Chapter Thirty-Three

Trevor didn’t want to open his eyes.

Nick was still beside him, he could feel the weight of an arm across his back, moved with the soft rising and falling of Nick’s chest where he was pillowed on Nick’s shoulder. Still, opening his eyes would mean inviting in the real world, would mean having to face the possibilities of losing Nick or keeping him – whichever the wider Chicago area would allow.

“I can hear you thinking,” Nick said, voice gruff with sleep.

Trevor turned his head, kissed Nick’s collarbone. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”

“No,” Nick huffed, amused, and Trevor felt an answering kiss to the top of his hair. “You can open your eyes. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Uh-huh.” Trevor pulled back, rubbing at his eyes before staring up at the ceiling. Turning to his left, Nick looked as if he’d already been awake a couple of hours. He reached over, brushing a hand over Nick’s hair. “So.”

Nick rolled his eyes, holding up his phone. “Wanna see the damage?”

Trevor didn’t, but he took the phone anyway. There were a couple of search engine results about him – and a couple of photos that he couldn’t tear his eyes from. There was one of Nick in the stands, blurry and almost out of focus, but still obvious that it was him. It was on a social media site, a fan over-excited about the prospect of Trevor’s nanny being back on the scene sans-daughter.

“How often do you think they’d talk about Gabrielle if the team didn’t have the press under a gag order?”

“Too much,” Nick said, brushing a hand over Trevor’s shoulder. “What about that one?”

Indicating the second picture, posted to a hockey blog, surprise, surprise, was a picture of Nick and Trevor in the parking lot, Trevor pressing Nick back against his car, and looking like he was trying to eat his face off.

“So that’s what we look like when we kiss,” he managed, not knowing how else to react to it.

Nick paused. “Are you freaking out?”

“Probably?” Trevor sighed, dropping the phone beside him on the bed and meeting Nick’s eyes. “I think I’m freaking out more about how little I’m freaking out.”

Confusion gave way to amusement and Nick laughed gently, pulling Trevor in to kiss him softly on the corner of his mouth. Trevor went willingly, allowing himself to be held tight, so grateful that Nick was reacting the way he was instead of running right out of the room.

“It freaks me out,” Nick admitted, brushing a hand through Trevor’s curls. Trevor’s chest seized, but he refused to get upset before Nick had finished talking. That was their problem in the first place. “I don’t like the media knowing everything about me. But you’re a hockey player.” Nick kissed the top of Trevor’s head once, twice. “It’s something I know I’ll have to get used to if I want to stay with you.”

“And you do?” Trevor asked. “Want to stay with me?”

Nick nudged Trevor up until they were looking each other in the eye. “I’m still here, right now aren’t I?”

“Yeah,” Trevor said breathlessly. “You are.”

“And I’ll come with you to get Gabrielle.” Nick looked uncertain for the first time that morning and that caught Trevor’s attention, made him realize just what Nick was saying. “If you want me to.”

Trevor relaxed, felt his face melting into relief and happiness, a smile he couldn’t shake. “Of course I want you to.”

Nick’s answering grin was blinding and could have been distracting if the thought of Gabrielle’s happy shriek when she saw Nick wasn’t even more of a pull toward getting out of bed.

“She’s gonna be so happy to see you,” Trevor told Nick as he rolled over, sliding out of bed.

“She will, huh?” Nick said, faux-casually. Trevor wasn’t buying it, could read the apprehension in Nick’s posture and face.

Rolling his eyes, Trevor grabbed a fresh shirt and jeans from his closet and gave Nick an unimpressed look. “If you don’t think she’s missed you even more than me, I don’t know what to tell ya.”

Nick snorted, but he was grinning through whatever bullshit he was about to say, so Trevor took it with a pinch of salt. “As if anybody could cry as much over me as you did.”

That was actually painfully close to the truth, but Trevor stuck up his middle finger as he headed for the bathroom, closing the door on Nick’s startled laugh. A little while later, Nick called through the door that he was using the shower in the guestroom, and Trevor grinned, couldn’t wait for the day they got to share this shower when he could share everything he wanted with Nick.

First, they had to go and pick up Gabrielle and hope that she was still excited at the prospect of having Nick back in her life. The night before it had been about the media holding Trevor’s feelings hostage. Gabrielle might have a hold of them at that moment, but Trevor had no doubt that Gabrielle wouldn’t let him down.

Refusing to give in to what little doubt he possessed, Trevor made them both coffee and toast, grinning at Nick as they ate, and not bothering to avoid the kiss Nick pressed to his lips as they headed out to the car.

“You’re excited too,” Trevor pointed out, reaching over to squeeze Nick’s upper arm.

“Nervous too,” Nick admitted, tipping his head back against the headrest. “Worried she might not be happy with it.”

