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It had only been a matter of time before Nick had to suck it up and make the switch from the dorms back to his Aunt’s apartment for Winter Break. Try as he might to delay it, there was no getting around it. After all, his aunt was still his legal guardian even if he had just turned 18. Thankfully come Graduation, a lot of that was going to change.

For now though, Nick had to suffer through yet again one of his Aunt’s annoying holiday parties. Of course he knew he could have invited Mercy to join or used a date with her as an excuse to get out of it but that came with a truck load of problems he rather completely avoid. To spar his sanity, and keep Mercy out of the mix of the drama that came with knowing models and whatever letter listers these were, Nick had conveniently not told his Aunt he was seeing someone. In fact he had just glossed right over it and allowed the model world to think he was just a book worm computer nerd who needed to get laid.

The thought made Nick smirk as he sat in a chair near the living room window. It wasn’t so much of an apartment as it was a house on top of a building. From a young age, his Aunt Helena had been scouted by model agencies as a prodigy of her time. No one ever believed she was only 13 when she first walked fashion week. Helena had blossomed early, as his grandmother had said when she was still able to for sentences. Tall, slender with legs for miles. Hair that seemed to have a natural radiance to it. All she had been missing at the time was the chest for the job.

A quick glance over to where his aunt stood in the middle of a ring of men told him that problem had been cleared up.

What people didn’t know about the woman was just how intelligent she was. Helena had PLAYED most of them in one way or another to get to where she was: the CEO of her own agency. When Nick had first figured it all out, he had given the woman major props. Without offending anyone, she had used them all. And now they all still wanted a piece of her.

“Oh Nicholas!”

The voice made Nick roll his green eyes as turned begrudgingly with a forced smile. “Hell Marie.” His voice held both amusement and annoyance as he watched a blonde haired woman bounce towards him. Bounce was the only way to really describe is considering her entire petite frame seemed overly top heavy with every step. Marie Johnson, or Marie Levee as she went by for a stage name because she thought it was far cuter than average Johnson, was one of Helena’s oldest clients. She had been one of the first ‘finds’ of his aunt and between Helena’s connections and the woman’s…assets, she had become a favorite of many for photoshoots. Ironically always in swimwear or less.

“Merry Christmas.” Nick offered as she wrapped him into a tight hug, clearly making sure to link her hands around his waist and keep them there even as she leaned back. Marie’s grey-blue eyes always had an air of innocence to them; a child like curiosity that she had been taught to play up as her marketing card. However, Nick was one of the few people immune to it. After all, he had been around long enough to know just what was behind those eyes.

“Merry Christmas Nicholas. I’m so glad your Aunt convinced you to come this evening. I’ve missed you so much.” The whine at the last few words gave Nick enough pause to pull back against her hold. He knew where this was going especially when he found her fingers had linked together around him. “Why haven’t you been coming to the studio anymore? Everyone has missed you.” The pouted lip was offered to him as she leaned forward, making ever so sure that her chest was pushing against his. He could feel her hands moving towards his rear end before she whispered “I have missed you….”

With her grip shifted, Nick backed up, pulling away from the twenty something year old woman with that same look he had been giving her for ages: No. “I’m sure everyone has but with school, things have just been busy. After all, college applications and all that.”

“Oh that’s right!” Marie purred, arms folding together in front of her body as she magically made her cleavage seem twice as large. “You do graduate in the Spring. Any clue as to where you will be going? After all, I’m sure Helena could help get you into any place you might dream of. Or why not join the agency? With a little bit of grooming and your Aunt’s magic ability, every woman would be at your feet.”

“You know that’s not for me.” Nick offered, making a point to suddenly be taking a great deal of interest in the cup he was holding. “I’ve never been comfortable in front of a camera. Besides, I’m far too bookish and a nerd to ever do such a thing. With men like Alexander out there, who needs twig man me.” It was a half joke, half attempt at distraction as he nodded his head towards the top male model in the room. Greek God. Literally. The man had woman throwing themselves and their belongings at him WAY too often. Not to mention he never went home alone.

