Page 74 of Crazy in Love

He didn’t like his new partner. Nor the way the CO coddled him while simultaneously blowing past his old partner’s loss. In this morning’s meeting, the boss had made it sound like Andy had it coming. Barely dead two months, and already the brass was throwing him under the bus.

Nick’s outburst and rebuttal went unappreciated and, in fact, landed him in the boss’s office right after the meeting.

That hadn’t gone so well. Nick had taken a page from Faith’s playbook and told the CO exactly how he felt about the whole situation. Said some not-so-nice things and made some not-so-subtle accusations about the management team.

“We were ambushed, plain and simple. If anyone’s to blame, it’s whoever was in charge of the intel. And you putting it on Andy is really pissing me off. The department’s lucky his family isn’t suing. Hell, I could sue too. We were sent into the op like sacrificial lambs, and you don’t seem to give a crap.”

Nick had no intention of lawyering up, but he’d be damned if he’d allow them to keep insinuating Andy’s death was his own fault. Things went downhill from there, and Nick had been sent home early with a reprimand. It was the first time in his career he’d been in trouble.

He’d barely arrived home when his boss called, falling on his sword and apologizing, agreeing Andy’s death was a terrible tragedy and in no way his fault. It was insincere, and Nick took it for what it was—a way to cover his ass in case Nick or Crystal did decide to sue.

A sick feeling washed over him as he hung up. He was back on the job. Back where he should be. Then why did everything feel so wrong? So off? Had he taken too much time away? Had losing a partner and having a near-death experience changed him? Could his priorities have shifted in the two months he was home?

Interesting that he suddenly thought of Green Valley Falls as “home.” That was new. Maybe he had changed.

He needed to get out of his own head. Focus on something or someone else before he went mad. With his afternoon freed up, he returned to his car and drove to Andy’s.

Crystal answered the door with a baby on her hip. “Who dat, mommy?” she said quietly.

“It’s Daddy’s friend,” Crystal said. “Hey, Nick. Come on in.”

They’d texted and talked while Nick was in GVF, and he’d been by a couple of times since returning to Boston, but it wasn’tenough. He’d neglected his responsibility to care for them, and it weighed on him.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around for you more,” Nick said.

“You had to get better,” Crystal said. “I understand. How’s being back on the job? Speaking of which, why aren’t you at work?”

“Had a difference of opinion with the boss. It didn’t end well for me.”

She offered him a seat, and he sat. Andy Junior looked up from a coloring book.

“Hi, Uncle Nick,” he said. “Wanna see my monkey?”

“Sure, buddy. Whatcha got?”

The boy brought the book to Nick and handed it to him, showing off a green and blue monkey.

“Looks good, bud. Nice job.”

AJ blushed with pride and returned to his project. Nick had to look away. It hurt to know these two would grow up without their dad. Crystal sat across from him.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

She sighed. “It hurts a little less every day. We’re getting by all right. How about you? How was home?” He took her changing the subject to mean she didn’t want to talk about it, and he wouldn’t push her.

“Different than I remember. I wasn’t quite as repulsed as I once was.”

She tilted her head, studying him. “You met someone.”

“What? Why would you think that?” Usually, he did a pretty good job of hiding his emotions. At least, he thought he did. Were the strange new feelings he had for Faith written on his face?

“You seem different.” She shrugged. “And it would explain your change in perspective. What’s she like?”

“Crazy.” He huffed out a laugh. “And I mean that almost literally. She believes in horoscopes and psychics and vision boards. Her head is in the clouds ninety percent of the time. But she’s also fun, happy, optimistic, and sees the good in people.”

“So, your exact opposite?”

“Exactly.” He smiled.

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