“Nope, and I don’t care. He accused me of cheating on him and when he realized I didn’t, did he apologize?” My mouth was half full of ice cream, and I was waving my spoon in the air.
“Um...well, from your tone of voice, I’m going to guess, no.”
“No, he didn’t. Then he said I shouldn’t have had dinner with Jason at all because I used to date him. Only that’s not the words he used. Even though I told him where I was and who I was with. Did he care? No. So guess what? I don’t care.” I scooped another spoonful up and shoved it in my mouth. The spoon scraped my teeth, making a sound that used to irritate Brenda when we were kids. She winced but chose to hold her tongue. I felt like making the sound again, just to annoy her. I wasn’t happy, why should anyone else be?
She moved slowly until she hovered in front of me, her hands in the air. “Okay, sweetie, maybe you should put the ice cream down, and we’ll talk about this.” Her voice was soft, like she was talking a person down from a ledge.
I gaped up at her, wondering why she was speaking to me like I was a crazy person. “Why? I’m fine.”
Her arm shot out. She grabbed hold of the ice cream container and pulled. I wasn’t expecting her quick movement, and the carton almost slipped from my fingers. I gripped the lip just as it was about to be ripped out of my hands. I probably didn’t need any more ice cream, but I was holding on more for the principle of it. I wasn’t a child she could boss around. I pulled back and added a cool glare. She blinked at me and matched me glare for glare, yanking harder, finally pulling it out of my grip. Then she smiled and disappeared into the kitchen with it. I heard the freezer door open and then quickly close. My fingers were sticky from the container, and I had the urge to lick them clean. Of course if I did, it would prove her right—I was acting like a child. Instead, I wiped them on the navy-blue boxers I was wearing.
She came back in wearing a satisfied grin, and took a seat in an armchair. She crossed her legs and spread her arms out on the soft chair. Her honey-colored hair was down, falling against the back of the plush chair. She was wearing a soft blue summer dress. “I think we have to do something to get your mind off things. So you don’t dwell on your fight. Have you seen Mom lately?”
I leaned back on the couch, covering myself with a velvet throw blanket, more for comfort than warmth. “Yes, Nick and I were at her place for dinner last week.”
She frowned, creating a wrinkle in between her eyes. “Okay, so much for getting him off your mind.” Her foot bounced up and down on her knee as she tried to think of something else to talk about. Before she could, there was a knock at the door, which startled both of us. She turned to me, with a brow raised, waiting for me to answer it. When I made no move, she shook her head, stood up, and walked over to look through the peep hole. She spun around, her hair fanning out behind her. “It’s him,” she hissed.
“Nick?” I whispered back, and she nodded.
“Who is it?” I yelled cheerfully as if I didn’t have a care in the world.
“Abby, it’s Nick, can I come in?” I stood up, looked at myself in the mirror, and saw that my hair was half in, half out of the ponytail I had put up this morning. Quickly I took it out and combed through the hair with my fingers. “No,” I shouted as I glanced down at my white tank top that was stained with chocolate ice cream.
Panicked at the thought of him seeing me like this, I rushed to my room and whipped the tank off, yanking on a cute tight-fitting black top. A pair of faded jeans lay sprawled on the floor. I grabbed them and yanked them on, covering the boxers.
“I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but please let me in,” Nick was saying from the other side of the door, when I reappeared. Brenda was standing against it listening. I approached her and gestured for her to sit down.
“What do you want?” I asked coldly after throwing the door open. His short hair was brushed perfectly. He wore a burgundy button down shirt and dark jeans. He looked good, and that just pissed me off. A quick glance at Brenda had him flushing with embarrassment—good. “Um…I was wondering if I could talk to you alone, if that’s okay.”
I squared my shoulders, preparing to make him beg. “I’m going to have to say no. When I tried to explain things to you, you wouldn’t listen, and you didn’t trust me. So no, I don’t want to hear what you have to say.” I started to push the door shut, but he stopped it with his hand, making a smacking sound against the wood.