“All you need is…” Marie closed the distance between them, reaching up to grab his glasses and slowly pulling them off. “Is a little practice.” It was a subtle move as she folded the frames and tucked them into his coat pocket. “And a little time with the trainer.” Her hands moved now to his shirt and she undid the top button, pulling at the color every so slightly to expose his chest. “You have an appeal. Boy next door. The man no one ever thinks of but the one every girl secretly wants to…” Nick finally heard what he had been expecting since she said hello. The hunger. Marie had been eying him since they first met and had nearly had a heart attack when she found out he wasn’t eighteen yet. Problem was that as of this past October, he was. Which mean to her, it was finally game on.

She leaned forward, her hand slowly running down the front of his shirt from his collar to his waist. Nick felt it flip on his stomach just as she was about to run it over his crotch. “have take them back to their room and…”

“Marie…” Nick’s voice caught but his hand didn’t miss. It was wrapped around her wrist seconds before she could lower it any farther and with a firmness that clearly surprised the woman. He was small but he still was larger than her so when his eyes looked down, even with the uncomfortable crack in his voice, there was no mistaking the anger and fire that he bore down into the smaller woman.

Dropping his own voice, Nick held her gaze and never released her hand. “How many times…” His voice was deep, hard and growing rough as he spoke. “Must I tell you no? I thank you for your offer but I have no interest in sleeping with you. Not now, not ever.” Releasing her hand, Nick stepped back and shifted to walk past her. “Have a good evening.”

He didn’t look back. He didn’t want to see the shock and sudden fear in her face again at his reaction to her proposition. Nick himself didn’t realize he had had that in him either. Of course he would always tell her no. Marie wanted what she couldn’t have. It was a game. He was forbidden fruit. Her boss’ ‘virgin’ nephew.

The last thought made Nick snort. Oh she would have blown a fuse to know he had popped that cherry already and with someone he carried about on a much deeper level. But Mercy did not need to be part of this world or the cattiness of the women who now watched him walk towards the back stairs at the room he used while staying here. Aunt Helena would just say it was ‘teenage hormones’ once again as he stormed off but she would of course scold him once this was over.

Appearance. That was all she cared about. It was one of the reasons Nick never tried to be physically attractive by media standards as well. She WOULD have had him in front of the camera if he ever developed any sort of muscle or tone. After all, the Fox blood in him meant he had the genes to be one heck of a ‘stud’.

Sighing as he closed his bedroom door behind him, Nick looked over at his dresser, eyeing the last photo he had of his family before…

A clone of his dad. That’s what his aunt had said. And his dad had modeled part time before making it in the business world. It’s how he met his mother after all. Helena would always think his mother was a gold digger since she came from poorer background but Nick knew better. The two of them were more in love than any two people he ever knew.

“Maybe one day…” He smiled, walking over to the nightstand and flicking the light on. That was when he noticed it. How he had missed the bright gold and silver wrapping paper before, Nick wasn’t sure but there, on his pillow was a the small, beautifully wrapped box.

Picking it up, he searched for a card. Helena never was one for random gifts and it was always ‘practical’ ones at that. He just hopped it wasn’t a box of condoms again. Worst 18th Birthday gift ever.

Okay, lie number two. Not that he would tell or admit that to anyone.

Smiling at the thought, Nick sat down on the bed and began to unwrap the gift. His hasty actions slowed thought when he saw the top of the object within. A video game. But not just any video game.

“How…” He mumbled, dropping the item into his lap as he looked back towards the family photo. No one else knew about him wanting this game except….

He could hear the crash. He could feel his body shaking again. He could feel the pain of realizing his parents would never wake up again.

It all played through his mind. Everything. The game he never got. The price had been too high and yet….here it was.

Hanging his head down, Nick raised one hand into his hair as he felt the tears on the edge of his eyes. The loneliness was filling him as he realized once more they were gone.

“Mom...Dad...I’m so sorry…I failed you”