"Oh, it seems like we had an audience" she exclaimed, the girl turned around and saw Prudence, who was looking at Amalia with daggers in her eyes but the woman seemed completely unaffected by her gaze "Well, bye, Sabrina. Don't forget what we talked about, ok? I'll be watching you"
She walked outside the room, the girl was a hard nut to crack. She would have to keep an eye on her, something told her that Sabrina would do the opposite of what she had told her to do.
Maybe she was going to have to scare her a little.
Inside the room, Sabrina released the air she didn't know had been holding.
"Sabrina?" Prudence asked hesitantly, she approached to her and took one of her arms "Are you ok?"
She nodded absentminded.
"I'm fine, Prudence," Sabrina lied, she walked away from her roommate and went to her bed, she started to take things out of the drawer under the mattress "I'm going to take a shower"
Prudence just watched her take all her toiletries and leave the room with hasten steps. She waited a few minutes, to be sure that Sabrina would not come back, before taking out her phone. She searched for Nick's number and called him.
"Nick" she said urgently.
"Prudence, it's something wrong?" he asked from the other end of the line. He noticed the edge in her voice.
"Amalia was here" she told him "she was threatening Sabrina with doing something to her if she didn't stay away from you"
She heard him growling in frustration.
"What? How she…?" he asked "It's my fault. All this is my fault if I haven't…"
"No," Prudence interrupted his rambling "Nick it's not your fault"
"Of course it is! I have to do something, Pru. I can't allow her to harm Sabrina. I would never forgive myself if I don't do something to stop her"
"What are you going to do?" Prudence asked but she had a pretty clear idea of what Nick's plan was. And she didn't like it.
"I'm going to give Amalia what she wants, I'm going to go back to her" he said with a tone of resignation. He knew if he did that he would never have another opportunity with Sabrina. But he needed to keep her safe. He had no choice.
"What? Are you mad?" she exclaimed "No, Nick, you can't do that!"
"What other option do I have? You don't know Amalia as I do, you don't know what she is capable of. I can't let her harm Sabrina…" Nick insisted.
"You love Sabrina, I know, but I don't think she would be happy if you go back with Amalia. That woman is obsessed with you. I fear for what she could do to you too"
"It's the only option I have, I can't let anything happen to Sabrina, I have to keep her safe"
"Don't do it, Nick. There must be another way"
Nick sighed.
"I wish there was one, but I know Amalia. I'm afraid she won't stop until she gets what she wants"
"You," Prudence whispered, she stayed silent some seconds unable to find a way to stop Nick "don't do it, Nick" she insisted one last time even when she knew he would not listen to her.
Sabrina tried that the hot water relaxed her tense muscles. But it wasn't working.
She had finally met that woman. Amalia. And she was as nasty as Sabrina thought she would be. The way she talked about Nick... like he was something that could be owned made her sick. She clenched her fists as she remembered the words of the woman.
Sabrina closed her eyes and stayed a few seconds more under the running water, feeling the hot water falling down her back before turning off the shower. Once outside, she dressed in her pajamas and dried her hair before returning to her room.
She walked down the hall with slow steps.
"Nick is going to go back to Amalia" Prudence blurted out when Sabrina entered in the room.
"What?"
Prudence sighed before sitting in her own bed, Sabrina walked towards hers to put her things back in her place. She sat on her bed waiting for her roommate to talk.
"Don't be mad at me," Sabrina looked at her suspiciously "but I talked to Nick while you were in the shower" she was going to open her mouth to say something about it but Prudence interrupted her "He is going to go back to Amalia, he thinks it's the only way she leaves you in peace"
"Why did you call him, Prudence? He can't do that. No, no, no… I won't let him. You should have told him she was here"
"I'm sorry but I thought he needed to know what was happening"
Sabrina stood up to search in her drawers for some clothes. She needed to talk to Nick and stop him from doing something he was going to regret later. She changed quickly, her fingers a bit clumsy in her rush.
"Sabrina… Where are you going?"
"I need to talk with Nick. I can't let him do it, he can't go back with that horrible woman, he can't. Not for me"
"It's late, Sabrina. You can talk to him tomorrow"
Sabrina denied while looking around for her bag.
"I need to go now, Prudence, I can't let him do it…"
"Sabrina…" Prudence sighed again "You really love him" she said almost in a whisper. Sabrina stopped her frantic walk around the room to look at her.
"I do"
"So why aren't you two together?" she asked with a shrug.
It was Sabrina's turn to sigh "It's complicated, Prudence" she told her, she put her bag strap on her shoulder "I really have to go"
The last thing she saw was Prudence shaking her head.
The sun was beginning to go down when Sabrina left the residence. On her way to Nick's apartment she thought about what she would say to him. She didn't have a plan, she just knew she couldn't let him go back to Amalia. She needed to do something to stop him.
