Cinderella for Hire

It took me exactly a week to notice that something was really wrong about Nick. He wasn't really an easy guy to figure out. Never mind the fact that he had locked himself up in his tobacco-scented study room ever since our talk after that night but I rarely see him go out anymore. Not even for work, hell, not even for food. When I dropped some take-outs on his table he just stared at it as if it was some kind of a foreign thing and he wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

And over the days, he grew more and more silent until he refused to talk at all. His answers to my questions were usually grunts as he buried himself in work. He literally built a new metaphorical wall around him that was twice as hard to penetrate and I honestly didn't know what to do anymore. I contemplated calling Caleb but like, Nick might punch him in the face too so.

And even though we kissed, it didn't feel victorious at all. It was like, nothing has changed much. I didn't even know what relationship we were currently in. Could I even call him my boyfriend?

Somewhere along the way I kind of gave up trying because I had to concentrate on my own life now. I recently went around town to look for jobs and found one at a gallery about 15 minutes drive away. They said they would call me and honestly I think I did fine for the interview but it was so jittery and scary all at the same time.

Maybe buying a bunny would be a good idea.

I set my portfolio down on the couch and ran around the kitchen, making dinner. As I boiled the pasta, a sudden thought struck me. Nick wasn't going to his workplace…

Was he…?

I rushed into the study room and was greeted with the same view again – Nick being in a pile of work that I knew nothing about and dark shadows under his red eyes. He looked like a ghost, I wasn't even exaggerating. I walked over to him and brushed his hair lightly. As if he didn't even notice I barged into his study, he flinched a little before looking up at me, dazed.

And almost immediately all these other thoughts rushed into my head. Holy crap, I was starting to think about too many things – those thoughts birth more thoughts and the cycle goes on. What if he was in this state a long time ago before I even realized it? What if he just said that he wanted me so that I would get off his back?

Okay, April. Now you're being really paranoid.

Or was I?

Stupid conscience.

"April?" he called out.

"Did you get fired?"

His brows furrowed for the longest time before he threw his head back and laughed. "No, I still have my job. Why do you think I'm working like hell right now?"

"Revenge…maybe?"

"I'm trying to move on here," he said, giving me a dry smile.

"At least eat something," I scoffed and I expected him to fight back like he always did but he got up and followed me to the kitchen obediently. "You're being really weird, it worries me. And I mean, really weird. Where did your temper go?"

"It took a sabbatical," Nick said, running his hand through his already-messy-hair as I placed a plate of spaghetti in front of him. "Be happy that it did."

I tried to fight back a laugh when he made that annoyed face. Ah, this felt a bit normal. I sat across from him and poured myself a glass of soda. Even though he can be straight-out arrogant sometimes and straightforward, he still really cared for people. And I guess, he was just working this hard to help save the jobs of the people in the company.

"You know, deep down, you're actually a teddy bear stuffed with cotton candy and rainbows," I randomly said, nodding thoughtfully.

"Are you drunk?" he asked, looking at me weirdly.

I rolled my eyes and kept shoveling food down my throat. Normality. Well, I wanted to get dinner over with so that I could wait patiently in front of my mobile phone and wait for job offers. I took up so many interviews this week and sent out my CV to so many places it was quite exhausting – but I wanted to get a job offer as soon as possible so at least I could afford the rent for this place (even though Nick profusely said I didn't need to pay it. To be honest, I think he lied about how much the rent really was, because holy crap there was no way it can be reasonable for an apartment like his).

"I've got something…for you by the way," he said, with that boyish, embarrassed look on his face whenever he wanted to be mushy. And immediately I lightened up. I loved it when he had that expression on. It was really fun to watch him lose his elegance and fumble.

"You didn't have to," I said.

"I want to," he answered almost immediately, as if he had anticipated my answer all along. "You've been there for me through this ordeal and you're…still here and I want to show you my gratitude," he said, shrugging and giving me a wink as he excused himself to go get the gift.

"When did you even have the time to go out and buy stuff?"

"I ran out of Red Bull when you were out," he answered and I laughed.

I opened the wrapper and the palm-size, black velvet box.

When I first got into this job and to the first party, I wore a necklace along with some other jewelries that I didn't give a crap about (except that they were really, really shiny). They were lent from the stylists though, I never get to keep any of them. The necklace that glimmered in front of me, resting snugly in the box, was one of those necklaces.

Lo and behold, it was my favorite one too. It was so simple but yet so pretty at the same time.

The chain was made out of white gold and it had a single round diamond pendant, relatively small but it was the perfect little thing. Nick took the necklace out carefully and put it around my neck, his fingers softly brushing my skin.

"I'm not the most perfect guy out there, for you," he said. "And I'm still trying to sort everything, everything out. So I'm not the most attentive one for you either, for now. But knowing you're here with me is probably the one and the only good thing that's in my life right now. And April…" he trailed off, looking me right in the eyes. "Why are you looking…at me like that? Stop it."

I was grinning widely and my eyes were the size of saucers. Every other girl out there would probably swoon and be all gooey-eyed at his little statement…and I felt bad because I actually wanted to laugh. I finally gave in and he got even more flustered.

My hands reached the sides of his face as I continued laughing.

"Oh, what have I done to you, monsieur?"

He glared at me but I just brought down his lips to mine. "You're becoming adowable," I said in one of those annoying baby voices as I pinched his cheeks.

"Would you stop?" he said, really annoyed and we both sat down again to continue with dinner.

I sneaked a glance at him and as he took a sip of his Pepsi, I could've sworn I could see his lips curved in a smile.