Chapter 16 - Niall - Bumping into You
Chapter 16
Niall
“Dude, I can’t believe Gwen’s ex is on the ship,” says Trent as he sits next to Greg and me at the bar. “Let alone Tammy, his fiancée. I hope we aren’t going to be seeing that much more of him.”
“Seriously,” says Greg, “he was such a dick to her in the end. I can’t believe I liked the guy at first.”
Gwen had already told me the basics of her and Bradley’s relationship, but I can’t let Trent and Greg know that. I don’t want them questioning why she would have opened up to me so soon and potentially blow our fake-dating cover. “So, what happened with them?” I ask.
“They dated for years, then one day he decided he didn’t like her working so much and called it quits,” offers Greg. “At least, that’s all she was willing to tell us.” He shrugs and glances over to his sister, who is linked with the girls, one on either side. Worry lines Greg’s features.
“She’s been a mess for months,” says Trent. “Hasn’t been quite the same since. Throwing herself into her job even more than before. She’s more reserved now. It’s like her natural vigor seemed to dim.”
“Wow,” I say, “he must have done a number on her then.” I wonder what she was like before. I bet she was a force to be reckoned with, a firecracker.
I look toward the bar where the girls are sitting. In the interactions I’ve had with her the past couple days, she’s seemed pretty spunky to me. Maybe she is finally getting over the breakup.
Getting out of her wedding-planning work mode is good for her. Another reminder that it was good I added those one-on-one dates to our rules.
“Yeah,” says Trent, “I bet she’s freaking out right now knowing Bradley is here, and with the wedding too, you know she’s stressed trying to make everything perfect.”
“I’m glad I asked you for that favor. Now more than ever,” says Greg, grinning at me. “Who knew she’d also need you to help her avoid her ex?”
“What favor?” asks Trent, looking between the two of us.
“Well,” says Greg, “even before I knew about Bradley, I just wanted Gwen to have fun on the cruise, not stress so much about the wedding, you know? Niall was always the one back in college who could get us out of our heads, so I was hoping he’d do the same for Gwen. You know, help her bring out her spunky side again.”
“Hmm . . .” says Trent. “Does Holly know about this?”
“Well, no,” says Greg sheepishly.
“Seriously, dude?” says Trent.
I just shrug. It’s not my place to get in between Greg and his fiancée.
“I know,” says Greg. “I should probably tell her, but I’m not sure how she would take it, and Gwen really needs this.”
“And if Gwen finds out about this . . .” Trent trails off.
“I know, I know,” says Greg.
“She won’t find out,” I say.
“Not unless you tell her, Trent,” Greg says. “Plus, this is only to help her, so there’s really no downside.”
“I’m not convinced it’s a good idea,” says Trent. “But I’ll go along with it, and if it comes back to bite you two in the butts, I hold the right to say ‘I told you so.’”
“Sounds good, man,” Greg says.
Trent nods then says, “This cruise keeps getting more and more interesting.” He claps me on the back. “It’s good to have you back, Niall.”
“I know,” I reply, “I wish it hadn’t been so long since we got together. I was so busy helping Mam her last year. It was hard to get away, and then after . . . well, it definitely won’t be so long between visits going forward,” I finish, plastering a smile on my face.
Mam’s cancer had caught me off guard. I guess that’s normal, because who expects to get cancer?
When I’d first heard the news that she’d been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, I didn’t hesitate. I’d known what I had to do. I immediately notified my landlord and moved back in with Mam.
Back into my childhood home.
It was a rough adjustment. Nothing in the house had changed since I’d moved out, so it was like taking a step back in time. But instead of games of basketball in the driveway with friends and riding my bike around the neighborhood until all hours of the night, my new reality was days on at the firehouse, taking Mam to her cancer treatments on my days off, and sleeping in the bed from my youth.
I got Mam a nurse who’d come stay with her on my working days. Between all her medical bills, doctor’s appointments, cancer treatments, and the nurse, the bills were overwhelming. Even though Mam had her retirement money and I made a decent living, we still had to be tight with our money. I wanted to make sure it would last as long as she needed it to.
I’d thought Mam was starting to improve, but then one day, she woke up feeling worse. I took her to the hospital, and the next day she was gone.