She knocked on his door.
"Sabrina" Nick exclaimed surprised to see her "What are you doing here?"
"You can't go back to her," she blurted out, she clutched to his arms "not because of me"
Nick sighed "It's the only way, Sabrina… I can't let anything happen to you, not because of my mistakes"
She denied, holding on to him tighter.
"I can't let you do it, Nick. I'm going to be fine" she released his arms and took a step back when she noticed how tight she was holding him to tigh. He missed her touch immediately "I'm sorry"
Nick didn't seem to mind what she had done, he moved a little closer to her. She didn't move away. He brought one of his hands to her cheek and Sabrina suppressed a sigh at his touch.
"Nick, please…" she didn't know very well what she was asking for. If she wanted him to move away or to end the distance between them at once.
"I'm sorry" this time it was Nick's turn to apologize, her cheek felt cold when she lost the contact with his hand.
"Don't go back to her" she insisted.
"But she could hurt you, I can't let that happen. I can't live with myself if I know something bad happened to you because of me"
"And I can't let her continue using you" Sabrina hesitated before speaking "I love you too much to allow that to happen" she admitted.
"Sabrina…" Nick tried to get closer to her but this time she stopped him.
"Don't do it" he didn't know if she was talking about his closeness or about Amalia. He moved away from her "You don't need to protect me… you don't need to sacrifice for me. Please, don't go back to her, I beg you"
He nodded defeated and she sighed relieved.
"I better go"
"Let me go with you" Sabrina denied.
"I… I need to be alone, Nick. I'll be fine"
Nick suppressed his need to follow her and just watched her disappear down the hall.
He closed his door with a sigh and leaned his head against the door. He needed to find another solution, but at the moment he did not know what to do to stop Amalia. His phone, on the small coffee table, vibrated, he walked towards it and answered almost by inertia.
"Hello?"
"Did you give the Spellman girl a proper goodbye?"
He frowned.
"Amalia, what the hell do you…?"
"Don't worry" she interrupted him "She didn't listen so now I'm going to have to get rid of her. She won't be a bother anymore…"
She continued talking but Nick couldn't hear what she was saying. He hung up the phone before grabbing his keys and ran out of the apartment.
His heart was beating fast with fear. As he ran down the stairs he tried to call Sabrina but she didn't answer the phone. That only increased the panic he felt.
"Damn it, Spellman" he muttered.
Once in the street he decided to follow the path they usually followed when they still were together and he walked her to her dorm. He ran trying to locate her, Nick thought he saw her characteristic platinum hair in the distance and quickened his pace. She was about to cross the street.
Then, he heard the car speeding.
"Sabrina!" he cried out and ran as fast as he could.
She turned to see Nick running towards her, in that moment she noticed the car too. Sabrina stood in the middle of the street suddenly blinded by the lights of the car that was approaching her.
Nick caught her in the last second and shoved her onto the sidewalk, she hugged him tight with her face hid against his chest, she was breathing hard and felt the beating of her heart on her ears.
They heard the car crash a few feet ahead from them.
"Nick" she whispered against his chest. He had his lips in her hair as his hands moving down her back, he could feel her tremble under his touch.
"Shh…" he hushed her "I got you, I got you. You're with me now"
Sabrina stayed wrapped in Nick's arms, she felt unable to stay in her feet without his support, for a few minutes they stayed there, oblivious to the commotion that was happening a few steps away from them. Sabrina pulled away from him when she heard the sound of the ambulance.
"Nick…" she said looking at the crowd surrounding the car.
"Come" Nick told her as he saw the paramedics approach to the car. Sabrina let him guide her back to his apartment with one of his arms still around her shoulders, she leaned against his side.
Once in his apartment, Nick leaded Sabrina to the couch, he took a blanket and wrapped her with it. She was ice cold.
"I'm going to make you some tea"
Sabrina only nodded with her head down, she was still confused about what almost happened to her. Amalia's threat had not been empty words. She had tried to hurt her maybe even kill her. She trembled despite the heavy blanket on her shoulders.
Nick looked at her from the kitchen island while he waited for the kettle. He prepared her a chamomile tea with some sugar and walked back to the living room, he offered her the cup and she took it with a nod towards him.
"Thank you" she said almost in a whisper before taking a sip of the tea, normally the flavor would transport her back to her home, the thought always made her smile, but that night.
He nodded and took a sit at her side. Nick continued looking at her while she slowly sipped her tea. He didn't know what to say to her so he just waited in silence until Sabrina finished her tea, she put the empty mug on the coffee table.