Brenda stood up, her face a mix of weariness and curiosity. “Maybe I should go.”
I whirled on her. “No, you stay, he’s leaving.” I jerked my thumb in his direction.
Nick touched my arm. When I looked at him about to yank his hand away, I saw how miserable he looked. “Please,” he said softly. His eyes were tortured and pathetic. My resolve crumbled in a pile at my feet.
I sighed, giving up. “Okay. Brenda, I’ll call you later. Nick, you can come in.”
I shut the door behind Brenda and stood leaning against it with my arms folded in front of me, feeling anxious, angry, and unsure. “I’m waiting. You’ve got five minutes.”
“Do you want to sit?” he asked, sounding nervous.
“No, I’m fine here.”
He glanced around, not sure if he should sit or stand. With a shrug he stood in front of me and cleared his throat. “I didn’t understand what Jason was to you. I have never been friends with an ex-girlfriend so I had no idea it could be done, that’s stupid of me, I know.” He ran a hand roughly over his short hair “I thought that you must be sleeping with him since I believed nobody stayed friends after they dated. I’m sorry I put that on you. But Debbie told Brian what your friendship with Jason meant to you. I’m so sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusions.” He paused to gaze at me with sad eyes, started to reach his hand out to touch me, hesitated, and then dropped it. He was unsure of my reaction and almost looked vulnerable. It made my anger fade. “Can you forgive me? I’ve missed you so much. I’ve been crazy without you, and it’s only been three days. Please put me out of my misery, take pity on me.” With that, he took a box out of the pocket of his jeans and opened it. Two shiny diamond earrings sat in pale blue velvet.
Without thinking, I leaned over them. “They’re beautiful,” I said dreamily. Then I remembered I was mad at him and stepped back. “You hurt me.” My tone wasn’t as sharp as I had intended.
“I know, and I’m sorry.” It helped that he looked miserable. It made my lips twitch.
“Is that a smile?”
“Maybe.”
He smiled, and took the earrings out of the box. “Here, why don’t you try them on?”
Oh well, trying them on couldn’t hurt, I thought. Once I did, and looked in the mirror, I couldn’t remember what I was mad about.
Chapter Fourteen
Celebration
Over the next couple of months Nick was attentive, sweet, and romantic. He told me that the three days without me had scared him, and he would never do anything to hurt me again. So far, he had kept his promise. On our-six month anniversary, he took me back to Marco’s, where we went for our first date. The restaurant was packed, as it usually was on Saturday nights, so I was surprised that we were escorted to the same table we sat at on our first date as soon as we arrived. “You must have called ahead,” I guessed, gesturing to the line of people waiting to get a table.
His smile was cocky as he sat down across from me. “It helps to know the owner. Besides it’s a special occasion. I wanted to treat you to a nice dinner, and I had a little help.” He gestured to Marco, who was making his way over, dressed in a slick gray suit, holding a single red rose.
“Good evening, Abby. You look gorgeous. That color is great on you.”
Instead of answering, I blushed, glancing down at the dress I bought yesterday after Nick told me of his plans. The dress was raw silk and the color of rust. It fell off my shoulders and hugged my body nicely. My hair was down, and curled. I felt fabulous.
Marco slid the rose into the clear c
rystal empty vase that sat in the center of the table. “Compliments of your date,” he announced with a nod toward Nick.
“Thank you,” I said softly, glancing at both of them, feeling suddenly shy for no reason that I could explain.
Marco grinned at me. “Well, enjoy your meal. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” He walked away, leaning down to a couple at a table to the left of us. He said something to the woman, who laughed as he walked away. He was good at his job and you could see he loved it.
“Thank you for the rose,” I said, glancing back at my date.
Nick shrugged as he reached out to pick up a menu, handed it to me, and then grabbed another one for himself. “I just called Marco and asked him to put a rose on the table, that’s all.” He opened the menu and started to read. “So, what do you think you’ll order?” Nick asked just as the waiter brought over a bottle of champagne.
