Chapter 32 #2
Well, that gets to Nikki and tears start flowing. She wipes them away and says, “Thank you. Thank you for telling me that.”
They talk more about her therapy and the things she and Eve talked about. The things she’s working on. Her parents talk about their perspectives. I’m sure they’ve pushed her at times and clearly they’ve been a bit oblivious to their daughter’s struggles. But also… Nikki has been hard on herself.
“You know,” Jack says slowly. “I don’t think it was us who taught you discipline.”
Nikki blinks at him.
“It was music.” He tilts his head. “It takes a lot of discipline to master an art, and a lot of time. It takes dedication and perseverance. You did that because it was important to you, not because we told you to. You love music.”
Nikki stares at her father, then presses her fingertips to her lips. “Yes,” she whispers. She glances at me and I give her a smile that I hope is supportive and reassuring. Her eyes glow back at me.
“Oh my gosh,” Elizabeth says, glancing at her watch. “Lunch is very late.”
“I’m sorry,” Nikki says.
Her mom gives her a gently chiding look. “That was a lot of important stuff. Luckily, I have everything mostly made ahead. Let’s go eat.”
The kitchen is massive and fully remodeled.
“This is where we started,” Jack says. “Liz needed a new kitchen.”
“I did.” She smiles at Jack. “And I love this one.”
“I can see why.” I look around the space. It’s not the same kind of rustic as the rest of the house, but it fits in, with hardwood floors, sage-green cabinets, and the same wood ceiling beams. We sit for lunch at a big farmhouse-style table.
“This is fantastic,” I tell Elizabeth after digging into my Cobb salad.
“Thank you.” She smiles. “It’s one of Nikki’s favorites.”
“It is. How could you not love something with bacon and avocado and blue cheese?” She spears a piece of chicken.
“Lots of protein.” I nod.
This segues into a discussion about nutrition and my diet, then turns to how much Gray used to eat when he was younger, and somehow moves on to our trip to the Finger Lakes and our encounter with a witch ghost. Nikki has her parents cracking up with the story.
By the time we leave, I’m pretty comfortable with them.
“I like your parents,” I say on the drive home.
“Oh, good. I like them, too.” She sighs. “Even though I probably didn’t give you that impression.”
“They weren’t as scary as I thought they’d be.”
She chuckles. “Actually, same. I thought they’d disapprove of my move because it might interfere with my career. Instead, they’re happy because I’ll be closer.” She shakes her head. “I have a lot to think about.”
“Yeah. I get it.” I pause. Looking back on the past with a different lens may give her a different understanding. “I think they were proud of you for standing up for yourself with your team.”
She nods. “Yeah. I stood up for myself. I’m such a bitch.”
I choke on a laugh. “Is that what you thought they’d say?”
“No.” Her smile goes crooked. “That was just me inside my own head.”
“Well, stop that.”
“I know.”
We’re quiet on the rest of the drive, Nikki lost in thought. I take her to her place and she asks me to stay tonight, so I do. In the brief time she’s been back here, we’ve been going back and forth, some nights together, some not.
And much later, in bed, both of us post-orgasmic and blissed out and relaxed, I wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her close. I press a kiss to her temple. “You know, your parents seem a lot like mine. Now you need to meet them.”
“Oh, boy.”
I grin. “They’ll love you.”
“Ooookay.”
“Just like your parents love me.”
“Ahhh!” A laugh breaks free of her throat and her head goes back to regard me. “Cocky much?”
I shrug.
“You are very charming,” she admits.
“And fun.”
Her lips tick up into a reluctant smile. “Right. And spoiled.”
“Woof.” I shake my head. “I think I’ve learned the hard lesson that I can’t have everything I want without even working for it. Thanks to you. The most important things are worth working hard for.”
She gazes back at me, eyes soft and warm.
“You’re the most important thing,” I add.
Her lips curve into a quivery smile. “Thank you. And you’re the most important thing for me.”
“In the past, when there was something I wanted that I couldn’t have, I pretended I never wanted it to begin with. That was easier than working for it.”
She’s still watching me closely.
“But I promise you I won’t give up on you when things get tough. You’re worth working for. And if I act like a spoiled asshole, call me on that shit.”
“Oh, I will.”
“But you still love me.”
“Yes. I still love you.” She smiles. “You think things will get tough?”
“Yeah. They always do. Life has ups and downs.” I pause. “If we’re lucky, most of the ups and downs will be in bed.”
She huffs out another laugh. “Oh my God.”
I grin. “But seriously, it’s true, right? Life isn’t a straight line or a smooth road. But when things get tough… we have each other. I’ll always have your back, diva.”
“I’ve got your back, too,” she replies softly.
There’s that feeling I had the first time I met her, the feeling that something joins us together, a web of invisible, silky strands, soft yet so strong.
“I want you. All the time. I think about you all the time. All that year I tried to play it cool and not text you or phone you or email you every hour of every day, trying to pretend I wasn’t obsessed with you. I’m never gonna let you go.”
“I felt like that, too. I wanted you all the time. I kept thinking I didn’t even know you. But I wouldn’t have gone to your room that night if I didn’t know you, somehow. If I didn’t trust you.” She shakes her head. “I thought maybe I was a little crazy.”
Her trust in me makes my heart light up like a glowing red goal light. I will be a man worthy of her trust. I will treasure her and worship her forever. I clear my throat. “Nah. It’s called love at first sight,” I say, striving for light and laid back. “It happens all the time.”