Chapter 53 - HE JUST LEFT (1/2)
”Why don't you go with her to my wedding? There will not be many children there and I am sure she will not make friends with any of them.” Gael offered the invitation to Nikolai casually.
But the truth was; he wanted someone to keep the little girl occupied during the wedding, since she would complain endlessly whenever she got bored.
”I don't think I can,” Nikolai said in a low voice, and stared at his shabby shoes, which were not fit at all to be in this fancy boutique. He was ashamed.
”Why?”
”I don't have proper clothes.”
”Don't worry,” Gael said lightly and snapped his fingers to call a female employee there to tend to little Nikolai. ”Go and get what suit you want.”
”No, no, I am not…” the boy tried to refuse.
However, he ended up holding two black suits when he walked out of the boutique. Nikolai was not able to believe that he owned clothes that were more expensive than his whole family's three months' expenses.
”Where do you live?” Gael asked when they entered the car, while Blue was sleeping beside Nikolai. She had a smudge of chocolate on her cheek and the chocolate bars in her hand had fallen down to the car floor.
She was drained after trying on so many dresses.
”You can drive me to school, I can go back from there.” Gael turned right to get them out of the parking lot and Blue fell onto his lap. Out of instinct, Nikolai cleaned her cheek, the way he had done it countless times to his little sister.
”No, tell me where you live. I can not leave you on the road.”
Nikolai thought how nice to have someone that would look after you like the way Gael did. He would love to have someone like him in his life too.
And Nikolai felt bad to be jealous of Blue…
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When they arrived at Nikolai's house, the boy didn't let Gael get down and meet his parents, he kept saying that it was all right, that it wasn't past his curfew and he was fine.
In the end, seeing how reluctant the little boy was, Gael relented and only waved at him, while Blue was still sleeping soundly on the back seat.
Nikolai intentionally walked slowly toward his house, only when he saw Gael's car had disappeared from his yard, did he turn the doorknob and enter his house.
Once he stepped inside, the foul smell hit his nose and made him grimace, but he didn't have time for that, he had to hide the suits that Gael had bought him inside his backpack.
However, before he could manage to shove the shoppers inside his small bag, his step father found him and yanked him by his collar.
”ONLY NOW YOU GET HOME?! WHERE WERE YOU SON OF A B*TCH!” he yelled right into his face and Nikolai grimaced. He knew what was coming next.
A harsh slap landed on his face, as his small body was thrown across the room. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his baby sister, who was only three years old, sitting at the end of the stairs, hugging her ugly teddy bear, sobbing.
Don't come near me. Don't come closer.
Nikolai thought, as he stared at her, he didn't want his little sister to be beaten as well. Their step father was drunk again and it would only become worse if this mad man caught sight of her.
His baby sister was smart. She knew how to hide, that was the only thing that made him feel relieved whenever he had to leave her alone to go to school.