Page 22 of A Gift of Time
“Thanks a lot, Nick,” I said with a snarl before taking a swig of the drink, wincing as it burned a bit going down. “You set me up for failure.”
My gaze moved to the clock on the mantel, and I clenched my jaw. All of my fucking issues had started with that damn thing.
“It’s easy to place the blame on others for our own wrongdoings,” a familiar voice said.
I looked to the left and saw Nick standing near the doorway, wearing a big, red winter coat and a red knitted hat.
Rolling my eyes, I took a bigger drink before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Not really in the mood to chat, Nicky boy,” I said in full-on asshole mode. “Some warning before I took the clock home would’ve been nice. And not the cryptic shit you fed me.”
“Would you have really learned a lesson if I would’ve told you the truth?” he asked in a level tone, walking closer. His cheeks were pink and I could’ve sworn his blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses for a moment. “All you cared about was yourself. Caden was not a priority in your life, so much so that you waited until last minute to even remember to get him a gift. And that was after disregarding his wants and needs for months. If I would’ve told you what happened once you went home, you might’ve left the clock in my store, but you would’ve taken your bitterness with you still.”
There wasn’t enough alcohol in my apartment for me to have that conversation with Mr. Santa Claus wannabe.
“So, you’re a shrink now, too, Nick?” I laid my head down on the bar and closed my eyes. “I guess you do that on the side. When you’re not ruining people’s lives, of course.”
“Some people are fortunate to believe without seeing,” he said, and his voice sounded farther away. “And some people… must see to believe.”
When I looked back up, he was gone.
