NOBODY'S HOME

Chapter 9: She can't find her place

She can't find her place
She's losing her faith
She's fallen from grace
She's all over the place

NO ONE'S POV

Nick and Miley were headed to the launch of the new product line of his father's company. It would also be the first time Miley would meet Nick's family. Well, she already met Joe but she hadn't met the rest of the Grey family. She was kinda terrified at first because they might not like her, but Nick already assured her that it would be the other way around.

"We're here," he said as he pulled over in front of a five-star hotel. They went out of the car and he gave the car keys to the valet person in charge. Nick couldn't help but notice how tensed Miley looked, so he held Miley's hand and she gave him a smile. "Hey, just relax, baby."

Miley nodded her head in return. She knew how much he wanted her to meet his family, so she promised herself that she would be on her best behavior the whole night.

They went inside a function room for the event and Miley felt unusual to the new ambiance. The place looked formal and the people looked elegant. She didn't know if she would fit in. She was quite relieved when she felt Nick's arm wrap around her waist as they walked towards the table where Demi and Joe were situated. There were other people gathered around the table, none of them she could recognize.

"This way, baby. Would you like to sit beside Demi?" he asked her sweetly as he guided her towards the table.

"Yeah," she said, wanting to be seated next to one of the few people she knew in the room

He pulled a seat for her, and Demi squealed when she spotted Miley.

"Hey, Demz," Miley greeted her friend.

"Wow, Miles! You look gorgeous!" Demi said, and it made Miley blush.

"Thank you, you look beautiful too!" Miley complimented.

Miley envied Demi since day one. In her eyes, Demi was the best example of who she wanted to be. She thought that Demi was someone that Nick should be spending his time with, instead of her.

"Baby, are you okay?" Nick asked when he noticed how silent Miley had gotten. He saw the anxiety in her eyes, so he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. "Mi, baby, are you not comfortable? We could leave if you want. We could go to some place you want to go, instead," he told her. He was worried for her. He knew it was hard to adapt to a lifestyle like it, but he was more than willing to take her out of the room if the environment was intimidating her.

"I'm okay, baby." She rested her head on his shoulder as she tried to wear her brave face. She couldn't believe how different his world was, compared to hers. She wanted to leave, but she promised she would stay for Nick.

Nick started by introducing her to his cousins, who were in the same table as theirs. Their smiles looked fake as they acknowledged her, but she just shrugged it off. Nick also introduced her to his other brother, Kevin, who was with his wife and his kid. Kevin's family welcomed her warmly, unlike the other people inside the room.

As time passed by, Miley started to notice that some people were shooting her glares as she sat uncomfortably in her seat. When she walked hand in hand with Nick, she heard and saw some people whispering about her. It seemed like it didn't matter to Nick, so she tried to ignore them even if it was hard.

"Ready to meet my parents?" Nick asked as they made their way to the table where his parents could be located.

"What if they won't like me?" she finally asked him with a worried look on her face. He just chuckled and kissed her lips softly to try to calm her down.

"You're amazing, Mi. They would love you," he whispered in her ear.

"Mom, dad, may I talk to you for a sec?" he asked, trying to excuse his parents from their on-going conversation with the guests gathered around the table.

His parents got up from their seats and faced Nick and Miley.

"You must be Miley, it's a pleasure to meet you," Nick's mom greeted. She pulled Miley to a hug and gave her a nice smile; not a fake one. "I'm Denise, Nick's mother."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Grey," Miley greeted her nervously.

"Oh please, just call me Denise," Denise said with a chuckle. It looked like she already liked Miley.

On the other hand, Nick's father looked at Miley from head to toe. Fortunately, Miley didn't notice it.

"Dad, meet my girlfriend, Miley," Nick told his dad.

Nick's dad smiled and offered his hand, and Miley reached out to shake it.

"Nice to meet you, Miley," he said as he formally greeted her.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Grey." She felt intimidated a bit as Nick's parents stared her up and down.

"So, where do you go to college, Miley?" Mr. Grey questioned.

"Umm, I'm still on my senior year in high school, sir." Well, the truth was that she was supposed to be on her senior year if it wasn't for her sick bastard foster brother.

