Chapter Four
As we walked into our apartment, my phone vibrated in my purse. I went to my room to check it and relax on my own bed when I saw Nick’s name. I opened the text to see him telling me to call him. I listened for Bonnie before I dialed his number. When he answered, I smiled. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been thinking over the last few hours, Mel. I thought about what happened and how it made me feel. I want to keep seeing you.” I let my mouth drop open as I stared out of my window. “I mean…I can’t give you a relationship. Not now, with the game coming up and all of the time I’ll be training. I just want to…see you.”
“You just want to sleep with me,” I finished, as he paused. “You could do that with anyone.”
“I don’t want anyone else. I won’t be with someone else, Mel. I just can’t give you much more than that. I am going to be slammed,” Nick explained, as I fell into silence. He was asking me to be a friend with benefits, and I was considering it. “Melissa?”
“Nick, I…I don’t know. I have always wanted what happened last night, and I’ll always appreciate it. I just don’t know if I can drop everything for you when you have free time.”
“Mel, it’s not like that. We enjoy each other’s company, and I’ll be the same I’ve always been with you. You’ll just be the only girl that I’m having sex with,” Nick explained. I pressed my lips together. “I know that you want to keep this between us for now.”
“I just can’t imagine telling them.” My voice was soft, and I waited for his answer.
“I want to ease into this. I just know how good it felt to be with someone that cares about me. All of the women before were just sex and not worth all the shit in the tabloids.” There had been so many stories, and I’d heard about love children and affairs. I’d heard that he’d got a DUI a few years ago and that he was an alcoholic. Deep in my heart I knew it wasn’t true, and I knew that Nick had a good heart, that he was just lost. I’d never asked him about any of it, but now I wondered if I’d have to. We were going to be closer. “I don’t want you exposed to all of that, Mel. I think you’re too good for it. I still want to be with you, though.” His voice was so sincere, and I melted a bit into my pillow. “Think about it. Tell me tomorrow at your parent’s house. I hope you want me as much as I want you.”
“I will, Nick. Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” We ended the call with that, and I dropped my phone onto my bed and closed my eyes.
It would be a hard balance sleeping with Nick and keeping my feelings at bay. But still, I remembered how he’d felt every time that we were together last night, and it was more than I could ever imagine. I wasn’t dating anybody else so I wouldn’t be hurting anybody. Would this work?
I got up and joined Bonnie in the living room for a movie and Thai food. We chatted about her hockey player. She was so excited for him to call her and I smiled at her enthusiasm. She’d freak if she knew that her brother was asking me to be his bed buddy. Bonnie would freak if she knew that I had already slept with him. I let her chatter as I listened and ate and thought about my life. Would I ever want more from Nick? Would I ever want to settle down with anyone? Marry and have a kid or two? If Nick wasn’t willing to do that, could I walk away and not look back?
I went to bed after a second movie and tossed and turned as I thought back to the way that Nick had felt last night. I knew that it wasn’t love, but it didn’t feel like casual sex to me, either. What did I know, though? It was my first time having sex at all, and it wasn’t the situation that I had planned on. I got up early after a restless sleep to work on my project in the quiet house before I showered and got ready for dinner.
We were the last to arrive and walked into the house where my boisterous family were going on and on about the big win. Nick and Brandon were on the couch telling my Dad all about the plays as his eyes lit up, and it made me smile. He loved football, and he loved his son playing even more. I saw my mother poking her blonde head into the room and smiling my way as she shook her head. “Hello, Mel and Bonnie.” Nick turned to look at me as I waved at everyone and his eyes made my skin heat up as I pushed my hair back. “I love the red, Melissa. It suits you.”
I thanked her and walked forward as Dad stood to hug me and mess my curls up with his hand as he kissed my cheek. “I heard you were at the big party last night, Mel. How was that? Your mom and I were in bed by ten.”
“It was so full of celebrities, daddy. Your son and Nick are stars.” I hugged my oldest brother Jimmy and then went to my Mom and held her tightly. We were closer than the others, and I adored her. I longed to tell her about Nick and my skin burned as I felt his eyes on me again. I’d picked my worn skinny jeans with him in mind and topped them off with a purple burnout t-shirt with a thin camisole underneath. “Hi, mama. How are you?”
“I am so proud right now.” She beamed with her bright smile. “My babies are doing so well, and we’re all together tonight. I couldn’t be any happier right now.” My brother Jimmy had been promoted to partner at the law firm that he’d worked at for ten years, and he had finally decided to start a family with his wife of five years, since Riley could stay at home now comfortably with the new income.
