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The next morning, I woke up wondering if I dreamt the whole thing. If Nico showing up, looking like that, was just some weird fantasy my brain created.
But then Lizzy practically kicked my door open at seven a.m., squealing like the world was ending.
"There's no way that was Nico," she kept saying. "You didn't describe him like THAT."
I told her he changed, and she threw her hands in the air like I just told her Santa was real. She was entirely too excited.
"Daria, he's literally the biggest man I've ever seen in my life."
She wasn't lying.
He had always been tall, probably six-three back in high school, but muscles and tattoos did something dangerous to him. He looked bigger now. Older. Stronger. More... something. I didn't have the right word.
And apparently, Lizzy wasn't immune either.
"I think she has a crush on him," I muttered to myself later.
Not an actual crush, but the way she talked about him was hilarious. She kept saying things like, "He's so handsome, but I'm not old enough, so YOU should have him."
I nearly choked, telling her we were best friends.
She looked at me like I committed murder.
"What kind of best friend buys another best friend an expensive over the moon... necklace?"
Then she pulled out her iPad, searched up the brand, and nearly fainted.
"Daria. It's ten thousand dollars."
Which had to be wrong. Absolutely wrong. Who buys a ten-thousand-dollar necklace for a friend?
Even now, I'm not fully convinced she wasn't exaggerating. But the thought alone made me feel strange. Confused, warm.
Was he really that rich?
I still had no idea what his "family business" actually meant. He always said it was complicated, and I never pushed, because the truth was... my life was complicated too.
We never talked about personal things. Not the deep ones. Not the painful ones.
And mine were painful.
My parents changed after Lizzy was born. Not in a dramatic, hateful way. Just... slowly. Quietly. Like something shifted in their hearts without them noticing.
They adopted me when I was little. At the time, they didn't want biological children. At least, that's what my mom said. They chose adoption. They chose me.
And then a few years later, she got pregnant unexpectedly.
Lizzy.
My entire world.
And yes, she was the best thing that ever happened to me... but after she was born, it was like my parents loved her easier. More naturally. She looked like them. Blonde hair. Green eyes. She fit.
I didn't.
I always knew I was mixed race. Probably African American and Caucasian. But I didn't know who my birth parents were. I didn't know where I came from. And growing up with Caucasian parents made me feel even more out of place, especially at school.
I tried fitting in with kids who looked like me, but they knew their culture. Their families. Their roots.
I didn't know any of mine.
My dad's parents never fully accepted me. My mom's family treated me like an obligation. And I think, maybe without meaning to, my parents absorbed that. Not in a cruel way, but in a tired way. A subtle way.
Like they were trying, but it was easier with Lizzy.
Easier when the child looked like you.
They didn't treat me horribly. They gave me a home. Food. Support. I won't pretend my life was tragic. It wasn't. I was grateful every day.
But sometimes... love feels different when it has to work harder.
Sometimes I felt like they were stuck with me.
Like they couldn't return me.
So they kept trying, even when it became more complicated than they expected.
I didn't blame them.
I never have.
Because if they hadn't adopted me...
I wouldn't have Lizzy.
And Lizzy is everything.
The one person who loves me without hesitation.
The one person I'd choose again and again.
So yes, my life was messy. Quietly messy. Painfully messy.
And maybe that's why Nico never pushed me for details.
Because we both had parts of our lives that weren't simple. We both weren't willing to talk about it.
But for the first time in years, something in me felt... light. Because he came back.
And somehow, that changed everything.
????
Work was slow today. Slow in the painful, clock-moving-backwards kind of way.
I sat at my desk, tapping my pen against the keyboard, trying to look busy even though I had run out of things to "look busy" with.
Nessa rolled her chair over to me like she had been waiting all morning. My work best friend.
"Dari."
She dragged out my name like a dramatic auntie. "Dariiii. I have news."
"Oh no," I muttered. "Here we go."
She grinned like a shark.
"He wants to go on a date with you."
I blinked. "Who?"
"The guy I told you about. The hot one. The rich one. The one who saw your picture and his flabbers were gasted."
I covered my face. "Nessa, can you stop saying 'flabbers were gasted.'"
"No," she said proudly. "Because they WERE!"
I groaned. "Nessa..."
"Say yes," she begged dramatically. "Come ON, Dari, you haven't been on a date in like... ever."
"I was focusing on school!"
