Chapter 37 #2
I follow Gabby down the hall to the kitchen.
E is cleaning the counters and Alex is wiping the pantry shelves when we enter.
“Thanks, guys,” I smile, noticing lists on the island.
Sitting on a stool, I read through them.
The kitchen list is mostly food items, along with the corner cupboard, one island stool, and the dining room chair.
Zander’s room is just the bed. Nothing for Nick’s room, it seems. The freezer was left open in the laundry room, so we lost all of those items. The coffee table, picture frames, and a few ornaments are lost in the living room.
My list is the longest. The damaged furniture I already saw, plus most of my clothes, the large suitcase, lamps, bedding, and smaller items. The three patio doors and my shower door are listed separately. Damn, what a mess. “What else needs to be cleaned?”
“We've just started cleaning,” E tells me. “So everything.”
“I’ll grab the broom,” Seb offers, while Gabby offers to wipe down furniture and continue the laundry. I decide to tackle the bathrooms.
Zander returns as I’m helping Gabby clean my bedroom furniture.
The guys help carry in the two box springs and mattresses.
He has a new tv for my room as well. We get the beds unwrapped and made with the sheets Gabby washed earlier.
Zander also picked up dinner, so we stop to eat, and then call it a night, going back to Alex’s house.
I get into Zander’s truck to drive with him. “How was today?” I ask.
“Tiring darling. I found a contractor to replace the patio doors, but your shower will take a few weeks, so we’ll need to share until then. Once the doors are in, I’ll feel comfortable moving back. How are you?”
“I’m exhausted in every sense of the word. Have you heard from Troy today? Nick hasn’t texted.”
“They should be at Alex’s house when we get there.”
Seb wraps an arm around my waist as we trudge up the stairs to the apartment, where we find Alex, Bay, and Nick eating pizza on the couch.
“Where’s Troy?” Gabby asks the room.
“Showering,” Nick grunts.
“Good idea,” Zander replies, excusing himself to do the same.
Alex offers me the use of his bathroom, so the rest of us break off to clean up.
Troy is back when I come out of Alex’s room. Dropping my clothes in my closet, I take a seat beside Nick on the couch to wait for everyone to return.
Once we’re all gathered again with plates of pizza, Troy gives us an update.
The FBI believes they have the major players from Tennessee, including the second in command.
Nick wasn’t an informant this time. The paperwork was written and signed but never filed, which caused an issue, thanks to Eddie and his boss.
Both were corrupt and taking bribes. Kinsley doesn’t seem inclined to press charges against Nick, though.
He will have to testify, along with Cash and Amy, and Cash’s fate is still undecided.
Nick doesn’t have to go back tomorrow but isn’t allowed to leave the area and will probably need to go in a few more times.
“So it’s over? No one to retaliate?” Seb asks.
“No one, and yes, it’s over. There will be more questions for Nick as the investigation continues, but we don’t expect any backlash. We're safe now,” Troy replies with a smile.
Troy and Zander excuse themselves to their rooms downstairs after Gabby requests to stay the night up here again. E and Alex go downstairs to bring up ice cream for everyone, and I excuse myself to call Jake.
He’s still freaked out, but I tell him about what we found at the house and the damage, and he offers me a place to stay at his home. I decline. He knows Alex has an apartment here, and that Zander is staying too. We talk until he seems calmer, and I promise to stop by tomorrow.
Nick enters the room with a bowl of ice cream while I’m still talking and sits on the bed beside me. After I hang up, he offers a spoonful of death by chocolate.
“Mmm, so good,” I mumble around the mouthful, covering my lips with my hand. I slide over and tap the bed beside me for Nick to lean against the headboard. He takes turns feeding me and himself until the bowl is empty.
Knowing he’ll talk when he’s ready, I lean my head on his shoulder, twining our fingers together. Nick lifts our joined hands, looking at my fingers before setting them on his thigh. “Tell me what I missed.”
I start back in October with Halloween. I tell him about E, his grandparents, and the breakup. Then Alex and Reesa, and finally the trial and Jake. “I hope the two of you will get along. He seems to like the rest of the guys.”
“We will,” he replies, kissing the top of my head.
“Have you had a doctor look at your ribs yet?”
“Not broken.”
“Fights?”
“Underground fighting for the boss man.”
“I’m so happy you’re home and safe. I slept in your room for weeks after you left. We celebrated your birthday last month with chocolate cake and another MMA tournament, which Ceres won this year. I bought you a Christmas present that’s in your closet at my house.”
Nick leans back, raising an eyebrow.
“I consider the spare room yours, so it’s in YOUR closet. Although I didn’t check for it today. Hopefully, it’s still there.”
Nick slides down the bed, grunting, and lifts his arm. Taking the invitation, I scoot down and snuggle into his side, wrapping my arm around his waist. We don’t talk anymore, just soak in each other’s presence.
We lie there until Seb sticks his head in the room. “Bedtime, kiddos,” he calls, wiggling his eyebrows at us.
Nick and I get up to get ready for bed. He heads for the bathroom while I go out to the kitchen to get a water and say goodnight to the rest of the group.
Nick is sitting up in my bed with a laptop on his knee, and Seb and E are just coming out of the bathroom when I return.
Seb takes my water and hands it to E before dipping me backwards and kissing me on the lips.
After straightening, he smiles, hands me back my water and gets into bed with E.
Shaking my head with a smile, I set the water on my nightstand and crawl over Nick. “Night guys,” I call when Seb flicks off the light. Nick passes me an earbud and starts a movie. Just like old times, and I couldn’t be happier.