I raised an eyebrow at Nick; he just smiled in answer. After the waiter poured each of us a glass, he left discreetly. “Champagne? Hoping to get lucky tonight?” I asked, taking a sip, savoring the bubbles as they bounced on my tongue.
“I’m hoping,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.
I laughed as the waiter returned to take our order. Once again, Nick ordered for me, like he had done since we met, but that was him. He was used to taking charge at work and at home.
“So how was work today? Catch any bad guys?”
He swallowed his sip and set his glass down with a nod. “I did, in fact. Brian and I got a lead this morning, which led to a chop shop and we found about twenty stolen cars. So yes, we arrested the bad guys. It was a good day.” He beamed at me, his face showing his good mood. I loved it when he was happy, it made me happy.
Pleased that he was sharing, I held up my glass. “To putting away the bad guys.” Our glasses chimed as they touched.
“What did you do with your day?” he asked, the smile fading.
I leaned my elbow on the table, resting my head on it. “The usual. I finished a chapter and cleaned the apartment, went for a run.”
He was staring at the rose, not really listening to my answer. “That’s good. Does that rose smell funny to you?” he asked scrunching up his face.
Puzzled by his sudden change in conversation, I took the rose between my fingers and pushed it to my nose. “No, It smells fine to—” I stopped speaking when I noticed something sparkle inside the bud. “What’s this?” I asked, pulling out something hard. I gasped when I saw what was now in the palm of my hand. It was a ring, and it sparkled in the candle’s glow.
“I saw this ring and it looked so much like your locket, I knew it was meant for you. I know this won’t be the most important piece of jewelry you own, but I hope you will treasure it as much as your locket.” He stood up and got down on one knee. I was frozen in my seat; I couldn’t move. The ring still sat in my hand. He took it and held it out. “I love you, Abby. More than I knew was possible. Will you marry me?” I was only slightly aware of the whispers and gasps of the people around us. I was focused on the man in front of me.
Dazed by the ring, and the romance of the moment, there could only be one answer. “Yes,” I whispered. He smiled, took my hand, and slid the ring on my finger; it was a perfect fit. I gazed down at my hand, admiring the ring. The band was white gold with a lace design, weaving its way up to a cluster of diamonds. He was right; it seemed to match my locket. Tears fell down my cheeks as I absorbed what was happening.
He framed my face with his hands and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on, taking the kiss deeper. It was an amazing moment and I wanted to show him how much I loved him. Just as his hands moved slowly down my back, creating a shimmer of warmth spreading through my body, an explosion of applause erupted around us, and I remembered we weren’t alone.
We pulled apart with embarrassed smirks on both of our faces. Marco rushed over and gave me a hug. “Congratulations,” he whispered into my ear. When he pulled away he shook Nick’s hand. “You did good, buddy. You’re lucky you found her first.”
The night was so magical, I couldn’t stop smiling.
Back at my apartment we celebrated in my bedroom. Afterward, lying in his arms, I mumbled, “I don’t want you to go home.”
He laughed, a deep throaty sound that rumbled in his chest. “I won’t, I’m not going anywhere.”
I leaned up and looked at him; his dark eyes were satisfied and dreamy. “What do you mean?”
His eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “Let me move in.” He pulled me in for a hug. “We’ll get my stuff tomorrow. Or is that too soon?”
I laughed, surprised that his bossiness always seemed so endearing. “Of course not, we can go now if you want.”
He nodded. “No, tomorrow’s fine. Then maybe we can stop by my parents’ and tell them our news.”
“Sure.” I snuggled into his chest as he wrapped his strong arm around me. I felt warm and content.
Chapter Fifteen
Stranger
The next morning while Nick was at his apartment packing, I called my mother and told her the news. “Are you sure about this, honey?” That was the only response.
I paused, taken aback by her question. “Why are you asking me that?”
