Page 68 of The Tomorrows After You
I almost doubled over with the ache between my hips. I crawled into bed and spent the next ten minutes picturing just how I wanted to finish tomorrow night with Nicolette Parker.
26
Nicolette
Okay, so I wasn’t leaving townjustyet. I told myself it was because of the new information Dr. Moore’s friend had given me but I knew that was a lie.
It was forhim.Part of me was ashamed that I was deviating from my decision to leave Godot for a man. But the bigger part of me didn’t care. Last night, Riot brought something to life inside me that I’d never felt before. The feelings I had for my producer back then were strong, but they felt dark. Dirty. Dangerous. The feelings Riot inspired felt like airy sunshine and safety. He made me feel desirable, cared for. Important. Plus, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been out on a date, and the teenager inside me was giddy.
That morning, I’d gotten the call that my car was finally ready to be picked up. Just as I pulled the front door open to head into town, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Chelsea appeared on the other side of it.
“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me.”I pressed against my heart, slamming in my chest.
“Sorry,”she said, eyeing me over curiously.“I would have texted, but I wanted to check on you and didn’t want you to tell me not to come.”
The sincerity in her eyes brought back yesterday’s earlier events. I hadn’t forgotten about what happened at the carnival. But what progressed with Riot made it feel a lot less important. Still, I was touched Chelsea was here, on my doorstep, making sure I was alright. She was such a good friend, I tried to not to let my mind wander to how much Iwasn’t.
I smiled at her and the“Thanks, I’m doing okay,”was perched on my lips. But as I studied Chelsea’s features, my words fell silent. There was something loaded behind her expression. A deeper sadness that went beyond sympathy for her friend.
“What happened yesterday at the carnival...” She took a shaky breath. “It was super shitty. Jeremy Blackwell said he’s launching a full investigation.”She rushed the words out. I really didn’t relish the thought of Jeremy spending time investigating my sex tape.
“Chelsea, I appreciate that, but really, I’m surprisingly okay—”
“Nicolette.”She said my name with such emotion I pulled up short. Her eyes were shrink-wrapped in unshed tears. She looked away and swallowed. When she turned back to look at me, the heartbreak I saw there made my throat tighten.“What happened to you yesterday... what someonechoseto do to you... it wasn’t right. And it isn’t your fault.”
Her words were sentiments I’d already accepted, but it was validating to hear it out loud. Still, the emotion came off her in disproportionate waves. My breath hitched, realizing it wasn’t sympathy at all.
It wasempathy.
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. She sniffled once. We stood there for a silent minute. When I pulled back, a single tear streamed down her face. I pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.
“I have to grab my car at Riot’s shop. Could you give me a ride? Then maybe we can grab coffee? If you have time?”
Chelsea gave me a watery smile.“I’d really like that.”
Chelsea stayed close to me whenI breezed into the auto shop. When the door chimed, Riot looked up from the desk. His eyes lit up briefly and my butterflies went wild.
“Hey.”He stood, pushed his hands in his pockets and approached me with a knowing smirk. Maybe it was simply the lack of beard, but Riot looked lighter today. His blue eyes sparkled brighter and there was a levity to him I hadn’t seen before.
“Hey,”I repeated. We faced one another, a wave of comfort passing between us. Chelsea coughed and shuffled behind me.“Riot, do you remember my friend Chelsea?”I opened my body up to let her into the conversation. He gave a gentlemanly nod with a sheepish smile.
“Thanks for helping out yesterday, at the vendor booth,”he said appreciatively.
“No problem,”she said but her words were clipped, nervous.
She was afraid of him. He shrank away to grab my keys off the wall and my heart ached. He rifled through paperwork and I pulled my credit card out. Handing my keys over, he waved the card away dismissively.
“It’s taken care of,”he said with a confidence that made my neck flush with heat.
“You didn’t have to do that,”I said flatly but my appreciative smile gave away all the ways I planned to thank him later. He shrugged and winked and I had to take a deep breath to keep myself from throwing my body at him.“Well, thank you.”
The shop was simmering with a quiet tension when a phony sex moan suddenly cut through our silence. Stifled boyish laughter followed and Riot’s body went rigid. A small gasp escaped from Chelsea behind me.
“Tell me you want it...”someone mocked from yesterday’s video.
My face burned but my attention was on Riot. The vein in his throat grew thick with fury as his fists clenched. He couldn’t afford to get in trouble. Especially not over me.
He moved to whirl around, oozing danger but I grabbed his upper bicep to stop him. His lips parted to protest, but I slid my other hand slowly up his chest. I sliced my narrowed eyes to the work bays where the boys were standing, slightly slack-jawed. My wandering hand wrapped around the back of Riot’s neck.
