Chapter 39
Felicity fell asleep in the car on the way back to Nic’s house.
Nic had put a bed in the ground-floor bedroom for her, to replace the guest bed that Thea and Courtney had taken with them to their new build, though they weren’t completely moved out yet.
After climbing the two short stairs to the house, Felicity felt like she had run a marathon.
At least there was a full bathroom next to it.
Her mother came by to help her shower, because there was no way Felicity was letting Nic help her.
Two hours later, she was tucked into the queen-sized bed with Nic beside her.
He flipped on the dance competition. A new season had started this week.
She dozed on and off. Her mother brought her food. Derek and Dylan stopped by and told stories from the day. Felicity was glad she’d slept through seeing the courtyard on the drive. She didn’t feel ready yet.
Later, she got ready to sleep, brushing her teeth and slipping into that prickly cactus butt gown before shuffling back to the bed.
Nic had showered too. He smiled at her choice of sleeping attire.
They’d cycled back to a past season of the show, and it was running in the background as she eased herself into the bed.
With both of them clean and the house empty, Felicity was finally ready to tell him.
She rolled over to her side, careful of her ribs and her stapled head and thickly splinted wrist.
Nic was leaning on an elbow. He hadn’t touched her this afternoon, but he’d never been far. “You okay? Need something?”
“I need to exist.”
He blinked.
“I didn’t understand what you were saying before. At least not all of it.” She felt her throat thicken. “I want to exist.”
He came to face her, stroking her cheek with his calloused hands. “You understand now?”
“Uh-huh.” She lifted her chin, angling her mouth toward his. “Please, Nic. Don’t make me wait longer.”
He pulled away an inch. “Felicity.”
“What did you want to tell me before? Is whatever it is what’s stopping you now?”
“What’s stopping me is that you have a fractured wrist, bruised ribs, and a head full of staples.”
“Flesh wound.” She flicked her good hand like all this was nothing. “You told me once that you would make me come so hard, I’d tip over.”
“And tipping over is exactly what I’d prefer you not do right now.” His hand shook slightly as it held the angle of her jaw.
“So, there’s not someone else.”
His green eyes blazed. “Someone else? Like another woman?”
Felicity answered with a shuddering nod that made her head ache. “A Tuesday woman?”
“You said that before. What do you mean ‘Tuesday woman’?”
“You always have plans on Tuesdays. You’re weird about them. I sort of assumed…”
Nic laughed. “I joined a Dungeons and Dragons club at the community center, you silly woman. I wasn’t sure if you would think it was stupid.”
“Well, then, why the hell didn’t you tell me that?
Dungeons and Dragons?” A sound somewhere between snarl and scoff came out of her mouth.
“I could pretend to be a druid or a cleric or whatever if it was important to you. What’s stupid is you rolling those giant dice and saving imaginary elves wearing a cloak or whatever while I was sitting at home losing my mind because I was sure there was someone else. ”
“The only someone else is the person I was before I met you. And I’m worried if you know what a shithead I’ve been, it’ll change how you—”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Please shut up.”
She used her good hand to pull his mouth to hers.
The kiss wasn’t wild like it had been with the wind whipping around them.
It was slow and tender. It made her blood simmer rather than boil, but she still wanted so much more.
He was gentle, as if he was always aware of all the broken parts of her in every way possible, and he kissed her over and over and over again.
When she couldn’t suppress a yawn, he curled up behind her and turned off the television. He pulled the blanket over them both. His lips stayed on the outer shell of her ear as she fell asleep.