“There’s just something about him that bothers me. I can’t really put my finger on it, but when he watches you, it seems a bit possessive.”
“Doesn’t that mean he loves me?”
She paused. “I think it’s more than that. I’ve seen that look before, and I don’t think it’s love.”
I didn’t know what to say. Her words were like a bucket of ice water dumped over me. I had been so excited, and now she was ruining my mood. Frankly, I was a little annoyed. “Mom, you’re just being overprotective. You bug me constantly to find someone, and now you’re giving me grief. Why can’t you let me be happy?”
She sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m happy if you’re happy. I just worry he’s…” She clipped her words off, probably picking up on my growing agitation. Her voice held a slight coolness now. Before I could question her, she began a story about Justin joining a soccer team. She ended the call when there was a knock at her door, she and hung up in a rush, without really saying goodbye. I sat for a few seconds with the phone still in my hand and my mouth agape.
The next call I made went a little differently. I had to pull the phone away from my ear while Brenda screamed with delight. When she calmed down, I asked her, “Do you like Nick, Brenda?”
There was a short pause on the other end. “Of course I do. Why do you ask?”
I opened my mouth to tell her what Mom had said and then changed my mind. This was a happy day, and dwelling on my mother’s words would just ruin that. “No reason. Never mind.”
The rest of the conversation involved planning the wedding: the when, the who, the where, all of which I didn’t know, since he had just asked me.
“Hold on, Brenda,” I laughed into the phone when her voice started to hit a high decibel. “It just happened, I don’t know anything yet. But you’ll be the first to know when I do.” I hung up and made a similar call to Debbie. My ears were still ringing when Nick called and told me to come and pick up some of his stuff. It wouldn’t all fit in his car.
By the end of the day my living room was covered in boxes, and my closet was full. Since there wasn’t room for his furniture, he was putting the rest of his belongings in storage. I was thankful for that, since I could barely move. It was okay though; boxes could be unpacked and if we were really short on space, we could use my office. I was just happy he was here.
“My mom asked us to stop over tonight.” Nick was folding his sweats and stuffing them in an old wooden dresser that was marked with both pen and the occasional scrapes in the finish. It was old and had obviously been his as a child. It smelled of dirty gym socks. Not that I was going to say that out loud. He didn’t seem to notice and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. It wa
s the only piece of furniture that would fit in my room. “I told her we had some news, so she said to drop in for dessert and a drink.” He paused as he closed the now full drawer. “What did your mom say?” A small smile appeared on his face. He was happy with our news and was excited to share it with his family. I couldn’t wipe the look off his face with my mother’s reaction.
Placing the hanger, holding one of his dress shirts in the closet, I peeked my head out. “Um…she said she was happy for us, of course.”
He stepped up, wrapping his arms around my waist. His hot breath tickled my neck. “Good. I want everyone to be as happy as I am.” His voice was deep against my ear. “We should hurry though, it’s almost six. Do you want to go through a drive-thru on the way over?”
I closed the closet door, feeling a sudden craving for tacos. “Sure.”
We changed our clothes quickly and headed out. For some reason I was worried about his parents’ reaction. Would they act as my mother had? Or my sister and friend? Although I was hoping for the latter, I couldn’t get my mother’s response out of my head.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you both,” his mother gushed, clasping her hands to her face then clapping them together. “I knew that’s what you were going to tell us when you called.”
The whole family was there. Sofia must have been busy, making calls after she talked to Nick.
They were all happy for us—well, except Heather, who sat in the corner of the room. While everyone hugged us and patted Nick’s back, she just sat there looking down, picking off imaginary lint from her navy blue pants. When everyone else started to pour drinks for a toast, she lifted her head and gazed at me. Her face was full of sadness. When I started to walk toward her, she stood up and headed into the kitchen. I watched her go, wondering if I’d ever be able to win her over.
Nick’s phone rang, bringing me back to the celebration. “Excuse me, guys, I’ll take this outside.”
Finding Abigail Page 10
