30. Chapter 30
Nick
As soon as I see Lydia’s text come through, I push my phone back in my pocket and head over to the sink to wash my hands again.
Do I have a spare shirt in my office? I can’t remember.
I look down at the one I’ve been wearing to work today.
It’s the same as the rest of the guys: a dark blue button-down with the Fulsom’s Garage logo on the right side of my chest and a white patch with my name on the left side.
I like wearing the same thing as everyone else.
It helps me forget I’m now “the boss.” In my mind, the shop will always be Dad’s business.
For once, I’m glad I haven’t gotten too dirty this morning, since now I’m anxious to meet Lydia. I brush a hand down my beard and head out the door, shouting over my shoulder I’ll see the guys later.
I know Lydia met with Norah this morning.
She seemed so nervous after the phone call she received during dinner last night, and I sensed her distraction for the rest of the evening.
We shared some ice cream and talked a bit more, but I could tell her mind was elsewhere.
As much as I wanted her to talk to me about it, I didn’t want to push.
Instead, I told her I needed to get home to get a few things done, kissed her lightly on her cheek, and left.
I hated leaving her while she was anxious, but I knew these were feelings she wanted to work through on her own.
I have given her all the reassurance I can, telling her I was there for her, no matter what. And I mean it.
I fought the urge to show up on her doorstep with a coffee in hand bright and early this morning to wish her luck at her meeting.
I knew how badly Lydia wants this chapter to be done with, but I also knew she doesn’t need me to crowd her.
So, I decided against coffee and sent a “thinking of you” text instead.
She was on my mind all morning at the shop, and I was grateful I had a few things at work to keep my mind and hands busy.
I didn’t want to just sit and stare at my phone, waiting for an update from her, but I hoped like hell her news was good.
A small part of me wants to ask Norah about it, but I know she won’t tell me anything. Asking would just make me come across as creepy and a bit stalker-like, so I’d just have to wait.
I make it to Lydia’s house in only a few minutes, so I’m not sure if she is even here yet. But when I knock on the door, it swings open immediately and she flies into my arms.
As if it’s the most natural thing in the world, I wrap my arms around her and tuck my face into the side of her neck, breathing her in. God, this woman always smells so damn good.
I reluctantly pull back after several seconds, anxious to hear how her morning has been. As we stand here, still linked but at arm’s length, I look down at her, seeing the tears blurring her eyes.
“Well, how’d it go? Is everything okay?” I guide us through the threshold and pull us down to the couch, never letting go of her hand. “Are you alright?”
She is flushed and shaking slightly. What the heck happened in that meeting?
“Nick, you’re not going to believe what Norah found out. Hell, I’m not sure I even believe what she found out. And I’m still not sure how I feel about it.” Her voice is high-pitched and breathy, giving away her nervousness.
I give her hand a gentle squeeze, trying my best to ground us both.
“What is it? Wait, do you want some food first? You’re shaking. Maybe some water?” I start to get up to head to the kitchen, but she pulls me back to her and turns her body so she is completely facing me.
“No, I’m good. I’m better than good, I think. I’m happy, but I’m also confused as hell.”
Well, now so am I. “Okay…” I say, drawing out the last syllable.
“Whatever it is, Lydia, I’m here if you need me.
You don’t have to go through any of this alone if you don’t want to.
” I try to keep my voice as steady as I can.
“Do I need to kill him?” I offer the last part as a small way of trying to calm her down, but I’m partly serious.
“Okay…” Lydia takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders, her eyes never leaving mine.
“First off, no. I don’t think you need to kill him, though I kind of want to.
” She gives me a small, mirthless laugh and continues.
“I want to tell you everything I found out from Norah today, but I’m not completely sure how to do so without sounding insane. ”
She takes another deep breath, holding on tightly to my hand.
“When Norah tried to file our divorce papers, she found out Simon was already legally married to another woman when he married me,” her breathing starts to even a little more as she gains confidence, “which means I never was. I was never married to that man. My entire life for the last five years was a lie. The fucking bastard lied to me.”
She starts to laugh now. But it’s not the good kind. It’s a laugh that shows she’s in shock. Fuck, I am too.
“He did what?” I’m surprised and mad as hell. This fucker put her through hell during their marriage and was lying to her the entire time too? I’ve never actually wanted to kill anyone before, but I’d love to get my hands on this pathetic motherfucker.
“It’s such an odd feeling,” she says, her voice sounding more like her own now.
“To feel so betrayed, but also so relieved at the same time. Yes, our marriage was a lie. Yes, he took five years from me, but I gave them to him willingly. I could’ve left sooner, but I was a coward.
I chose to stay.” She squares her shoulders and sits up a little straighter.
“But now? Now I am completely rid of him. No waiting for a divorce to finalize. I can move on with zero ties to him.” A small smile slowly tilts her lips as she whispers, “Nick…I’m not married. ”
While a part of me knows this may be too soon and too fast, a bigger part of me wants her too badly to think too much about it. Something in us snaps simultaneously.
In an instant, our mouths are on each other.
One of my hands tangles in her hair, the other cupping the side of her face.
Her hands are at my back, pulling me closer.
Our kiss starts out fast and hard as all the emotion we’ve been holding back rushes to the surface.
Neither of us is holding anything back right now.
I lean forward, bringing us chest to chest with no space between us. I break our kiss for just a moment, pulling away enough to look down at her to make sure this is okay. She looks up at me, her eyes wide, her lips pink and swollen.
Her breath quickens, then she smiles. “Don’t stop, Nick. Please. I want this.”
That’s all the permission I need to crash my lips back to hers.
While this isn’t our first kiss, it feels different.
This one is desperate and raw, fueled by relief, heartbreak, and our need for one another.
There is no holding back as we cling to each other, tasting the sting of betrayal and the sweetness of newfound freedom.
Every touch is urgent, every movement honest. It’s a kiss that says everything: grief for the years lost, gratitude for the chance to finally move on, and a fierce hope for whatever comes next.
In this moment, nothing exists but the two of us.