Love Aint Always Pretty

Verboten

- forbidden; prohibited by dictate

Origin: German

37

NICK'S POV

EIGHT YEARS AGO

"How do I look?" Catherine asks me.

She shows off to me her lovely white dress that I bought from a flea market in town and she seems to love it. It was just really cheap and I thought she wasn't gonna like it cos it was a cheapass dress but she loved it. She really loved it. She still makes it look so pretty damn good on her and I was glad it fits her. Catherine is always so beautiful to me no matter what she's gonna wear or how tired she looks like or how sleepy and how make-up free her face is. Catherine will always be beautiful to me.

"Say something." She pleads.

My lips twitch.

"How do I look Nick?" She asks again while she reaches for my hand.

I smiled at her. "You look very very beautiful, love."

She smiles sheepishly. "Are you sure? It's a perfect fit though. I really love it."

I cupped her right cheek and kissed her forehead. "Yes I am. You're the loveliest."

I am actually tensed to meet her parents. More like I'm scared to death. I'm not at my utmost best to be really acting okay in situations like this cos it's pretty damn obvious that things aren't okay between me and her parents. Catherine walks up to me and fixes my collar, giving me a pat on my shoulders then buttoned my polo.

"You look very handsome." She says.

"I wish they will like me Catherine."

"If they won't, we'll leave the party right away and just drop off the cake."

I nod. "But I would want to wish your mom a happy birthday."

She nods then kisses my cheek. "Just relax."

"I hope your dad is relaxed." I joked.

Catherine chuckles. I love how she encourages me and tells me to calm down. She believes in me too much and I really love that about her.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you much more." She said.

Both of us stumbled our way out of the house after she grabbed the small homemade cake both of us made. I borrowed a car from Alec's uncle for the night, at least, we will look formal. The entire was quiet and I know she's scared of what's gonna pen too. I don't really know why I signed up for this when I already know her father hates me. I just really love Catherine too much and I know this will make her happy that's why I'm doing it even though I don't want to. It's really against my will and I just hope I get out of that house with her.

The car almost reaches the tall silver gates and I see massive cars parked right outside the lawn. I parked car on the gravel road and I think I had the ugliest and cheapest car in here. Mostly were classic wickedly expensive ones and I have never seen these kinds of cars in real life. My heartbeat is now going dead fast. I see people, very rich people, around here. Not only one or two but I know all of the guests looked massively wealthy. I hopped off the car and opened the car door for Catherine. She knows I'm tensed cos she gently squeezed my hand and smiled at me.

"Relax love." She says.

I smiled at her, assuring Catherine that I was really okay.

We walked hand in hand and the moment they saw Catherine, I know they were shocked. Well, she's been missing and now she pops out of nowhere with a guy holding her hand. I just ignored all of them and those degrading stares at me. Catherine leads us to the inside of the house, I even noticed that we pass through this massively big pool before reaching the main mansion. And the main mansion? It was just huge and looked Mediterranean. The floor was shiny marbled, the curtains were very wide cream and white and all the furnitures looked like expensive things that came from other countries.

From the end of the very wide and spacious living room, I see Mr. Forster, wearing a charcoaled suit and tie. We walked up to him, but I really feel like my feet was backing out. He was talking with some guests who I've never seen in this town and my heart is just getting crazier.

"Dad." Catherine finally calls out to him.

It send thousands of shivers down to my spine the minute he looked at us. His eyes dilated, I know he was shocked to see us. I need air. Both of us needs a much much wider space if ever he'll hit me. I don't want to break things in here, I think I can't pay it. I see Mr. Forster clenching his jaw the second we stood next to him. I was the only man in here who wore a polo shirt. Every male wore suit and tie, no wonder eyes were on me when I stepped inside.

"Catherine. It's been..." He trailed off and glared at his guests. He clears his throat and just hugs her tight.

"I missed you." He whispers to Catherine's ear and kissed her temple.

He pulls himself away and stared at me.

"Good evening sir." I greeted.

He didn't even nod at me or smiled. He didn't acknowledge my arrival. It felt like he didn't see me at all. Catherine smiled at me as she moves closer back to my side, placing her arm over my arm. "Where is mother?" She asked. Acting as if we didn't elope and run away days ago.

I'm sure her father won't make a scene here cos there are so many guests and it's his wife's birthday. He wouldn't risk. He's obviously trying to hold himself down and I could see the anger building behind his eyes. I see Mrs. Forster walking towards us cos I heard her calling out Catherine's name from afar. She quickly hugged her.

"Happy birthday mom." Catherine says.

"Having you here is the best birthday gift I've ever received. Where were you baby? I missed you so much." I hear her mother.

She pulled herself away from Catherine and Mrs. Forster glared at me.

"I missed you too mom. Sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry." Catherine repeats.

"Who is he?" She arched an eyebrow.

I could still feel Mr. Forster's eyes locked at me but I tried not to look at him cos it'll only make me remember what he did to me that day he came to my house.

"This is Nicholas Wilde. He's my boyfriend." Catherine said so proudly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'm." I say. I didn't want to offer a handshake cos she seems not interested to me.

All of a sudden she hugged me and I had to hug her back to be nice. I glared at Catherine and she was smiling. Mrs. Forster pulled herself away from me.

"It's nice to meet you. Catherine talks about you a lot." She says.

I'm surprised.

"But honey. What about--"

"Mom please don't." Catherine cut her off.

My eyebrows creasing with what I heard then I hear Mr. Forster clearing his throat again and joins the three of us.

"Why don't you girls have a girl talk and I'll show Nick around the house?" He offered.

That's a bad offer.

Catherine moved her worries eyes to me. I know she knows that her father might do something to me but I smiled at her, to make her sure that it was okay.

