“Well, I just don’t want you to get sick.”
“Too late to worry about that now,” he said, kissing me again.
Groggy from the cold meds and confused by Nick’s sudden affections, I followed him to the bedroom where he kicked off his shoes.
“Need anything before we crash?” he asked then flopped on the bed when I shook my head. “Comfy.”
The relaxed expression on Nick’s face sent me rushing towards the bed. He looked so open to the idea of us being close. I couldn’t wait to spend time with him, even if I was sleeping for most of it.
“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” he asked, resting on his side and caressing my face.
“I didn’t want you to see me looking gross, but I’m really glad you came.”
Nick studied me. “I suck at relationships and I know I’m messing up things with us. So despite my idiot moves the other night, I hope you see how much I don’t want to lose you.”
“I do see,” I lied, wanting to touch him. I kept my hands to myself and watched him instead. At some point, I dozed off. When I woke up, Nick was sleeping.
I never noticed how long his lashes were until his eyes were closed. My fingers ached to touch them. I wanted to explore his cheeks and lips. Even needing to touch him, I stopped myself.
After sneaking off to the bathroom where I washed up and checked for booger issues, I returned to find Nick still asleep. He almost looked like a stranger when he slept. I never realized how much tension he held in his jaw.
Watching him sleep, I struggled to understand his hot and cold routine. If he were any other guy, I’d have dumped his ass at the first mixed signal. Nick was special though.
I downed a dose of cold medicine then cuddled under the blanket and watched him sleep. My mind returned to Cooper’s early complaints about Farah.
My brilliant brother thought his newest conquest was playing with him. Her hot and cold moods were just games to keep his attention. Cooper bitched about Farah, but refused to give up. He wanted her. He also needed her to want him. Like usual, Cooper pushed too hard and nearly lost her.
I thought about my brother hurting Nick and my rage bubbled. Normally, I always took my family’s side over any outsider, but not with Nick. I knew Cooper was wrong. I just didn’t know why. Not really. I thought he was an idiot for losing his mind over a girl who played with his emotions.
Farah wasn’t playing and Cooper learned to help her. I knew Nick wasn’t playing either. He wanted me and I wanted him. It was simple, but I needed to be patient. Unfortunately for Nick and me, I sucked at patience.
Chapter Fourteen ~ Nick
Loneliness was a common symptom of my upbringing that I’d learned to ignore. By high school, I didn’t seek out close friends. Keeping everything casual, I didn’t let people close. I refused to be in a position to answer questions about my scars or asshole dad. Desperate to pretend I was someone else, I found lies were easier when I kept people at a distance.
Bailey wasn’t people though. She was mine. I felt it in my gut, but that didn’t make letting her close any easier.
For a few hours in Bailey’s bed, I slept better than I had in years. Closing my eyes to the image of Bailey’s bleary eyes and red nose, I felt safe. I dozed off to the aroma of her summery scent mixed with Vicks.
Waking later, I found Bailey snoring quietly. She looked like a very stuffed up baby drooling on her pillow while breathing through her mouth. Even sick, she was too beautiful for a guy like me.
Losers occasionally ended up with people above their worth. Pretty successful girls with ugly lame guys. Overweight dumb girls with the athletic winners. If a connection happened, the loser’s flaws might be ignored. Bailey felt something for me, so I hoped she might overlook the scars and intimacy issues. If she could see only the good parts, I might win her heart.
Unable to sleep, I carefully slid out of bed to ensure I didn’t wake Bailey. Her snoring never paused as I left the bedroom. Feeling dirty, what I really wanted was a shower. Since this was out of the question with Bailey sleeping, I cleaned her kitchen. First I washed the few dishes in the sink. Then I wiped down the counter and the cabinets. The place wasn’t really dirty, but I needed to create order where in my mind was a ruined mess.
Drying the dishes, I heard the front door open. I prayed Cooper wasn’t visiting because I wasn’t in the mood for more dick measuring. Instead, a curly haired blonde appeared in the kitchen with a lit cigarette dangling from one hand and a Tupperware container from the other. Her blue eyes sized me up quickly then she nodded and placed the container on the counter.
“You’re Nick.”
“I came over to check on Bailey.”
“How’s my baby doing?” she asked, glancing towards the bedroom.
“Stuffed up, but sleeping.”
Jodi nodded then sized me up again. “You have mama issues, don’t you, Nick?”
“Should I leave?”