“The conversation?” Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked at Cara questioningly.
“Yes, you know the one where Nick confesses to your brothers that he’s been secretly pining away for you all these years, and hasn’t done jack shit about it because of some nonsense on brotherly code.” Cara shook her hand as if to dismiss the nonsense part of what she told Sam.
Sam’s eyes widened and then she leaned back in the chair, pondering what Cara said. “Pining?”
“Pining.” Cara affirmed.
Sam shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Nick is just looking to scratch an itch probably and I’m not going to be another notch in his belt.”
“I think you’re wrong.”
“Listen, so it might be a really long time since I got any, but I’m sure the next man I take to bed is not going to be Nick.” The two women working on their pedicures chuckled but didn’t lift their heads. Sam’s cheeks grew red and Cara burst out laughing.
“I meant, I don’t think you’d be just another notch in his belt.”
Sam decided to ignore Cara at that moment. “What was Luke’s reaction to all this?”
“According to Jake, he gave his blessing.”
“Well that explains all the groping he’s been doing around everyone.” Sam said more to herself than to Cara. “Before he left, he would barely look at me, without being nervous Luke would find out.”
“You can tell me to shut up, but I’m going to say it anyway.” Cara turned sideways in her chair and held Sam’s gaze. “If you have feelings for Nick, like real deal feelings, pursue them. You never know where life is going to take you, you don’t want to look back and have regrets.”
Sam looked at Cara, her heart breaking for her friend. Yes, she was Jake’s best friend for all these years, but somewhere along the way she became her friend too. “Do you feel that way Cara?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know what lies ahead but I’m so scared to leave Jake’s side right now, fearing I’ll miss a second. I’m really glad we’re here today, and I’m having a great time, but in the back of my head, I’m counting the minutes until I get back to him, worrying if he needs my help.” She cocked her head to the side and stared at Sam. “I just don’t want you to regret wasting time, because if it’s one thing no one is sure of, it’s how long they have with the people they love.”
Sam reached out for her hand and squeezed it, her eyes full of unshed tears. “My brother is lucky to have you.”
Cara shook her head, and smiled through her emotions. “I’m the lucky one.”
Nick stood frozen in the doorway, unsure how to proceed. He watched Jake as he spread his fingers and let the hair slip through them, onto the counter of the bathroom vanity. He ran his fingers through his hair continuously, more hair falling with each comb of his fingers. He looked at Nick through the mirror.
“I knew I would lose my hair. I told myself I was going to.” He paused shaking his head, his eyes back to focusing on his own reflection. “I didn’t prepare myself for how I’d feel when it happened.” His voice was strangled and bowed his head, his hands bracing the edge of the counter for strength. He glanced back up and forced himself to look at his reflection and cringed. Nick took a step closer. “Well, how do you feel?” He asked, and decided that as Jake began to lose control, he would be the one who remained in control. He stood beside him facing the mirror.
“It’s not losing the hair that’s bothering me. It’s everything settling in. It’s looking in the mirror and not recognizing the man looking back at me.” He swallowed, and looked at Nick’s reflection.
Nick didn’t say anything, he simply let Jake vent his frustrations. He glanced around the countertop and then bent down and opened the cabinet beneath the sink. He rummaged through and pulled out what he was looking for. He didn’t look at Jake he simply plugged in the electric buzzer, and he poured peroxide over the blade, before flicking it on. Jake looked at him startled by the sound of the buzzer.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jake said, turning to face him. His eyes widened as Nick let the head of the buzzer glide through his long locks. “Stop it! Nick, I can’t let you do this!”
Nick ignored him and let the hair fly onto the counter. He combed it through the rest of the hair with ease, never flinching. Jake watched him, tears slipping down his cheeks as he guided the buzzer throughout his head. Once his head was completely shaven, he shut the buzzer off and turned to Jake.