Page 32 of Until Now

“I think we’re gonna go too,” Eileen says. “I’m pretty tired.”

“Vacation is so hard, isn’t it, babe?” Kai pokes her side.

“It’s the absolute worst.” Eileen feigns dismay before she takes Kai’s hand pulling her to her feet.

“C’mon man, we’ll walk down with you.” Kai urges Lee towards the steps. “You guys coming?” Kai calls to us.

“You wanna go to bed?” Nick whispers to me and I nod against his chest. “We’re right behind you.”

§

The adrenaline finally subsides and I feel like I can breathe again. I trail behind the others, behind Nick, keeping as much distance between me and Lee as possible. We bid goodnight to the others and retreat to our room. Once the door shuts, we fall back into the same routine we have been in for days. Dancing around each other, getting ready for bed without a word. I climb into bed and turn my back to him ready to pass out.

His side of the bed dips and he tries to settle into a more comfortable position. He ends up on his back and after a moment, he speaks, his voice so soft I barely hear him. “I’m sorry.”

“Nick,” his name a sigh on my lips.

“Look, the other morning…it was way out of line. I shouldn’t have done that. It was— I know it was wrong.”

I try to hide my disappointment. But, why do I care? He should be sorry. We’re not supposed to be doing things like kissing. Even I decided we should forget it, act like nothing happened. So, why does the thought of him regretting it upset me? “You don’t need to apologize,” I whisper and try to smile.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“It's okay, I'm sorry, too.”

“No more weirdness?”

“No more weirdness,” I promise, but I’m not sure I can keep it.

“I promise to be on my best behavior and get you through the rest of vacation without any more problems.”

Chapter Nineteen

I would liketo tell you things have gotten better, but I can’t. Nick has stayed true to his word. He’s been on his best behavior since our reconciliation in bed a week ago. When we are alone, we keep our distance — he’s even stopped spending mornings with me. Things are still awkward and neither of us wants to be the one to bring it up. Instead, we do our best to avoid each other. Until now… I drop the steaming cup of coffee on his nightstand. My way of officially laying my arms down.

When he finally joins me on the balcony, he hesitates by the door for a brief moment. I don’t meet his stare. I wait. I let him come to me. Gently, he lifts my legs to rest in my lap. Behind my book, the smallest pull on the corner of my lips.

“You read a lot of books,” Nick finally says. I wonder if he reads.

“You don’t?” Marking my page, I finally meet his gaze.

“Not as many as you and from the looks of it, you’ve read this one a lot. Who is your favorite?”

“Stephen King. Or Edgar Allan Poe.”

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or concerned.”

“They’re both misunderstood,” I sip my coffee. “But, people categorize King as one thing, horror. Right? But, he’s so much more than that. Does his brain go down some pretty dark roads? One hundred percent. But, have you seen some of the people who live in this world? They’re scarier than anything he could ever write. Most of the time, he’s just telling the story of ordinary people and their struggles. In the end, good always overcomes evil.” I sip my coffee and continue to match his stare. “Plus, he’s funny.”

“You think Stephen King is funny?”

“Just because he writes some fucked up situations doesn’t mean he can’t be funny. I cherish my relationship with Stephen King.”

“You’re a strange girl, Nina Villa.”

“And for some reason, you’re still here, Nick Davis.”

He matches my smile with a dimpled one.

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