Just like that, the only family I’d ever had was gone. Vanished from the earth. Nothing more than a culmination of memories.
For the past twelve months since she passed, I’ve still been living in my childhood home. I don’t know what I want to do or where I want to go. I feel lost. I’ve been a shadow of myself since her passing. The memory of my promise to her only intensified as the year-long deadline loomed nearer and nearer.
Now, among these friends who I haven’t seen in way too long, I’m finally starting to feel like myself again. Add in Gwen, and I’m actually looking forward to spending time with someone, seeing where things could go.
How is it that one person, whose natural reaction to me is to glare and give me snarky comebacks, makes me feel like this? Like I’m going to be able to live up to the promise I made my mam.
It was way too easy for me to agree to her scheme this morning. I found myself craving more time with her. Craving those moments when her glare would ease up, and a slight smile would cross her face, lighting up everything around her.
“Sorry about your mom,” says Greg after pausing to allow me to be with my thoughts. “I can’t even imagine what you’ve gone through.”
“It’s fine now, really,” I reply, trying to brush off the feeling of melancholy settling within me.
Trent clasps my shoulder. “I’m sure that’s not true.”
“It’s all good,” I say, turning and facing the girls as they walk toward us.
“What’s not true?” asks Holly, before leaning into Greg and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Yeah, what’s up with you? Miss us already?” says Margot, taking the seat opposite Trent.
“Nothing much,” I say, “just shooting the breeze.” I take a sip of my drink and smile at the group. Gwen catches my attention; her eyes bore into me, causing my pulse to race and my smile to shift from a simple smile to one of joy.
We head up to the Duke’s Diner for an early dinner and load up our plates before finding a table for all six of us toward the back of the ship. We watch people playing Putt-Putt golf and others on the basketball course. There’s nothing but blue ocean as far as the eye can see behind that.
Soon, we’re chatting away about our lives, families, and careers. “Trent,” says Holly, “tell us about your latest adventures of managing the marina.”
“Managing the crazy boaters is more like it,” says Trent. “The boats are fine; they don’t cause problems. However, the boat renters . . . now they’re a whole different kind of group. Dude, I tell you, it’s never a dull moment. And with all the new marketing Greg has been doing, we’re getting more and more people from all walks of life.”
Laughing, I say, “I’ll have to come visit sometime, and you’ll have to show me around.”
“That would be a ton of fun,” says Greg. “We could take out one of the double-decker pontoons we have.”
“That sounds grand.”
“It’s so much fun, isn’t it, Gwen?” adds Holly.
“Definitely,” Gwen agrees.
Finishing our food, we remind each other of the water show later that evening, then pile into the elevator to go our separate ways.
After a few floors, it’s just Gwen and me, the others having gotten off earlier to do their own things.
“Ladies first,” I say, gesturing to Gwen.
“Thank you.” Stepping out of the elevator, she pauses, waiting for me before we continue the walk to our rooms.
“You really should come to Chessie Valley sometime,” she says. “I know the guys would like having you around more.”
“Are the guys the only ones who’d like my company?” I tease.
Rolling her eyes at me, she says, “Well, I’m sure the others would like to see you too. And my parents, as annoying as that is. Mom and Dad can’t stop talking about how charming you are.”
“You don’t think so?”
“I mean, you’re not the worst to be around.” She bumps into me lightly.
I bump her back then say, “Wow, that was probably one of the nicest things you’ve said about me, Rose. We should document this moment or put it on a billboard.” I hold up my hands, arching them across the wall. “Rose says I’m not the worst to be around.”
She laughs, amusement dancing in her eyes. Her laugh is so sweet and sincere, like a wave spilling into my heart, gently cresting and breaking softly toward the shore. It’s like this beore was hand-picked by my mam.
Unable to help myself, I reach out and pull her into a hug, grateful to spend time with her, if even just for a short time. It’s helping me move past my sadness and feel alive again.
“What . . .” says Gwen, muffled against my chest.
“See you tonight?”
“Tonight?” asks Gwen. “Oh, the water show, right. Yeah, see you then.”
I nod and pull her away from me, still holding onto her arms. Leaning in gently, I kiss her check before turning and walking into my room.