"Oh, that's interesting. Nick here is enrolled to Brown University for his second year in college, what about you? Where do you want to study for college?" He felt so interested to find out whether this current girlfriend of his youngest son has some plans with her life. It was a consistent question of him whenever Nick introduces a girl as his girlfriend.

"I haven't really thought about it, sir. But I would like to go to NYU and maybe take an art major." She felt a bit nervous with her answer, but she stated the truth, anyway. She really wanted to finish college and find a stable job, so she could quit being in foster care.

"Oh, that's good for you, then. What do your parents do for a living?" he asked again.

"My dad owns a local hardware shop and my mom works as a beautician in a local salon," she answered shyly.

Mr. Grey didn't look pleased, but he gave her a fake smile, anyway. It seemed to be a trend in this event.

"Honey, have you tried the salad? It's so delicious," Denise asked Miley to lighten the mood.

"Not yet," Miley answered her politely.

"Well Nick, go get your girlfriend some salad," Denise said, chuckling lightly as she hugged Miley. "Thank you for coming today, Miley," she said in their hug.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Miley. I'll see you around," Mr. Grey said to Miley.

"You too, Mr. Grey." She let out a breath as she and Nick made their way to the buffet table.

"See, that wasn't so bad at all," Nick told Miley as he wrapped his arm around her possessively.

"Your dad doesn't like me," she said with a pout.

"He's always like that, anyway. But my mom likes you a lot," he said, trying to cheer her up.

"So, where is that salad?" she mumbled as she picked a plate and searched the buffet table.

The guests were told to eat first before the program, so they lined up for the buffet table and waited for their queue. When Miley was done eating her food, she excused herself to go to the washroom.

"Would you like me to go with you?" Nick offered sweetly.

"No, finish your meal. I'll be fine." She leaned in to plant a kiss on his lips lightly before she got up and made her way to the washroom. She ignored the stares as she walked, and she sighed deeply when she made it inside the washroom and inside a stall. After flushing the toilet, she walked out of the stall and moved towards the sink to wash her hands.

"You're Nick's girlfriend, right?" she heard someone ask behind her. She looked through the mirror and found Nick's cousin, Amy, together with a few girls inside the washroom.

"Yeah," she replied politely before walking towards the paper tower dispenser. She grabbed a piece and dried her hands. She heard them whispering form behind her, but she just shrugged and tried to ignore them. She threw the paper towel in the trash can and turned around to leave, but Amy blocked her.

"We just want to talk to you for a bit," Amy said with an evil smile.

"Um, Nick might be waiting for me. Can we just talk later?" Miley asked kindly.

"No, this would be really brief. I just want to tell you to back-off," Amy spoke using her bitchy voice.

"Excuse me?" Miley said as she caught off guard.

"You're no good for Nick," Amy said blatantly.

"Just leave me alone, will you?" Miley said in panic.

Meanwhile, Nick was really getting impatient in his seat. He was wondering what was taking Miley so long in the washroom.

"Dem, could you please see if Miley's okay in the ladies' room?" Nick pleaded as he turned to Demi.

Demi was worried too, so she nodded and left the table to go to the washroom. She was surprised to see Miley crying at the corner of the room while Nick's cousins made fun of her by telling some harsh words. Well, she never really liked the bratty girls.

"What's happening here?" Demi spoke sternly.

"We were just telling Miley that she doesn't belong here," Amy said with a disgusting attitude as the girl left Miley and Demi inside the ladies' room.

Miley's legs gave up on her and she got down on her feet and sat on the floor. Her heart was beating fast as she sobbed, and she was worried she might faint. They were right. I don't belong here. I'm not good for, Nick. His dad would never like me because I wasn't from a wealthy family unlike them, she thought as tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"Oh, Miley. What did they do to you?" Demi whispered in sympathy as she knelt in front of Miley and hugged her dear friend. She quickly called Nick with the use of her phone and just a few minutes later, Nick came bursting through the door of the ladies' room. He quickly took his girlfriend in his embrace as he asked Demi what happened.

"You want to leave now, baby?" he asked her anxiously.

