Chapter 16 Andrew
Nicki
did you watch the game last night?
Andrew
Were you playing?
Nicki
Yes.
Andrew
I can feel you growling from here. Did you growl?
Nicki
I don’t growl
Andrew
I could text Tony and ask.
Nicki
don’t you dare
and why do you have Tony’s phone number? did he hit on you?
Andrew
I’m still not sure why you think everyone is always hitting on me.
Nicki
because you’re fucking perfect
Flushing, Andrew averts his gaze from his phone.
Hearing Nicki say these things in person is hard, but reading them is easier somehow, as if the words are more accessible to his brain or something.
Andrew’s always been like this. It’s why he prefers texting his brothers to calling when possible, and why he loves reading so much.
There’s extra processing time with reading, and while he still thinks Nicki is laying it on kind of thick, he can’t deny that it feels good to be so wanted.
Even if Nicki’s jealousy is borderline ridiculous and unwarranted because contrary to what Nicki seems to think, no one is clamoring for Andrew.
No one except Nicki. Even days after they officially got together, it is hard for Andrew to make sense of.
Even though he’s missed Nicki while he’s been gone for his away games, Andrew’s kind of grateful for the time to himself to do nothing but think and read when he isn’t at work. The change from fake boyfriends to real ones is a huge change, and he needed the time to mentally process.
For days, he’s done almost nothing but think, and while the idea of anyone wanting him this much is hard for Andrew to accept, he won’t deny it makes him feel secure.
While Nicki will never be a loquacious man, he texted Andrew more than he expected while gone, and each message brought a smile to Andrew’s face.
A smile he would like to return to Nicki right now because as fun as it is to tease him just a little, he deserves to know Andrew is cheering him on too, so he resumes texting.
Andrew
To answer your earlier question, of course I watched you. Charlie came over to see the boy aquarium on the big screen. His words not mine.
Nicki
please don’t fucking start calling it that
Andrew
I don’t know, maybe I should. It has a nice ring to it.
Nicki
I’m not going to text you anymore
Andrew can’t help but smile to himself, perfectly aware that’s not true.
“What’s got you smiling like that?”
Andrew drops his phone onto the kitchen island, the clang loud as he spins to see who the hell is in the house.
“Fuck, Amanda. You scared me.”
“I knocked twice, but you didn’t answer, so I used my key.” Amanda lowers a canvas tote onto the kitchen island along with a bottle of wine. “Benefits of being Nicki’s agent and family. I have full security clearance. I did assume you heard me and were busy though, sorry.”
Andrew rubs the back of his neck. “I must’ve been distracted.”
“Distracted by what?” She arches one elegant eyebrow at him. “Or should I say who? Did you meet someone?”
“Sort of,” Andrew admits, his heart speeding up at the confession.
“Wait, seriously? I was just teasing. How the hell did you find time to meet someone while you’re fake dating Nicholas?
Is it someone from work? Please tell me you didn’t agree to go out with Mark.
He is not good enough for you. Even if he’s been trying to get you to go on a date with him forever.
The way he always stampedes over your boundaries pisses me off. ”
“He doesn’t stampede over my boundaries, he’s just…overeager,” Andrew says, unsure he believes the words. “But wait back up, what do you mean Mark has been trying to date me?”
“Sweetie.” Amanda tilts her head, sweeping her dark hair over her shoulder. “You knew right? You had to know.”
“Know what?”
“He’s literally been throwing himself at you. All the after hours attempts to see you. You told me last month he tried to get your address to come over on the weekend.”
“He said he needed help with his reports.”
“He’s not incompetent,” Amanda says sharply. “He can finish his work alone.”
“Is that why he’s always asking me questions I know he knows the answer to, even when I’m busy?” Andrew says, something clicking into place.
“Yes, sweetie.”
“But I don’t like him.”
“I know you don’t. He just doesn’t seem to know that. I thought when you mentioned going to the game with him, it was just friends, but—he didn’t pressure you or anything, right?”
“No, the game last week was fine. It was—good.”
“Well, you certainly made a statement as far as the you and Nicholas fake boyfriend things go. You wearing his jersey sure made the rounds. His publicist has been having a field day with all the attention.”
“Don’t remind me,” Andrew groans, the idea of strangers looking at him making him mildly nauseous.
“Seriously though who—oh. Oh, Andrew.”
“What?”
“Sweetie.”