"Sabrina?" he asked cautiously. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I saw her, Nick"
"Sabrina…"
"She tried to… kill me"
"Shh…" he said in a soothing voice "Don't think about it, you're here now. Everything is fine"
She hadn't realized how much she needed him. How much she had missed him. Sabrina snuggled against him, looking for the comfort and safety she always felt when she was with him, he didn't hesitate before wrapping her with his arms again, they stayed like that for a moment, he was stroking her hair trying to calm her down. She wasn't crying, she was just shocked by the experience. When she slowly began to recover she realized the position they were in. Sabrina pulled away from him reluctantly.
Nick missed her immediately. She missed his warm too.
"I won't let her get close to you again" Nick caressed her cheek while talking to her.
She shook her head in denial.
"I don't want you around that woman, Nick. She is crazy… and dangerous" Sabrina said placing her hand over his.
"Sabrina," he looked her straight in the eyes "I would do anything for you, I don't care we are not together any longer, I…"
"Nick… don't"
"I love you, Sabrina, I always will and I can't let someone hurt you"
She stared at his face for a few seconds, her thumb absently brushing his hand, Sabrina leaned towards him without being conscious of this.
"I know, Nick…" she said almost in a whisper.
"Then let me do this for you"
She got up quickly, as if the couch were on fire. Her eyes flashed with sudden fury.
"No! I can't let you do that!"
"Sabrina…" he tried to calm her, he got up of the couch and put his hands on her shoulders "It's the only way"
"No. You can't, we will find another way" she insisted, her voice became almost a whisper with her next words "I told you before, I love you too much to let you go back to that woman"
Neither of them could tell who was the one who took the first step, they were so close to each other that their breaths intermingled in the short distance between them. He tentatively brushed her lips with his, she closed her eyes but didn't move away. Nick took it as a good sign.
He brushed her lips one more time and she moved hers lips against his before taking him by the nape to bring him closer to her, opening her mouth to allow his tongue in. Nick held her tight, his hand caressing her cheek.
They kissed for what seemed an eternity. They kissed for what seemed a second.
"I missed you" she whispered between kisses.
"I missed you too" Nick said separating from her, he leaned his forehead against hers "I love you, Sabrina, please tell me you forgive me. I can't continue without you"
Sabrina sighed before answering.
"You hurt me..." she said and Nick moved away from her a little, thinking that she would tell him that, like the other night, the kiss had been a mistake "But I can't and I don't want to continue living without you, Nick... I forgive you. But you have to promise me that there will be no more secrets between us"
Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was giving him another chance and this time he won't ruin it.
"I promise. You will hear nothing but the truth from me."
Sabrina nodded, she brought one of her hands to his cheek, her fingers traced the outline of his jaw.
"I love you"
He couldn't do anything but kiss her, the urgency of the kiss increased with the passing minutes and suddenly Nick found himself sitting on the couch, with Sabrina in his lap, kissing as there was no tomorrow, when his phone began to ring. They stopped for just an instant and decided to ignore the phone, but whoever called was insistent and it started to ring again.
"You better answer" Sabrina said, she gave him a last kiss before getting up from his lap. She sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Hello?" Nick said to the phone, Sabrina was watching as his face changed expression, while he replied with monosyllables to whatever the person who was on the other side of the line said to him "Sorry, I have no more information to give to you"
"Nick?" she asked when he hung up the phone "what's going on?"
"Amalia..." Sabrina hated how her body tensed when she heard the name "she… is dead"
"What?" she remembered the crashing and the lights of the ambulance "When she tried to...?"
Nick nodded.
"She lost control of the car"
"But why did they call you?"
"I was the last person she called"
Sabrina looked him in the eye.
"Are you okay, Nick?" she couldn't help but ask.
He nodded, still unbelieving what he just heard. Amalia was dead and he didn't know how to feel about it. A part of him was relieved because now Sabrina was safe, the threat the woman meant gone, but other part of him, the most vulnerable part, felt a bit sad. She hadn't been mean to him, at least not initially, but she had also abused him and he shouldn't forget it. He shouldn't feel sorry for her but still... he did.
"Nick… are you ok?" Sabrina asked looking at his suddenly bright eyes. He gave her a sad smile.
"I'm ok, Spellman" she smiled, it seemed like an eternity since the last time he called her Spellman "just a bit shocked, that's all"
She nodded before snuggling closer to him, Nick put his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her hair. He sighed.
"You know what?" she looked up at him "Now that I have you back, I feel like everything is going to be fine"
Her fingers traced the line of his jaw.
"I love you, Nick" she said "I don't want to lose you"
"You won't" he replied before leaning down to kiss her forehead, then his lips sought hers and he kissed her in a slow tender way that took away the horrors of the night and held the promise of a bright future.
Thanks to each one of you who followed this story or left reviews. It has been many years since I wrote a multi-chapter fanfiction and it has been quite a challenge.
But since writing is a form of therapy for me... I couldn't be without offering you something new, besides it's always necessary to have more Nabrina fics in this world, right? I hope you can enjoy Unwritten as much as you enjoyed this story.
Again, thanks for reading.