30. Nik
Nik
“So? Tell me everything!” I squeal, sliding onto the kitchen counter with my phone pressed to my cheek and a Coke in my hand.
“Oh my god. Nik, it was so romantic! We went on a private plane! He took me to New York and bought me this beautiful dress to wear to a crazy expensive restaurant. The freaking chef came out to talk to us about the menu! It was crazy. Then, we went to a show!”
“Okay, okay! But how did he ask you?” I giggle, bringing the can to my lips. “Get to the good part!”
“Oh, yeah. We were actually on the plane heading back. He had this dessert planned, and when I looked down, there was a ring on the top of the cake! When I looked back at him, he’d slipped out of his seat and was down on one knee!
” She squeals again, and I have to pull the phone away from my ear to keep my hearing intact.
“Good thing you didn’t accidentally eat the damn thing.”
“Uh, impossible. The ring’s huge. Also, I didn’t eat the cake anyway. It was chocolate.”
I bite my tongue from making a shitty remark. You’d think the idiot would know that Ash is a strawberry girl. Although, how much can you really know about someone after only a few months?
“We’re getting married in March!”
“What? That’s… like really soon.”
“I know! Isn’t it great? He said we could move in whenever. He already has everything set up for Maggie in one of the guest rooms. Isn’t that so sweet?”
“Yeah…”
“He wants to do it in the Maldives! I had to look it up! I didn’t even know where that was, but Nik, it’s so beautiful!”
“Wait.” I shake my head. “Ash we can’t all just go to the Maldives on like a couple month’s notice.”
She doesn’t say anything for a moment. “Yeah… Casey thinks it’ll be more special if it’s just us…”
Casey thinks.
“Okay… and what does Ash think?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I always imagined a big wedding with everyone there, but honestly, maybe he’s right. And I don’t know that I care that much anymore. I’m just ready to spend my life with him.”
The conviction in her voice doesn’t make me feel any better.
“Nik, it’s been a really hard year, and now I’m finally happy. That’s all that really matters. And we’re gonna have something here after!”
I nod even though she clearly can’t see me over the phone. “You’re right. Sorry. I am really really happy for you.”
She lets out one more squeal. “Okay, well I have to go. Hug my brother for me!”
Eventually, when I tell Shane about Ash’s wedding, he doesn’t seem as bothered, and I can’t help but think maybe I was reading too much into it. He doesn’t really like Casey, and he’s fine with it, so why am I so worked up over the whole thing?
I hoped Shane would at least make an effort to meet him after finding out he was marrying his sister, but he doesn’t. He barely even talks when we FaceTime them or conveniently has something else he has to do when the phone rings.
He did go with me to the wedding in Raleigh, which was more of a business event for Casey than a wedding especially since they’d already gotten married in the Maldives a couple of weeks before. Shane kept his distance the entire time, and demanded we leave early.
And by the time Maggie’s first birthday rolls around, he’s still firm on his stance not to go to Raleigh.
“Where’s the birthday girl!” I ask when Ash opens the door to what I can only describe as a mansion.
The house is a monstrous brick home with no porch and a driveway that could probably fit all the cars in Ravens Ridge.
That’s probably an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.
Inside, the floors are perfectly polished hardwood, and there isn’t a speck of dust anywhere.
“Shhhh! She’s still napping,” Ash scolds, wrapping me in a hug. “Where’s my brother?”
I shrug. I don’t have the heart to tell her he refused to come.
“Damn it. I’m sorry, Nik.”
She tosses her blonde curls over her shoulder.
She looks so good. She’s filled out in a way that makes her look more adult—something I didn’t think about until it happened.
Actually, I think her body might look even better after having a baby.
She’s always been tiny, and now, after Maggie, she has a little more meat on her bones, and it totally works for her.
“It’s fine. I’m just happy to be here. I can’t believe it’s been a year.”
“I know. It’s going by so fast.”
“Oh! I wanna see all the pictures from the wedding!”
She lights up, nodding.
“Look who’s awake!” Jess announces, walking in carrying the cutest one-year-old I’ve ever seen.