The look on her face is somewhere between understanding and pity, and Andrew most definitely might be sick. He’s had a low grade headache since he woke up and a little nausea. He thought it was because he forgot to eat, but that feeling magnifies tenfold at the expression on Amanda’s face.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like that,” Andrew hisses.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt. I should’ve realized when he asked Denise for the jersey, but Denise said I was wrong, that there was no way.”
That does nothing to make Andrew feel better. Knowing two of the people he’s closest to, besides Charlie and Eden, think his relationship with Nicki is impossible only cements the insecurity he’s been ignoring.
“Look, Andrew—”
“I’m a big boy,” Andrew says, cutting her off. “I’m not a naive kid, despite the way everyone treats me sometimes. Just because I miss social cues for dating, doesn’t make me incapable of handling myself romantically.”
“I know that.” Amanda’s tone softens as she inches closer to Andrew.
Her perfume is sweet, her expression gentle, and he has to remind himself that she and Denise are two of his favorite people in the world.
“Look, I know Nicholas is very charming when he wants to be, and very handsome. If you're, you know—into that.”
“I’m into that,” Andrew says.
Amanda makes a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. “If he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”
“Aren’t you supposed to tell me not to hurt him?”
“Sweetie, you would never hurt anyone, which is kind of the problem.”
“That’s not a problem,” Andrew objects.
“Not for everyone else. It’s a problem if you protect everyone but yourself.” Amanda takes both of his hands in hers and squeezes them firmly. “Just remember your peace is worth protecting, too. Don’t let Nicholas steamroll you into something you’re not comfortable with. I know how he is.”
“This isn’t like that.”
“You only agreed to fake date him in the first place because this is exactly like that. To be honest, I’ve felt nothing but regret and guilt since me and Denise asked for your help.
I wanted to help Nicholas because as selfish and annoying as he is, I love him, and he’s family.
But I love you, Andrew, and I should never put you in this position. ”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine, Andrew.”
“I like helping people.”
For some reason, this makes Amanda look sad. “I know you do, sweetie. It’s why me and Denise want to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection.”
“You do,” Amanda says in a tone that Andrew knows better than to argue with.
She might be petite and delicate looking, but the truth is, between her and Denise, she’s the one people should be afraid of.
She’s absolutely ruthless when she needs to be and loyal to a fault.
There are few people Andrew trusts the way he trusts her.
“Well, I don’t need protection from Nicki.”
“I can’t believe he lets you get away with calling him Nicki,” Amanda laughs, seemingly content to let the argument go, which is good because Andrew’s head aches, and while he normally loves a good argument with Charlie or Amanda just for fun, he’s not in the mood today.
“I tried to call him Nicholas but he said no,” Andrew admits.
“Really.” Amanda leans against the counter, crossing her arms. “That is so interesting.”
“The way you say interesting is interesting.”
Amanda laughs. “I love you, Andrew King. Never change.”
“Well, given how much I dislike change, we can count that possibility out.” Andrew pauses to look at the time before turning back towards Amanda. “Not that I’m not happy you’re here, but why are you here? I thought our bitch and brunch wasn’t until eleven.”
“It’s not,” Amanda confirms, “but I didn’t want you trying to do everything to host here at Nicholas’s when you barely know your way around his place. I was going to help you prepare.”
“Oh no, I’ve got it covered. Nicki helped.”
“Nicholas Whitmore, the world’s most useless man in the kitchen—”
“He’s not worse than Charlie,” Andrew interjects.
“Okay, I stand corrected. One of the most useless men, helped you with our bitch and brunch?”
“Well, he had his personal chef help,” Andrew corrects in the vein of transparency.
“He uh…he paid for it. I tried to pay him, but he got kind of pissed off when I offered to Venmo him the money. He just grunted at me, and then well, that’s not important,” Andrew mumbles thinking about the way Nicholas had kissed his forehead.
It’s the only kiss they’ve shared so far, but it did a number on Andrew.
He has never experienced how small and safe it might feel to have someone be just the right height to kiss his forehead.
He liked it, more than he expected. He also wants more kisses from Nicki, places other than his forehead.
Namely his mouth. Something he’s yet to be able to bring up.
He suspects Nicki thinks no sex means no anything, which isn’t really true.
Andrew very much wants to kiss him and has spent the last three nights without him rehearsing exactly how he plans to ask for those kisses.