‹ Prequel: Everything I'm Not
Love's Requiem
Zina Marina
We ended up having that good night together Niko mentioned, however in the morning I once again was giving him a hard time.
“Isabella, don’t give me that look.” Niko told me while I drank my tea and stared at him.
“What look?” I asked him playing dumb.
“That look, the same one you’ve been giving me ever since I met you in Pre School! The one that you think is going to get me to change my mind.”
“Fine,” I sighed, as he kissed my forehead.
“We have to get going.” He told me as he helped me slip my jacket on and we left holding hands.
“Luka just sent me a text he’s on the way there.” I told Niko as he drove, and my phone began ringing. “Hello?”
“Bella where are you?” Vinny asked on the other line.
“About 15 minutes away why? We’re not leaving for another 2 hours.”
“I know. I was just wondering because it’s like world war three here.”
“Why? What’s going on?” I asked quickly.
“Eh Jack is pissed off at Alex, and Rian is pissed off that Jack is pissed off and Alex is bitching.”
“Why is Jack mad at Alex?”
“Because Alex is a hoe.” He said seriously which made me laugh.
“Alright well I’ll be there soon, Luka should be there if you want hide with him.”
“But I can’t understand what he’s saying and I think he feels the same.”
“Well you can work on your sign language.” I told him making him laugh.
“Alright Belly I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby.” He said as he hung up.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I assured him nodding my head.
Once back at the hotel, I helped the guys start bringing their bags down, and check everyone out and return the keys while Niko and Luka helped them load on to the bus. When I was finished, I headed outside to see everyone on the bus, while Luka and Niko were waiting for me.
"I'll see you Christmas then?" Niko asked me while I was saying my goodbyes to him and Luka that morning.
"Summer," I frowned, "I'm on tour until the 23rd."
"We'll figure something out." He told me hugging me tightly, "Now you can listen to the CD I made you." He added.
"Keep your big head out of trouble." I warned Luka making him laugh.
"I should be saying the same to you."
"Come on Bella!" I heard Alex shout from the bus.
"I love you both." I said hugging them one last time.
Niko walked me to the bus.
"Fuck it." I mumbled in English as I turned and planted a deep kiss on Niko's lips.
"Bye." He smiled as I got on the bus.
"I saw that." Jack mumbled.
"You saw nothing." I smiled.
"I haven't seen that in a while." He added.
"What?" I asked confused as the bus took off and Alex came to the front.
"That smile."
"I need to talk to you." Alex said bluntly.
"What's up?" I asked him, unzipping my jacket.
"I didn't do anything with those girls the other night."
"Alex seriously, I don't care if you did." I told him honestly, "You're happy, I'm happy." I shrugged going to my bunk to listen to the CD Niko had made me.
The rest of the tour went as any tour would go, fun, exciting, and sold out every night. When we were in Spain, I bought Jack a bullfighter's costume, which he went nuts over. Meanwhile Niko had decided that this year for Christmas he'd be coming to New York for the first time ever.
"I just think it's a bad idea." I mumbled in Croatian while I was making copies of the set list, while we were in Germany.
"But you have no valid reason other than, you think its a bad idea." Niko chuckled. "It'll be fun."
"But your family, you should see them."
"They're all for me going to see you."
"They would." I mumbled making a face as I headed back to the dressing room.
"I already ordered my tickets up, so face it Christmas I'll be with you."
"Fine, but I don't like this one bit." I told him as I ran in to Jack.
"You never like anything." Jack laughed.
"Why is that everyone's comeback for me?" I whined.
"Because you don't, we're getting food you coming?" He asked me.
"Can't still have more work to do, bring me something back please?" I asked him.
"Will do, have fun working." He said walking off.
"So I'll see you on the 24th at 2 am." Niko went on,
"What if I say I refuse to pick you up from the airport?" I asked smartly.
"I'm sure your brother won't mind emailing me your address."
"Well I don't have to let you in."
"Why are you so against this Isabella?"
"Because I still think you should see your family." I huffed as I headed to the main office. "I
have to go, we'll finish talking about this later okay?"
"Okay" He sighed, "Have a good day." He added.
