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Nico sat across from me, long legs spread, one arm resting on the back of the chair, looking painfully out of place in such a sweet, pastel café. Yet somehow he made the whole room feel smaller, warmer, darker.
I tried not to stare, but it was impossible.
His hair was a bit longer now. Wavy, messy in the front like it wanted to fall into his eyes.
The indoor lights hit his skin just right, showing warm undertones I didn't remember from before.
His chain glinted when he shifted. Silver cross, simple, masculine.
Everything about him looked different, grown, settled into something sharp.
And somehow... it was familiar too.
A small clip holding my ponytail must have loosened, because suddenly a few strands fell out and brushed my cheek. Before I could fix it, Nico reached forward and gently hooked the strand behind my ear.
His fingers were warm.
My whole body went still.
"Oh," I whispered, too softly. He was my bestfriend but somehow I was shy.
"Your clip is loose," he said. His voice dropped lower like he didn't want Lizzy to hear. "Let me fix it."
I turned automatically, my breath catching when his hands touched the back of my head. He was surprisingly gentle. He always had been with me.
He adjusted the clip slowly, as if making sure not to touch me too much, even though his fingers still grazed my neck.
My skin tingled. How does he know how to do this.
Lizzy gasped dramatically, pointing her fork at us.
"You two act like you're in a movie."
I scrambled back into my seat, cheeks hot. Nico picked up his drink, ignoring her comment completely. Except he wasn't ignoring me. His eyes were on me while he lifted the glass, and for a second he held my gaze over the rim before he took a sip.
My stomach flipped hard. Wow his gaze is so intimidating.
"So," Lizzy said, kicking her legs under the table, "Nico, how long have you been back in New York? Do you like your job? Do you have friends? How old are you now? What's your car? Why do you dress like you're in a magazine? Did you know you have a tattoo right here?"
She leaned forward and pointed directly at the one on his neck.
I looked too.
I couldn't help it.
The tattoo wasn't huge, just a black ink design along the side of his neck. Clean lines, sharp. The kind of thing a man got, not a boy. I suddenly felt very warm again.
Nico didn't look at her when he answered.
"Two years. Yes. Enough. Twenty-three. Genesis. No. And because."
Lizzy blinked. "Wow! You answered every question without even looking at me."
"Did I?" he murmured, still staring at me.
"Nico," I whispered, pretending not to be flustered, "stop ignoring her."
"I'm not ignoring her," he said. "I'm listening."
He was staring at me.
There was no way he didn't notice how I kept chewing on my bottom lip. I only did that when I was nervous. His eyes flicked down to my mouth for one slow second before he looked back at my eyes.
I felt that everywhere. What's happening to me?
Lizzy huffed loudly, shoving a spoonful of mousse into her mouth.
"You guys are boring. It's like talking to two pretty mannequins."
I choked on nothing. "Lizzy!"
My little sister was a complete menace.
Nico's jaw tightened like he was holding back a laugh, but of course he didn't actually laugh. Does he ever laugh? He only reached for his drink again, watching me over the rim the same way he had before. His eyes held mine for a second longer than they should have.
I looked down at the table because I genuinely wasn't sure what to do with my face anymore. My heart was acting ridiculous. My fingers kept twirling the straw wrapper. And my brain kept replaying the way he fixed my clip like it meant something.
Maybe it didn't.
Maybe I was imagining everything.
But I could feel him watching me. I could feel it.
And for the first time in a long time...
I wasn't sure if I was imagining anything at all.
I have a good amount of chapters written , just editing and posting hehe ... bc i love yall xo