"Exactly," she said. "Now focus on men. Come on you said you'd do it once."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. I'll go. One date. When?"
Her grin doubled. "Tomorrow night. At Allure."
My mouth fell open. "Allure?! That place is three-dollar-signs-on-Google-expensive. Nessa. Is he insane?"
"No, babe," she said, flipping her hair. "He's insanely rich."
I laughed. "You're ridiculous."
"But you said yes!"
"Yeah, yeah," I sighed. "Fine. I'll go."
She squealed so loud half the office turned to stare.
I stepped out of the office, exhausted and thinking only about going home, when the elevator doors slid open and nearly gave me a heart attack.
"Nico? What the hell?"
He stood there in all black, hands in his pockets, looking like he rules the entire building.
"Daria," he said calmly.
"Um... you scared the life out of me. What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to take you home."
I blinked and laughed nervously. "Nico, I drove here. You know that, right?"
"Yeah," he said. "That's why my driver, Angelo is here."
Angelo stepped into view. Quiet as usual. Dead serious as usual.
"I'll take your car," he said.
He actually smiled a tiny grin at me and I almost snorted.
"Do you not smile much, Angelo? That looked really scary."
He froze.
Looked at Nico. Looked back at me.
I swear he gulped.
Um... Is he scared of Nico?
"Your keys, Miss Daria?"
"Oh. Right. Just... don't steal my car, please."
He nodded stiffly. "Of course." His smile shrank into nothing and he walked away quickly.
"Don't worry," Nico said. "It's in safe hands."
I rolled my eyes. "So where exactly are we going?"
"I want to take you to eat first. Then I'll take you home."
I looked down at my plain black pencil skirt, simple blouse and heels. Work clothes. Boring.
"I'm not dressed for dinner," I muttered.
"Don't worry," he said. "You'll like where I'm taking you. No dressing up needed."
I followed him into the car. He opened the door for me like a gentleman he would absolutely deny being.
We drove for a few minutes before he parked on a random street.
"Where are we?"
He didn't answer. He just got out, waited for me, and walked straight to a brightly lit food truck on the corner. Music was playing, people were standing around laughing and eating. It felt alive.
The moment Nico appeared, an older man behind the counter lit up.
"NICO! My friend!" he shouted, giving him the kind of handshake men give when they really love someone.
He looked at me next. "And who is this beautiful girl? Nico, wow, you bring beautiful women to try my food now, huh?"
I blushed so hard I looked away.
"This is Daria," Nico said. "Daria, this is Amir."
Amir grinned. "Beautiful name. Beautiful girl. You got a good one here. Nico saved our food truck. He is the reason we are still here. Good man. Good heart."
Nico looked... uncomfortable. He didn't show it, but I felt it. I knew he was secretly so sweet. He would probably be angry if I said that though.
"Can we get two shawarma wraps," he said.
"Of course. Coming right up."
I turned to Nico. "Shawarma? What's that?"
"You'll see," he said.
A few minutes later, Amir came back with two warm wraps.
"How much?" Nico asked.
"On the house."
Nico ignored that and handed him a hundred-dollar bill.
Wow he could just do that huh?
"Bless you, Nico," Amir said.
We walked to an empty bench. I sat down awkwardly, holding my wrap like it was a science experiment.
"So... how exactly do I eat this?"
Nico took a huge bite like he'd been raised on shawarma his whole life. I laughed.
"Nico, how do you do that?"
I tried taking a bite but only managed a tiny one. The white garlic sauce smeared across the corner of my lips.
"This is embarrassing," I groaned, trying to wipe it away.
Nico watched me.
Too closely.
"What? Is it that bad?" I asked, laughing nervously.
"No," he said.
He reached over, ripped a piece of napkin, and gently wiped the sauce from my lips, carefully.
My face got hot.
"Thanks, best friend," I teased.
He shook his head once, jaw flexing.
I took another small bite. "I have to admit... this is like... the best thing I've ever had in my mouth."
Nico stopped chewing.
His jaw ticked.
He looked away for a second and exhaled.
"What?" I asked. "What now?"
"The things you say," he muttered. "You say them so innocently..."
I blinked. "What does that even mean?"
"Nothing," he said quickly.
We went back to eating, but my heart was beating faster than it should've for something as innocent as shawarma on a bench.
Best day ever.
Nico is always flustered bahaha!!