Page 36 of Meant To Be - Irresistible Bachelors

I can’t keep her here much longer because we both need to finish packing. We were supposed to finish doing it last night, but instead, we fell into each other’s arms and made love until the sun rose.

Ending the kiss with a soft peck, Nikki reluctantly says, “I should probably go now.”

She’s right, but I don’t want her to. She picks her clothes up off the floor and dresses as I sit on the foot of the bed, watching her every move.

“I miss you already, and you’re still standing right in front of me,” I complain.

She slowly walks over to me fully clothed and sits on my lap. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she kisses my cheek softly.

“I know what you mean,” she says.

She grows silent as she stares down at the ground.

“Don’t stay away too long,” she whispers.

“I won’t. The second I have some free time, I’m hopping on the next flight to come see you, I promise.”

She smiles, but I know she still has her doubts.

She stands up and slowly walks toward the door, teasing me. I follow behind her, watching her hips sway from side to side with every step she takes. She knows exactly what she’s doing to me. I’m getting aroused, but there isn’t enough time to make love to her. We’re leaving for the airport in twenty minutes. She stops at the door and turns toward me.

“I love you,” she says, her eyes a bit misty.

“I love you more,” I say as I lean in and softly kiss her forehead.

She smiles and clings to my body. I hold her one last time, wishing I didn’t have to let her go.

“Goodbye,” she whispers.

“Goodbye.”

Since we’re flying separately, Rocky is sending two different cars to pick us up from our hotel. Nikki is going to ride in a large van with her dance troupe, while I’ll be riding to the airport in a car alone.

For the first time in two months, I’ll be alone again. I’ve gotten so used to having her by my side, I don’t think I’ll know how to function without her. I’m sure I’ll toss and turn in my bed for the next few nights as I lie there alone, wishing she were with me. Nashville is going to feel so lonely without her.

She releases me from her embrace and places her hand on the doorknob. My heart stops as she turns it. She opens the door and then glances back at me one more time. She stares into my eyes as she hesitates, but we both know we can’t waste another minute. Finally, she steps into the hallway, and I watch as the door closes behind her.

I sigh heavily as it slams shut. She’s gone. My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. I keep telling myself that this isn’t goodbye for good, but it still hurts like it is. I walk back over to the bed and sit on the edge as I cradle my head in the palm of my hands.

The next few weeks without her are going to be a living hell, but the second I get a chance, I’m flying out to Hollywood to be with the woman I love.

17

Nikki

I drag a chair over to the bed my mom is lying in. A knot forms in my gut as I stare at the IV in her arm. Machines are beeping all around us, and I start to feel sick to my stomach. I’ve always hated hospitals, and I’ve tried to avoid them at all costs, but right now, I don’t have a choice. I have to be here for her.

I wish she had told me how bad things have gotten. As soon as my flight landed, I got a call from my aunt saying that my mom was in the intensive care unit. I couldn’t believe my ears. Kenny took a taxi with me up to the hospital. Once he saw how distraught I was, my dear friend refused to leave my side.

Kenny stands off to the side as I take a seat in the chair. I reach for my mother’s frail hand, and it trembles as she tries to lift it. Tears flood my eyes as I stare at her thin body. She has lost a lot of weight in the last two months. I get my shape from my mom, and she has been curvy my entire life, so to see her like this is heartbreaking. Her eyes are sunken in, and she’s having a hard time breathing.

Kenny walks over and gently rubs my back. I’m on the verge of bursting into tears, but I don’t want to upset my mom. I know she didn’t want me to see her like this, but she should have told me what was going on. I could have left the tour early and come back here to be with her. She shouldn’t have had to go through this all by herself.

---