“Because you’re going to bed now.” Reluctantly, I let Sylus guide me up, his hand wrapping around mine as he helps me to my feet. I follow him up the stairs, still half asleep, expecting him to turn into his room. But he keeps walking as we pass his door and head farther down the hall toward mine.
Fine by me,I think groggily, though part of me wants to pout at the loss of his bed and his scent.
When we reach my door, Sylus turns me gently, his hands framing my face as his lips brush against mine. I melt into him, his touch anchoring me even as it steals the breath from my lungs. Then his lips glide to my neck, kissing and nibbling, making goose bumps rise in his wake.
“I fixed it for you,wifey. Enjoy your night, but don’t forget to miss me.”
“What?” I manage, my voice thick with confusion and the haze of his kiss, but before I can ask more, Sylus knocks lightly on my door.
I’m even more confused when he steps back, giving me one last smirk, then turns and heads down the hallway with his hands in his pants pockets.
What the fuck?
My door creaks open, and I turn to find Nicholas standing in the doorway, framed by soft light spilling out from behind him. I can’t move. Can’t speak. My heart pounds, and the warmth that Koen and Sylus left behind is replaced by a cold that freezes my blood and wakes me the fuck up.
Is he here to tell me how I hurt him again?
It would be deserved.
“Hey,” he greets, his tone softer than I’ve ever heard it. “Will you… come in?” He steps back, waiting for me to enter, then closes the door behind me. “We need to talk.”
Okaaay.
My heart tightens, its slow thrum picking up speed. “About what?”
“Everything.” His gaze doesn’t waver as he takes a step closer. “About us. About what I said. About what I want.”
The words hang in the air when my eyes flicker to the bouquet of fire lilies sitting on the dresser, and I notice how their scent fills the room.
“Are they for me?” I ask, and as soon as the words leave my mouth, I cringe.Dumbass.
“They are.” His lips tug into a faint smile.
“They’re beautiful,” I manage. “Thank you.”
“They reminded me of you.”
I don’t even know what to say to that, so I sit on the edge of my bed. The walls I’ve built around myself rise, brick by brick, but something in his eyes keeps me from shutting him out completely.
“Let me start with this.” He holds my gaze but stays a few steps away from me. “I was an asshole. I said things I shouldn’t have, and I made you feel bad. Like what we had didn’t matter. And I need you to know that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Fuck.
I still can’t seem to get my brain to work and stay silent, letting him continue.
“I get it now.” Tension is radiating off him as he takes a step closer to me. “Why you did what you did. Whytheydid what they did, and I know it doesn’t excuse how I acted, but I want you to know I understand. And I forgive you because I see it now, Novalee. What’s real and worth fighting for. And it’syou.”
His words sink into me, unraveling the knot of guilt and doubt I’ve been carrying for days. “Nico…”
He steps even closer, closing the distance between us until he’s standing right in front of me. “I’m all in,” he promises. “For you. For them. For this… I’m in.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He reaches out to cup my face. “You’re not perfect. Hell, neither am I. But you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I’ll fight for you. For us. I want to get to know you. I want us to be real.”
I lean into his touch, and it feels like the first full breath I’ve taken in days. “Okay.”
Nicholas smiles a small, genuine smile that softens the edges of his face and gives him dimples.
