Beautiful Catastrophe

Chapter Twenty:

Kim did not stick around long enough in the lobby to see Nathan pushing Felicity away quickly. She had already turned on her heels and immediately walked back into where Stephen was sitting. He noticed how she seemed to be in a daze and watched her carefully once she sat down.

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing." Within a minute, all of Kim's pep talk she gave to herself was completely forgotten. She moved closer to Stephen. He gulped from the close proximity and also when she placed her hand on his face.

"Kim..."

"Mhm?" her voice was sultry and flirtatious.

"What are you doing?" Stephen didn't know what to do.

"I'm just admiring the view."

"Well why don't you admire it from somewhere else besides my lap?"

"You're so funny Stephen." Kim giggled.

"Cut the bullshit Kim, you know Nathan would cut my d**k off if I even showed the slightest interest in you. Don't play into his childish games and get off of me." Kim, who was then draped on his lap in an affectionate display for everyone to see, ignored his stern words.

"Just give me two minutes okay? I want to make him feel the way I've been feeling all god damn night." She began talking normally then, not flirting in any shape or form. She was desperate to get her own back on Nathan.

"You two are crazy and you're making me feel so uncomfortable right now."

Kim frowned to herself. She was glad Nathan had a good friend like Stephen. He clearly had morals and knew when to not cross the line. He would never try to get involved with Kim although what both Nathan and Kim had between them was nothing but s*x. Kim just wished she had friends like him when she was back in Chicago. A sadness washed over her as more memories came flooding back. She wasn't good enough for Shane and she certainly wasn't good enough for Nathan either, going by his actions just moments ago.

"Kim? What the hell Kim?" Nathan's angry tone snapped her out of her thoughts. "Stephen get her off of you right now."

Kim didn't move from her spot, only grinned at Nathan in response. Her arm was draped around Stephen's neck and Nathan paid close attention to the contact but noticed how awkward his friend looked.

"Kim." His voice was dark and his eyes burned with fury, leaving a scorching trail wherever they landed. "We're going upstairs." His body was tense and his fists were clenched, his eyes never left hers.

"Fine then." Kim got up off of Stephen to say her goodbyes.

"We'll see you tomorrow." He glared at Stephen then, who held his hands up in surrender.

Nathan took Kim by the wrist and led her out into the lobby. They went straight into an empty elevator. Kim tried to shrug out of his grip he had on her, letting him know she too was angry, but Nathan did not budge. It was only when she glowered at him and spoke, that he let her go.

"Get your f*****g dirty hands off of me."

"You weren't saying that last night when they were all over you." He retorted before releasing her wrist.

"Where's Felicity?" she sneered at him, ignoring his previous words because it was only then Kim had realised that Nathan returned to the casino alone.

"She had to go back to her hotel."

"Oh really? I'm surprised you didn't bring her up to our room and f**k her right in front of me. Maybe you'd get a kick out of that too?"

"Shut up." Nathan brushed her off before the elevator doors pinged open and they began walking down the hotel corridor to their suite.

"Don't tell me to shut up." Kim followed behind him, trying to keep up in her heels. "You were practically doing it outside the hotel just a couple minutes ago." She knew she was exaggerating, but she wanted him to know she saw the two of them together. Kim felt it may justify her actions a little bit more.

Nathan stopped putting the key card in the door when the words escaped her mouth. He knew then she had seen Felicity going in for a kiss with him, but what she didn't see was how he then pushed her away. He was not going to explain himself to her; they were nothing to each other so it was not worth his time. Nathan only sighed and opened the door to their room.

The sound of the door slamming shut behind him made his tense body flinch.

"You're over reacting." He stated, turning then to look at Kim who was standing a few steps away from him. He wasn't the only one furious in this argument and he knew she would not let things slip so easily. An argument with Kim was going to be brutal if she was in this mood.

"And you can't say much. You practically dragged me back up here because I was talking to Stephen."

"I wouldn't call it talking Kim. You were sitting on his lap."

"God you're such a hypocrite. At least I wasn't having a make out session with him. And even if I was, that would be none of your business."

"Yes it would. As long as we're together this way, I don't want another man touching you like that. Until we end this, you're mine and mine only." His words sparked a rage within Kim that she could not describe. Indescribable feelings were always the most deadly.

"Let's get this straight Nathan," she neared him, complete indignation filling her. "I'm not yours. I don't belong to anyone but myself so cut the f*****g crap. Don't insult me like that again. I'm not an object people can just take possession of whenever they feel like it. And Stephen wasn't touching me in any way-"

"Are you defending him now?" his eyes narrowed, his voice raised a little higher.

"I can't believe you Nathan." Kim raised her voice then too in order to match his. "You're so god damn jealous when nothing happened. You could clearly see Stephen was uncomfortable. How do you think I feel watching you kiss some girl right in front of me? You're such a f*****g hypocrite." She said again.

"Nothing happened with Felicity."

"I saw with my own two eyes-"

"We didn't kiss Kim, I pulled away okay?"