"No, you need to deliver your speech," she whispered worriedly, referring to Nick's speech in the program.

"No, I'll get you out of here, okay?" He placed a sweet lingering kiss on her lips before he helped her up and held her tightly in his arms. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"Are you two leaving?" Demi asked.

"Yeah," Nick said casually as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend.

"Let me fix her make-up first. It would be real quick," Demi said and Nick nodded as he let her fix Miley's smeared make-up.

"I'll be back. I have to talk to my cousins," Nick said as he placed a soft kiss on Miley's forehead.

Nick went back inside the ladies' room and brought Miley out with him, with Demi trailing behind them. Miley was surprised to see Nick's family and a few relatives piled up outside the room, so she hid herself in Nick's arms. She was terrified. She wanted to go home and just have Nick by herself.

"I'm leaving," he said nonchalantly as he weaved though the people surrounding them.

"But Nicholas, your speech," his dad spoke.

"Well, you should have thought of that before some of you tried to mess with my girlfriend," he said as he glared at each of the person around him at the moment, particularly his cousins. There was no doubt that he was angry.

Nick and Miley left the hotel and they both said a quick thank you to Demi for her big help.

"Are you cold, baby?" he asked as they made it outside. She nodded her head and Nick took off his coat after giving his valet ticket to the person in charge. He draped his coat around her small frame and he pulled her to his chest. "Are you feeling a lot better now, baby?" he asked her worriedly.

"Yes, much better," she whispered softly.

Nick sighed in relief when his car came into view. He helped Miley get inside the passenger seat and he ran around the car towards the driver's side.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" he asked her sweetly as he drove out of the hotel.

"I'm sorry," she said timidly as she hugged herself.

"For what, Mi?" he asked confusedly.

"I made you mad." She felt bad that she kinda ruined the event. Nick was supposed to stay there for his speech, but he had to leave because of her. She felt like it was her entire fault.

"You didn't. They made me mad. It was just frustrating how they judge a person by their background. They don't see how amazing you are. They don't see how much I love you." He relaxed a bit in his seat. He reached his hand to hold hers to gently caress it.

"Your parents don't like me either," she reminded him.

"My mom loves you. Just ignore my dad," he said.

"They love Demi, but not me." Here I go again with comparing myself to Demi, she thought.

"They would soon learn to love you, Mi," he told her with desperation evident in his voice. He hated that she was feeling so down about herself.

"I hope so," she said with a sigh.

It was two in the morning and Miley was wide awake beside a very asleep Nick. She was staring at him, memorizing his features because she might not see him again. Her decision was made. She realized that she was no good for Nick. She thought he deserved better than a troubled girl like her. She had decided to leave. She leaned closer to him and placed one last kiss on his lips.

"I love you," she whispered before she got off the bed slowly.

She silently walked out of the room to go to her own room. She packed all her necessities in her old backpack as tears streamed down on her face because she really didn't want to leave Nick. She knew she would be nothing without him. She quickly wrote a goodbye note and placed it on top of her bed before quickly leaving the room. She didn't bother going back to his room to say goodbye to him. She glanced around the house before she left with her broken heart.

Miley had been walking around the town for a while now. She didn't really have a destination in mind. She just wanted to leave Nick's house. But when she got what she wanted, she felt utterly lost.

She was walking in a dark alley when she kinda heard that someone was following her. When she turned around, she saw about three men looking drunk as ever as they approached her. She turned back around, but saw two other men approaching her with smug look on their faces.

"Looks like we have one lost pretty lady," one of the guys slurred.

She knew she had the chance to run, but her feet were glued to the ground.

"Why are you out in the middle of the night, sweetheart?" another one asked as he stepped in front of her.

She wanted to scream but she couldn't find her voice.

"It looks like this young lady was looking for us," one guy said with a sick chuckle.

"Would you help me?" she asked them fearlessly.

"Sure, sweetheart. What do you want?" a guy asked with a grin on his face.

"I want to die," she whispered timidly.

One guy stepped closer and ran his grubby hands on her hair.

"I'm sure we could talk about that after we do something better to you," he said as his filthy hand cupped her behind. It made her flinch.

"Please, just kill me now," she pleaded desperately.

