Nico washes himself quickly then gets out of the shower. I finish with my hair and climb out behind him.
He already has our clothes laid out, waiting for me to get dressed. “Sweats?” I ask, looking at them curiously.
“You’ll thank me for them.”
Shrugging, I get dressed and wait for him to get ready.
We meet Manuel in the living room, and he wears a grin as he catches the keys Nico tosses to him.
After I lock up and we’re heading down the stairs, Manuel says, “Thanks for letting me crash here. I appreciate it.”
My throat clogs as I realize that it feels right for Manuel to have Hen’s room. I don’t feel like he’s intruding on his memory or trying to take his place. He does remind me of Hendrix sometimes, but he’s a different person..
“Anytime.” I’m not shocked to realize I mean it.
Nico helps me into the car then slides in beside me. I immediately tuck myself into his side, needing his comfort. I don’t have to look up to know that his face is split into a grin.
I ask, “Do I need to be blindfolded for this surprise?”
“No,” he laughs. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
He holds out his hand, palm up, and I slide mine against his. His finger strokes over the missing space and I feel self-conscious.
“Does this bother you?” he asks.
“Yeah, a little. I mean, I can’t grow another one, and the one I had is in someone’s trash can. But I won’t lie and say it won’t take some getting used to.”
“Do you want to wear your wedding ring on the other hand?”
“Fuck no. I want the world to know I locked you down.”He snorts. “Seriously, I don’t want to feel like they took that from me, too. I don’t want to hide it. Like you said, it means I survived. But that doesn’t mean I won’t look down at the space and want what I had.”
Nico squeezes my hand gently. “I know, baby. I’m sorry they did that to you. But I’ll be here every step of the way of your recovery. Every step.”
I lean into him and close my eyes. “I know. Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Declan.”
About twenty minutes later, Manuel makes a turn and I open my eyes to see we’re at The Fox Club. I look over at Nico, but he says nothing, though his eyes dance with mischief.
Curious, I get out of the car, looking around at our surroundings. “Why are we here?”
“Your surprise.” He holds his hand out. “You trust me?”
“More than I should probably,” I answer truthfully and place my hand in his.
Even more curious is that the parking lot is empty but for three other cars. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the parking lot so empty.
Turning to Manuel, I ask, “Y’all closed today?”
He smiles sinisterly, rubbing his hands together. “Oh yeah.”
On the door is a sign that reads, “Closed for a private event.” Okay, what the fuck is going on?
“This better not be a fucking engagement party. I have on fucking sweatpants, Nico,” I hiss.
He throws his head back and laughs, but doesn’t say anything.
When we get inside, instead of Manuel walking into the basement, he steps back and allows Nico to rap on the door three times.
