Chapter Thirteen

 

 

 

 

 

Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

June flew by as Nick and I developed a routine. He spent every night that he wasn’t working at the apartment with me. He’d become known at the gym and would sometimes even join when I’d teach a yoga class.

After our Facebook declaration, people had been shocked and we both fielded questions left and right. Nick’s profile picture of the two of us had garnered over ninety comments of people basically asking ‘What?!’ with the occasional congratulatory response.

I hadn’t spoken to my parents in over a month. It was the longest I’d ever gone without talking to them and it hurt. A lot. Megan had talked to them a couple of times but she hadn’t gone back out to the house. True to her word, my big sister was on my side. I didn’t know what it was going to take to end the freeze out but I knew that Nick felt terrible about it despite my protests that he shouldn’t.

Devin text me at least once a week but I never responded. Every message was a little different, usually highlighting something he missed about me, and I wondered how much longer it would take for him to get the hint.

Although everyone at work knew about Nick and me thanks to social media, I still took my ring off before walking in every day. It was completely inappropriate but I justified it by telling myself that wearing it would only encourage clients to ask about my personal life. It was a weak justification but the only one I had.

The truth? I was scared. Everything felt a little too real and taking the ring off once a day was a reminder that it wasn’t. It didn’t help that Nick was constantly making me forget that we were just putting on a show. We had already been so close and comfortable with each other before that the line blurred easily. We were constantly touching, constantly laughing, and constantly together. If I’d been on the outside looking in, I might have thought we were a real, happily married couple. When I reminded myself that we weren’t, the realization was depressing.

“Did you bring lunch today?”

I looked up from the notes I was making in a patient’s chart and shook my head when I met Adina’s eyes. “I was going to grab something from the cafeteria just as soon as I finished this.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” She fell into the chair next to me. “I’ll go with you.”

It took me another couple of minutes to finish my thought and the two of us walked down the hallways of the hospital towards the cafeteria. It wasn’t the best food I’d ever had, but it definitely didn’t live up to the ‘all hospital food is crap’ hype. The salads and soups that they had were good enough for me.

It was way too hot for soup, though. It was just hitting the middle of July and the temperatures stayed consistently in the triple digits. Nick, Megan, Simon, and I spent at least an hour at the pool every day and I was very thankful for air conditioning the rest of the time.

“How can you eat that tofu shit?” Adina asked as I chose an Asian tofu salad. I shrugged and picked out a vitamin water to go with my meal.

“It’s good if it’s cooked right.”

The two of us walked to the register and I grinned at the woman who was standing behind it. Her long, brown hair fell down her back, almost hitting her waist, and she had honey colored eyes that stood out on her delicate face. She was around the same height as me but far more slender and a good few years younger, making her look almost breakable.

Diana had been working in the cafeteria for a couple of weeks and was painfully shy. Adina, Chuck, and I had immediately befriended her and Chuck had developed a major crush.

“Hi, Diana.”

She smiled at me and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Hi, Kelly. How are you?”

“I’m good. Excited for the weekend.”

“Yeah?” She took the cash from me once my food was totaled. “Do you have big plans? I heard that new club downtown is opening tonight.”

I accepted my change and stood to the side so she could ring up Adina’s meal. “Just thinking of going clubbing makes me tired. I’m actually going to the county fair with my husband and my sister. I haven’t been in years and I’m probably far more excited than I should be.”

“You’re married?” Diana’s eyes darted to my hand, where my ring finger was currently naked, and I nodded while refusing to squirm.

“For about six weeks now.”

“And he’s a perfect hunk of man,” Adina interjected with a sigh. “I’m going to get you to set me up with either a brother-in-law or a fellow firefighter one of these days, Kelly.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “His brothers are too young for you but there’s always a good supply of firefighters.” I winked at Diana. “You guys let me know when and I’m happy to introduce you. Although, they aren’t all hunky muscles and good looks. They also work the craziest hours, have the most disgusting smelling laundry, and act like food shoveling machines. I swear, Nick smells like smoke no matter how many showers he takes.”

We all laughed and said goodbye so Adina and I could eat. Chuck eventually joined us after flirting at the register with Diana. Our lunch hour passed quickly and the rest of the day seemed to fly by, too.

The next day, after an end-of-shift nap for the guys, we loaded up in Simon’s truck and headed towards the fairgrounds. Megan and I had gone to the same county fair a lot when we were kids but I wasn’t lying when I said it had been years. The last time we’d gone had been when we were in high school.

When I’d asked Nick if he wanted to go, his face had lit up and you would have thought I’d just asked a kid if he wanted to go to Disneyland. I wasn’t any better, though, and couldn’t help smiling from the backseat when the fair came into view.

“I want to play some games,” Megan said as she bounced on the balls of her feet once we’d entered the gate.

Simon, who was a huge pushover when it came to my sister, immediately steered us towards the carnival games that were a gigantic rip off. She and I spent too much money on the dumb ring toss game and came away with nothing to show for it.

We stood and watched as Nick and Simon engaged in a basketball shooting showdown at one of the booths and every time one of them would win, the other would request a rematch. I grabbed my sister’s hand and we played a few other games until the boys showed up behind us.

“I won you an octopus,” Nick bragged as he pressed his lips to my temple and held up a stuffed, bright purple octopus.