“The boys are doing well. I am still in school,” I smiled at her, and she ran her hands through my hair as she shook her head.
“Don’t be silly. You’re talented, sweetheart. Your turn is next.” Mama hugged Bonnie as she approached and greeted her. “I am so proud of Nick, honey. Your mama would be too.” I squeezed Bonnie’s shoulder at the mention of her mother. She smiled.
“I know she would be. Nick is doing so well, and I’m beyond proud.” She was so good at looking at the bright side, and I wondered how she’d handle hearing about her brother and me. “Can I help with anything? It's sports talk central in there.” The two of us helped mama cut up vegetables and marinate them while the chicken was cooking on the grill. We also made a salad filled with fresh veggies and prepared a pot to boil some corn on the cob. Riley got in just as we were finishing with her delicious cheesecakes and we all hugged her before we put them into the fridge.
“I am so happy for Jimmy!” I told her, and she grinned and nodded.
“He’s worked so hard. I know that his hours might be awful sometimes, but I can deal with it and take care of him.” The cute brunette smiled, and her blue eyes twinkled as she looked at us. “I’ll be busy once he knocks me up.”
Mama clapped her hands together, and we all laughed at her as Riley went to get Jimmy. He was the man who grilled in the family, and I noticed that when Brandon and daddy joined him to walk out to the backyard, Nick remained seated. He met my gaze and I licked my lips as he clenched his hands. “Did you get that pig sty cleaned up?” Bonnie teased him, as she went to sit down on the couch next to him.
“We got her out there yesterday. It’s good as new,” Nick replied, as he messed up her straight, dark hair with his hand. “Good timing, too. Hell starts next week.”
“It’s that coach that got you through the season, goof. He knew what to do with you guys,” Bonnie reminded him, as he laughed and looked around the room.
“True. I am just glad we get a chance. I have dreamed of this since I was a kid. It’s all that Bran and I talked about, and to be here together is better than anything.” Nick smiled and gave me a curious look as I seated myself across from him. He took a sip of his beer, and I watched as he swallowed it before I forced my gaze away.
It took everything that I had not to crawl into his lap and kiss him. I forced myself to stay still and listened to the conversation until Brandon walked in to get the chicken and peered into the living room. “Come on out, Nick. There’s more beer out here.”
“Be right there,” Nick answered, as Brandon disappeared. “Guess I should go make sure that Jimmy doesn’t burn dinner.” We all knew that my brother could handle a grill better than any of us and laughed as Nick walked through the kitchen to join the men in the back. I watched him before I looked back at mama as she started asking Riley about babies. I thanked my lucky stars that I wasn’t there yet in life. I still needed to finish school.
We ended up eating outside about an hour later, and the conversation flowed smoothly as it typically did. We were all close, and I sipped wine as I laughed at the topics that everyone chose. My family was so outgoing and fun, and I was glad that they’d adopted Nick and Bonnie so quickly. We were eating outside at the big patio table since it was a relatively nice day, and I went in to get a new bottle of wine once we realized that some glasses were empty. I stepped into the empty kitchen and reached into the fridge when I heard footsteps behind me. I jumped as I felt a hand on my hip, and then Nick spoke to me. “It’s just me. I had to use the bathroom.”
“Did you?” I had the heavy bottle in my hand, and I stared into his eyes as I straightened up.
“Did you think about it?” His voice sounded like he’d been thinking as hard about it as I was. “I didn’t sleep well after we talked.”
“I was restless too,” I admitted, as he searched my face. “I want to try. I can’t stay away from you, Nick.” He grinned and took the bottle to set it down before he pulled me into the living room and down the hallway. I was glad that I wasn’t wearing lipstick as he pressed me against the wall and kissed me hungrily.
“Thank you. I’ll do the best I can with what I have to give.” We kissed for a few minutes before we heard someone calling our names and I wiped my mouth and walked into the kitchen.
“There you are.” Mama was pulling out the cheesecakes and glanced at the wine. “What happened?”
“Nick reminded me that I had to use the bathroom as well,” I took the bottle of wine and grabbed some plates from the cupboard to follow her outside. Nick joined us as we were passing around dessert and as he took his seat next to Brandon he shot me a look across the table. He had been gone for a while, and I wondered what he had been doing back there, since I was aroused at just the kiss that we shared. I’d never been the sex toy type, but that might change very soon.
We ended the night close to ten, and everyone hugged goodbye as we wandered to our cars. Nick held me a little longer, and I breathed him in as I let my hands stay around his neck for as long as I dared. Bonnie led the way to my car, and I found myself unable to wait for the next time that we could be together.