The gang just let out a loud laugh and the next thing she knew, she got pressed against the wall as tears streamed down her face. They were about to ruin her clothes when they all heard the siren of the police car. All five men backed off and ran when they heard a gunshot. Miley helplessly fell down on her knees.

"Are you okay, miss?" the police officer asked her as he helped her up. She just nodded her head. She was still terrified of what she had done. "Wait, is your name Miley Stewart?" the officer asked when he recognized her. Miley nodded in surprise.

The officer spoke to his radio, telling the other policemen that they found Miley Stewart. She was confused at first, but she got escorted to the police car and the officer drove to the nearest police station. The officer asked more about the crime a while ago, and they made her confirm the men's identity by showing her some sketches. A batch of policemen soon entered the room holding the same five men who were already in handcuffs. They asked Miley if they were the gang who tried to rape her, and she confirmed their identity.

When everything was done, the officer told Miley that her boyfriend would be there right away. Before she could ask for clarification, Nick barged in the room looking worried and scared. When he saw Miley, he ran towards her and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, Mi. What were you thinking?" he said as he felt a bit relieved, now that Miley was back in his arms.

She cried as she felt safer than ever. It was one of the things he always made her feel whenever she was in his arms. It was an extraordinary feeling. She felt like she was home.

"You got me so worried. I love you so much. Don't ever do that again, baby." He was terrified when he didn't find her in his house around three in the morning. He freaked-out and called his brothers and the police to help him find Miley. "Are you hurt?" he asked breathlessly as he looked in her eyes. She shook her head and Nick kissed her softly on the lips. "You're safe now, baby."

Miley looked around the room and found Joe and Kevin too. They gave her a hug, and Joe offered to drive Nick's car for them. They soon left the police station. Kevin got inside his car while Joe, Nick, and Miley went inside Nick's car. The couple sat in the backseat and Nick never released Miley from his embrace.

When they got home, Demi tackled Miley into a bear hug. She got terrified when she found out the news two hours ago. She went with Joe to help Nick find Miley, but someone had to stay in Nick's apartment just in case Miley decided to go back.

"You scared me, Miley!" she said as she ended her rant that the boys refused to listen.

"Demz, Miles looks tired. I better put her to bed," Nick said.

"Oh no, no, no, Nicholas. This is a girl thing. I'll help her take a quick shower and get dressed before we leave you two," she demanded, and Nick wasn't able to complain.

When everything was settled, Nick thanked Demi and his brothers for their big help. They left soon, and finally he found some alone time with his runaway love. He lay beside her on the bed and pulled her close to him.

"Nicky," she murmured.

"I'm right here, baby," he assured her.

"I'm so sorry." She felt guilty that she made him worry. It was so stupid for her to get herself involved in a crime.

"I don't know what I would do if I found out you got hurt. I would never forgive myself, Mi." He caressed her beautiful face. He thought he would never get to see her again. He was so scared when he found out that a gang of criminals tried to abuse her.

"I don't belong in this life, Nick."

"Is that what this all about? Coz I don't really care. I want to be with you, Mi."

"I want to be with you too," she admitted as she looked in his eyes.

"Don't you ever run away from me again. You have to promise."

"I promise."

Nick caressed her hair to help her fall asleep. He kept kissing her face every now and then, just to let her know that he hadn't left her. He watched over her as she slept in his arms. He loved her so much. He needed to make sure that Miley wouldn't run away again, so he woke up every now and then, just to check if she was still with him.

AN: I'M SUPER DUPER SORRY FOR THE LATE UPLOAD! I WAS BUSY BECAUSE OF SCHOOL + HOUSEHOLD CHORES + I AM WRITING 3 DIFFERENT FANFICS. LOL. 1 NILEY AND 2 JELENA. WELL, IF YOU WANNA CHECK OUT MY TUMBLR IT'S NILEYJELENALOOOVER

Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter. LOL. Sorry if it was too dramatic. More drama on the next chapter. And there are only 2 more chapters left =l But I cant wait to write it!

I love your REVIEWS, btw! Please keep sending your reviews! I check them everyday. I love you guys! thanks for patiently waiting =)

xonileylooover