Her white-blonde curls stand up all over her head as she rubs her big blue eyes that look just like her dad’s.
I don’t tell Ash that, of course.
“Wow, Aunt Jess put you in your birthday dress, didn’t she?”
She’s in a frilly pink dress with little ruffle socks. She holds out her hands for Ash. “Mama.”
“Come here, sweet girl.” Ash takes her.
“She’s her mama’s girl, isn’t she?” Casey coos, coming from somewhere around the corner. He’s dressed in tailored black pants and a button-down shirt like he’s going to some fancy luncheon instead of a one-year-old’s backyard barbecue.
Ash looks back at him and beams. “Look who it is, Maggie.”
“Da!” she shrieks.
My stomach bottoms out for some reason. It’s not that I ever thought she’d call Gabe dad, obviously, but something about her calling him that feels wrong.
Ash swallows, obviously feeling the unease coming off me, and passes Maggie to him.
“Nik.” He nods before carrying her through the house.
I force words to leave my mouth. “He seems really good with her.”
Her shoulders relax as she exhales. “He really is. We’re so lucky. Come on. I’ll show you to the backyard.”
“This place is huge,” I say, following her across the house and out the back door.
“Yeah. He said he always knew he wanted a family one day, so he just bought a house big enough for one.”
The deck is set up with tables and chairs, and a lot of Ash’s family is already here. Her mother’s busy setting up centerpieces and greeting everyone with the fakest smile on her face.
She does not greet me if you were wondering.
“I better help her, I’ll come find you in a bit.” Ash hugs me. “I’m just so glad you’re here.”
I find a table to sit at and watch while Maggie does her cake, and Ash helps her open her gifts.
Jess slides into the chair next to me. “God, I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t even know half these fucking people. I think Brenda just invited all of her rich friends.”
I raise my eyebrows and take a drink of my lemonade.
“Where’s Shane?”
“He couldn’t come,” I say, chewing on the straw.
“Shit.” She deflates. “I’m sorry. I was really hoping he’d turned it around for good last time. You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good. How have you been?”
“I’m good. I’ve been working again. Not much, but a few bookings here and there.”
Jess used to model. Actually, she was a child actor first, but her mom pulled her out of it because she said showbiz was no place for children, but then Jess started modeling as a teenager.
She’d been pretty successful, and since the show she was on as a kid was a smash hit, they still play reruns, so I’m sure she makes money from that, too.
“That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I guess.” She shrugs. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Do people look at you weird when you take Shane back? Like, when he does something really shitty and you take him back anyway?”
“Uh… I don’t know. Probably, but I don’t give a shit.”
She nods.
“Why? Are you seeing someone?”
“I don’t know. Not really?” she says, scratching her forehead and pulling down her sunglasses.
“I mean, if you’re happy that’s all that matters.”
She nods, looking away before looking back to me and leaning forward. “Are you? Happy, I mean?”
It’s weird, I don’t have an answer to that.
No one has ever asked.
I nod, but I’m not sure it’s the truth.
I love Shane, and I know for a fact I wouldn’t be happy without him, but I don’t know that I’d call myself happy right now either.
We fight more than we don’t, which is probably unavoidable with our personalities.
It’s all part of our cycle. We fight as hard as we make up, but I love him, and I know I can’t be without him.
“Where’s my son?” the wicked witch asks, stalking up behind me like the snake she is.
“He couldn’t make it. Why? Were you hoping to get a chance to kick him out again?” I bite back.
I shouldn’t have said that at Maggie’s party, but I really couldn’t help it. She’s just such a bitch.
“That is not what happened. Besides, I figured he’d want to be here for his niece.” She cocks her head to the side and crosses her arms.
“Are you kidding me?” I whip around to glare at her. “He can’t freaking win with you, lady. He shows up and you tell him he’s not welcome here. He doesn’t show up, and you criticize him for being a bad uncle. Which is it?”
She starts to say something, but I stand. “I’m not doing this with you today.”
When I finally make it home, Shane’s nowhere to be found and his phone goes straight to voicemail.
Fucking figures.