"You too, bye Niko." I said hanging up and going back to what I had to do.
“Isabella, don’t give me that look.” Niko told me while I drank my tea and stared at him.
“What look?” I asked him playing dumb.
“That look, the same one you’ve been giving me ever since I met you in Pre School! The one that you think is going to get me to change my mind.”
“Fine,” I sighed, as he kissed my forehead.
“We have to get going.” He told me as he helped me slip my jacket on and we left holding hands.
“Luka just sent me a text he’s on the way there.” I told Niko as he drove, and my phone began ringing. “Hello?”
“Bella where are you?” Vinny asked on the other line.
“About 15 minutes away why? We’re not leaving for another 2 hours.”
“I know. I was just wondering because it’s like world war three here.”
“Why? What’s going on?” I asked quickly.
“Eh Jack is pissed off at Alex, and Rian is pissed off that Jack is pissed off and Alex is bitching.”
“Why is Jack mad at Alex?”
“Because Alex is a hoe.” He said seriously which made me laugh.
“Alright well I’ll be there soon, Luka should be there if you want hide with him.”
“But I can’t understand what he’s saying and I think he feels the same.”
“Well you can work on your sign language.” I told him making him laugh.
“Alright Belly I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby.” He said as he hung up.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” I assured him nodding my head.
Once back at the hotel, I helped the guys start bringing their bags down, and check everyone out and return the keys while Niko and Luka helped them load on to the bus. When I was finished, I headed outside to see everyone on the bus, while Luka and Niko were waiting for me.
"I'll see you Christmas then?" Niko asked me while I was saying my goodbyes to him and Luka that morning.
"Summer," I frowned, "I'm on tour until the 23rd."
"We'll figure something out." He told me hugging me tightly, "Now you can listen to the CD I made you." He added.
"Keep your big head out of trouble." I warned Luka making him laugh.
"I should be saying the same to you."
"Come on Bella!" I heard Alex shout from the bus.
"I love you both." I said hugging them one last time.
Niko walked me to the bus.
"Fuck it." I mumbled in English as I turned and planted a deep kiss on Niko's lips.
"Bye." He smiled as I got on the bus.
"I saw that." Jack mumbled.
"You saw nothing." I smiled.
"I haven't seen that in a while." He added.
"What?" I asked confused as the bus took off and Alex came to the front.
"That smile."
"I need to talk to you." Alex said bluntly.
"What's up?" I asked him, unzipping my jacket.
"I didn't do anything with those girls the other night."
"Alex seriously, I don't care if you did." I told him honestly, "You're happy, I'm happy." I shrugged going to my bunk to listen to the CD Niko had made me.
The rest of the tour went as any tour would go, fun, exciting, and sold out every night. When we were in Spain, I bought Jack a bullfighter's costume, which he went nuts over. Meanwhile Niko had decided that this year for Christmas he'd be coming to New York for the first time ever.
"I just think it's a bad idea." I mumbled in Croatian while I was making copies of the set list, while we were in Germany.
"But you have no valid reason other than, you think its a bad idea." Niko chuckled. "It'll be fun."
"But your family, you should see them."
"They're all for me going to see you."
"They would." I mumbled making a face as I headed back to the dressing room.
"I already ordered my tickets up, so face it Christmas I'll be with you."
"Fine, but I don't like this one bit." I told him as I ran in to Jack.
"You never like anything." Jack laughed.
"Why is that everyone's comeback for me?" I whined.
"Because you don't, we're getting food you coming?" He asked me.
"Can't still have more work to do, bring me something back please?" I asked him.
"Will do, have fun working." He said walking off.
"So I'll see you on the 24th at 2 am." Niko went on,
"What if I say I refuse to pick you up from the airport?" I asked smartly.
"I'm sure your brother won't mind emailing me your address."
"Well I don't have to let you in."
"Why are you so against this Isabella?"
"Because I still think you should see your family." I huffed as I headed to the main office. "I
have to go, we'll finish talking about this later okay?"
"Okay" He sighed, "Have a good day." He added.
"You too, bye Niko." I said hanging up and going back to what I had to do.