"Yes. That would be nice." I said.

"Are you sure about this Nick?" Catherine asked me.

I nod. "Happy birthday ma'm. I hope you'll have more blessings to come."

"Thank you." Mrs. Forster said.

"Shall we go now Nick?" Mr. Forster asked.

I nod and I feel Catherine squeezing my hand before I let her go. I smiled at her.

"I'll be okay." I mouthed to her then kissed her knuckles. She smiles.

We parted ways, she's with her mom and I'm with her wicked father who hates me to death. He grabbed two glasses of champagne from the waiter that was walking around then he handed me one. "Thank you sir." I said as I grabbed it.

We walked through a sea of people while they were greeting Mr. Forster every time he passes by as if he was a god.

"You've got a nerve to come here." He said.

I knew it. This wasn't gonna be a peaceful talk. I know he's going to throw shade at me. Well of course, since I eloped with her daughter and I'm sure he has been so mad about it but he can't do anything to me here cos he wouldn't want to embarrass himself in front of his guests.

"I just wanted to make Catherine happy." I answered him.

He laughs softly. "Catherine is already happy before she met you. What do you really want from my daughter? I'll give you anything you want just name it."

I take a quick drink from my glass. "I don't need anything that comes from you sir."

"Scholarship for college? House and lot?Luxurious car? Money? Everyone needs money. It's definitely money is it? How much? A million? Two million? Three? Name your price, I'll give it to you. Just stay away from my daughter." He said.

I exhaled heavily.

"With all due respect sir, I am in love with your daughter. I don't need your scholarship, car, house and lot, money or anything. I love Catherine sir. I know you were furious when we ran away together but we love each other." I told him.

He laughs again, "Can your love feed my daughter? Can your love support Catherine financially? You're nothing but a penniless man and you talk to me about love?"

He cups my right shoulder with his hand and I feel his tight grip. "You see that man standing right there?"

He pointed to a man who wore an all black suit with a baby pink tie. He was a blonde with his pushed back gelled hair, and he's about my height as well. He looked like we were the same of age but that smug on his face is plastered telling me that he's a boastful dickhead. He's just like the common spoiled rich boys with a great ass dad to always clean up his mess.

"That's Hans Fitzgerald." I hear Mr. Forster speak.

I take another drink from my glass.

"He's from the FG Group of companies and he's the ideal boyfriend for Catherine. Rich like us. He's the official boyfriend of her. And you? Well you don't even own a car. Hans is Catherine's real boyfriend and he's the one to marry her." He speaks.

I'm so mad. I wanna throw my fist at him but then Catherine came to my head.

"After high school they'll be living together for college. You can't top Hans, boy. Look at you, you're nothing like him." He added.

"Catherine doesn't love him. She doesn't love him like the way she loves me. Catherine will choose me for sure." I said.

He chuckles deep in his throat. "What do you even know about love? You're only sixteen. Don't be a kid."

"I know what love is when I look at Catherine. I feel it when we're together."

"You know nothing about love. You're from a broken family. Your father would hit your mom when he's drunk and he left you cos he got another woman pregnant. Do you want my daughter to end up like your mom? I don't want my daughter to be like your worthless whore of a mother. She can't even support you for college. She works on a diner and throws herself at rich male customers for money."

I don't know where he learned it but I'm now more angry at him for calling my mom worthless. I took a long drink from my glass and placed it on the table next to me. "You know what sir, you can call me names whatever you want. I can accept it. But you can't call my mom worthless whore."

I pulled my flexed elbow back and my fist landed on Mr. Forster's face. He almost fell on the ground if he didn't lean on the table. I hear the other guests screaming when they saw it.

"You maybe rich but you're heartless. You're a fake in front of these people. You act nice but you're a devil. You think poor people are pure filth." I said.

In a corner I see Mrs. Forster running towards us but no sight of Catherine around. I know she's gonna be mad at me for hitting his own father but it was for my mom. He was beyond the borderline. "Fred! Are you okay? Oh my goodness your lip is bleeding." She calls.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He repeats.

She runs towards him and hold him close to her. I feel everyone looking at me with disgust and amazement. I noticed some were whispering to each other.

"I am sorry for ruining your night Mrs. Forster but I just couldn't take it any longer. Happy birthday again." I said.

I started walking away from the living room and moved my way out of the house. All the people were shocked by what I did. I don't care if I left an impression on their faces but I wanted to fight for my mom.

"Nick!" I hear Catherine.

I paused and looked back. It was Catherine. She's finally here. I wonder if she saw it. Where was she when that happened? I don't know if I even want her to see me hitting her own dad. "Catherine get back in here!" I hear her father calling out to her, right behind her.

She looks at me.

"Nick... where are you going?" She asks.

I exhaled. "You choose Catherine. You stay here or you'll go with me?"

Catherine looks over her shoulder and all the other guests were looking at us. She looks back at me with rueful eyes and I know she's torn in between. I know she's going with her parents. I know she'll pick them over me.

"I'm sorry..." She says while looking at me.

It broke my heart. I know this will only hurt me. Why did I ever make her choose? Of course she will choose them, they're her parents and she has a perfect life. Perfect boyfriend that her parents approve of. I know she's not used to living the life we lived for these past days and I think she's getting tired of it. She lived a life like a princess and even if she'll stay here, I'll understand that cos I love her.

"...dad." She added.

My eyes widened. Catherine walks closer to me as I extend my hand to her. I smiled at her and she smiles back at me.

"Catherine!" I hear Mr. Forster.

"Get back here!" He added.

I kissed her knuckles and we ran to the car. I love Catherine. She loves me. But I love her more than she can love me.

She's all I need.

SFTC:

Love Will Set You Free - Kodaline