"Bullshit." She stated. "I know an unfaithful man when I see one, no wonder you've never had a relationship that lasted very long." Her words wounded him, because she did not know the whole story, on the other hand- it seemed like the penny had dropped for him regarding her past with Shane. And he was not going to let it slide without making a sly remark just like she had.

"Oh don't tell me Shane cheated on you too." Nathan let out a bitter laugh but it was forced. He looked into her eyes then and saw she was just about to break. "You know I wouldn't blame him Kim."

His words dug into her like a knife, she couldn't think of anything else to say yet. He had come at her with a low blow and instead of surrendering; Kim was searching her mind for another insult to attack him with.

She walked over to one of the huge windows in their room and ignored him for a moment. Kim opened the window wide and took in the fresh air. But her attempt at calming herself down wasn't quite working. Nathan was soon close by again.

"Who was it Kim?" His lips grazed her ear and made her involuntarily shiver. "Was it someone you knew?" his voice was callous and cruel. He had hit the last nail in the coffin but Kim had yet to back down. She wanted to cry, she wanted to break down in tears because she was hurt, by Nathan and by Shane all those years ago. Kim wasn't as strong as she made herself out to be, and his words had pushed her past breaking point. "Or maybe it was a complete stranger... Which would make you feel better?" his hands moved to her shoulders, his whispering voice seemed to echo in her mind.

"Go away." She shrugged him off. She didn't want to look at him; she didn't want to say another word. He had won the battle and her pride had been wounded. But instead of backing down, Nathan continued on.

"You became too attached to Shane that you still can't let him go. Now you've become too attached to what we have together but I'm the one in control here Kim." She remembered Stephen's words about Nathan's want for control and decided to stick in a sly dig, although it would be nowhere near as hurtful as the words that were spoken previously that night.

Kim turned around and sniggered at him.

"You blew up tonight because I was sitting on your friend's lap, your friend that you knew would never try anything with me and that you knew was obviously uncomfortable by my advances on him. While I had every right to be angry because you kissed some girl that definitely didn't look like she was uncomfortable from the close contact. I think you're the one who's become too attached Nathan." Her words woke him up a little but he didn't know how to respond. "And I also think if anyone is in control here, it's me."

The realisation had sunk in with him the second the words escaped her lips. He looked her dead in the eye, and within a short moment, Kim knew she had pushed him too far. Anger washed over every feature on his face. He charged at her and grabbed her tightly before leaning her out of the open window.

Kim screamed at first, the shock not being able to subside. She struggled under his grip he had on her. She was terrified of what he might do next. Nathan's eyes burned with anger and he did not speak for a moment.

"I'm the only one in control Kim." He spoke through gritted teeth. "Now say it, say it!"

"Nathan! Stop. Please Nathan-"

"f*****g say it Kim." As he stood there, Nathan had a sudden realisation that he did care about Kim. Although discovering this in the twisted circumstances, he knew that there was no way he could let her go. He knew that whether she said what he wanted her to say or not, she was going to be safe.

"You're the one in control!" She finally spit out the words that Nathan thought would sound gratifying but instead, they made his chest constrict. Kim almost felt disappointed in herself for giving in, but the look in his eyes made her think he would let her plummet to her death out of the window if she had've waited a minute longer. He quickly allowed her to stand up again but her legs couldn't hold her up.

Kim sunk to the ground, terrible tears pricking her eyes. Her expression showed shock and disbelief, she could not process fully what just happened. The two looked at each other with incredulity, neither saying a single word yet. At first Kim was angry, but then, she decided she was more disappointed than she was furious.

"You've gotten your reaction you've been waiting for all night." Kim was calmer than calm. Her features and voice seemed to be lacking any emotion. It scared Nathan to see her like that. The instant regret had kicked in within himself, he wished he had stayed calmer and not done such a foolish thing to try and prove himself. If anything, it had proved he did in fact care about Kim, a lot more than he expected at first.

The thought of letting her go a moment ago crushed him into what felt like a million pieces. If she had fallen out of the window, he knew he would jump right out after her. The frightening realisation of this made him want to take it all back, everything he had done the entire night. But Kim was not one to take apologies so easily. Her forgiveness was something he wished was within his reach but he knew better by then.

"Kim-"

"Don't say anything else. I don't want to speak to you right now. This playful back and forth we've been having has gone too far. I'm done, I'm over it." She said before standing up and walking away, Nathan hot on her tail.

Kim made her way to the bedroom and slammed the door right in his face. Nathan decided the best option may be to sleep on one of the couches that night. But once he had tried to get comfortable, he felt restless. His thoughts were tormenting him but he could not help it.

He really liked Kim. He loved her sassiness and how she didn't care sometimes. He liked it when she was stroppy and bossy and how unapologetic she was about everything and anything at all. It seemed strange, to like parts of someone's personality that were supposed to be disliked, but he could not change it and if he could, he would not choose to do so.

Nathan was f****d up, he was twisted and foolish. He liked Kim but was treating her as if she was his worst enemy.

It took him a long time to fall asleep that night, the same could be said for Kim too.