Trevor didn’t say anything for a moment, knowing Nick wouldn’t appreciate him laughing in his face, even if that was what he really wanted to do. “She thinks you’re amazing,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road but remembering that day in the kitchen with the cakes. “She asked me if you were coming back just the other day. She missed you, Nick, and she’ll be happy to see you.”

Nick smiled, looking out of the window, but Trevor didn’t think he believed him. Not that he could fault him for that; Nick had been patient, waiting till he’d attended a game, so Trevor could see he wasn’t about to leave. Trevor could be patient a little longer.

Silence fell between them, and Trevor almost wanted to break it, but it wasn’t far to Jetty’s. Nick didn’t seem uncomfortable, occasionally glancing Trevor’s way with a small smile on his face. When they pulled up outside the Jett’s, Trevor leaned over, pulling Nick in for a quick kiss. “It’ll be fine, all right?”

“Yeah,” Nick breathed. “All right.”

Before they even reached the door, it was wrenched open and Gabrielle stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. She shrieked immediately, racing right past Trevor to launch herself at Nick, who swept her into his arms, holding her tight. Trevor’s throat was dry, his chest tight with emotion at seeing Gabrielle clinging to Nick’s shoulder, talking a mile a minute about why he was there, was he staying with them again, did he know she could make cakes and ate a hundred, and Trevor smothered a laugh, turning back to the open door.

Abby was leaning against the doorjamb, one eyebrow raised, but she was smiling. “I see Gabrielle’s favorite person has returned.”

“Thanks,” Trevor said dryly.

“Oh, you know what I mean,” Abby said, waving a hand casually. “She loves you dearly. You can be her constant, but Nick’s her favorite.”

“It’s all right,” Trevor said, cutting her off because she wasn’t making sense and her cheeks were starting to pink. “I know what you mean.”

Kelly and Sadie were standing behind their mother, so Trevor crouched down.

“Thank you for taking care of Gabrielle for me.”

Both girls stepped forward, accepting his hug, and Trevor pressed a kiss to each of their heads.

“Does this mean Gabby won’t be coming back?” Kelly asked, twisting her skirt between her hands.

“Not coming back?” Trevor pretended to be shocked. “Of course she’s coming back, what are you talking about.”

Kelly grinned, as toothy as Gabrielle’s could be. “I still have toys she hasn’t played with.”

“Well, then,” Trevor said, pushing himself back to his feet. “You wanna keep playing with Kelly and Sadie, Gabrielle?”

“Today?” Gabrielle looked horrified at the prospect of being parted from Nick, who was flushed and grinning like a loon. “But Daddy, Mr. Nick–”

Trevor laughed gently. “Not today, sweetheart. I mean next time Daddy has a game.”

Gabrielle looked between Nick and the Jett’s house, clearly weighing her options. She took a deep breath but didn’t seem to know what to say.

“Kelly and Sadie do have good toys,” Nick put in, and Trevor could have kissed him then and there.

It didn’t take long for Gabrielle to turn her smile on Kelly and Sadie, clapping her hands together. “You do have good toys.”

Kelly giggled, seemingly happy with that, and Trevor breathed a sigh of relief. Grateful for Nick and for Abby both helping out enough that Trevor wasn’t worried about Gabrielle’s happiness anymore. She had enough people who cared about her that he didn’t have to think about the many ways being left so often had affected her.

“Thanks again,” Trevor said, kissing Abby’s cheek, and rolling his eyes at the sight of Jetty coming down the stairs, looking worse for wear. “You better take care of that Neanderthal.”

Kelly and Sadie giggled, both asking Jetty what a 'nanderal' was and Trevor figured he should make himself scarce. Abby’s laugh followed him down the path as she closed the door on whatever Jetty was gonna say to him.

“Daddy,” Gabrielle said, still holding tight to Nick. “Is Mr. Nick coming back to our house?”

“He is,” Trevor assured her. “Mr. Nick might come around a lot, is that okay?”

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “I love Mr. Nick, Daddy. Of course, I want him to come over. Will you kiss like Nana and Grandpa?”

“Uh,” Trevor said, not quite sure how to answer that. “Who said we might do that?”

“Uncle Jetty,”

Gabrielle said primly. “I heard him talking to Auntie Abby this morning when he said you’d be bringing Mr. Nick.”

So, it was Jetty Trevor had to thank for ruining the surprise. He grinned, knowing he’d paid Jetty back in kind, and ran a hand down her back as he opened the rear passenger door. “Would you mind if we kissed like Nana and Grandpa?”

It pained Trevor just to say, and Nick was obviously laughing at him. Ignoring him, Trevor wrestled his daughter away, who seemed content to be strapped into her car seat when she saw Nick open the front passenger door.

“I don’t think so,” Gabrielle said. “Just don’t be icky.”

Trevor laughed, shutting the door and moving around to the other side of the car. Nick was still grinning, and Trevor snorted. “We’ll try not to be too icky.”