I took it from him with a laugh. “It’s actually really soft.”

“Right? It was either that or teddy bear and, honestly, you’re too badass for a teddy bear.”

Our lips pressed together quickly and I stared at the silly stuffed animal again. The small gesture felt so big, like Nick remembering my favorite dish from a restaurant, and I suddenly just wanted to take him home so I could rip his clothes off. When I peeled my gaze from to octopus so I could look at him, he gave me a knowing smile.

“God, I’ll win you a thousand more of those if you keep looking at me like that.”

“Just wait until I properly thank you at home,” I told him in a low voice as I stroked his cheek with my fingertips. Nick stared at me and his brown eyes seemed to glow with passion. Neither of us said anything and I jumped when Megan spoke behind me.

“Get a room, you two.”

I turned and flashed her a grin. “If there was an available room that wasn’t the port-a-potty, we would.”

“Gross,” Megan replied as she wrinkled her nose. “Nice octopus.”

“Thanks.” I gestured to the stuffed, blue dinosaur she was holding. “Nice dinosaur.”

We both laughed and walked over to the rides with the guys. We meandered around, just looking at different ones, before stopping in front of the tall Ferris wheel.

“That looks terrifying.” My sister craned her neck as she looked up and I did the same.

“It does. Want to ride it?” I glanced at her with a smile and she immediately shook her head.

“I’m good.”

Nick’s arms wrapped around me from behind. “I’ll ride it with you. Let’s be daredevils.”

“That’s a good idea,” Simon chimed in from next to Megan. “If we already have a firefighter up there when we start the rescue, he can make sure the others stay calm while they’re stuck at the top.”

I laughed and let the back of my head rest against Nick’s shoulder. “No sense of adventure. Any kids you guys have are going to be boring. The good news is that Auntie Kelly and Uncle Nicky will encourage their wild side.”

“Our calm kids will be a good influence on your hellions,” Megan teased as she reached over and flicked my nose. “Make sure I’m your beneficiary before you get on the Ferris wheel. We’re going to go say ‘hi’ to Alex and the kids.”

I nodded and gestured behind us. “We’ll meet you at the food stands in thirty minutes?”

“Sounds good,” Simon replied as he and Megan started to walk away.

I turned and grabbed Nick’s hand to drag him towards the one hundred and twenty-five foot Ferris wheel. I was happy to be away from the children conversation. Even though I’d started it, it felt awkward to talk about Nick and I having kids. I wasn’t sure I even wanted any of my own but I knew that if I ever did have them, they wouldn’t be with the man standing behind me. He’d go off and find the girl of his dreams so they could have gorgeous little babies together.

As we stood in line, two women who looked to be a few years younger than me joined the people who were immediately in front of us. They were both wearing shorts that were too short for even my taste and bikini tops that showcased their young and perky breasts. It took a lot to make me feel overdressed but my white shorts and green, lacy tank top suddenly made me feel frumpy.

Nick’s hand was still clasped in mine as he gazed around at anything and everything, but he never stopped on the girls in front of us. When one of them looked over her shoulder and caught sight of my husband, she nudged her friend before whispering into her ear. They both turned and ran their eyes over Nick’s body and I waited for him to flash them his sexy, flirty smile that I’d seen- and been the recipient of- many times over the past year. If he noticed them, though, it wasn’t obvious.

“Would it be rude if I asked to see their inspection slip before we got on?” he asked quietly before turning to grin at me. I chuckled and shook my head.

“I see how it is. You talk a big game in front of Simon and Megan but when push comes to shove…”

I didn’t even get a chance to finish my sentence because one of the girls interrupted us and gave Nick a sultry smile.

“Hey.”

Nick twisted his head and offered her a polite smile before immediately settling his attention back on me but she wasn’t done.

“Do you know where the nearest booth is that sells beer?”

“Uh, I think near the exit of the Ferris wheel,” he replied slowly, his face expressionless.

The other girl giggled. “I told you. It’s right there.” She batted her lashes at my husband. “Do you want to buy us a drink when the ride is over?”

I rolled my eyes but neither girl even noticed me. Nick let go of my hand, causing irritation to prickle in my chest almost instantly, but his arm just draped across my shoulders instead.

“Let me ask my wife what she thinks.” He glanced over at me and raised his brows. “What do you think, sweetheart? Should we buy them a drink after the ride?”

Both girls looked at me and I shook my head slightly.

“My apologies, ladies, but you’ll have to find someone else to buy your beer. Can I recommend trying with a man who isn’t obviously with his girlfriend or wife? You might have better luck.”

One of them had the decency to look ashamed but the other gave me a shitty look before turning back around so they could load onto the Ferris wheel. Nick pressed his lips to my temple before shaking his head.

“I’m not wanting to see the inspection slip for my sake, Kel. I just want to make sure you’re protected is all. Totally selfless act.”

I didn’t reply as we stepped forward and loaded into the car behind the women. Nick’s arm came back across my shoulders as we began to rise. The sun was hot and I was very grateful that the cars each had their own awning to shade them. I stared over at Nick when we came to a stop to load people in the car behind us.

“You didn’t even look at them. Are you sick?”

He scoffed and gripped my shoulder as we began to rise again. “Why would I look at them when I have you next to me, Kelly? No one even compares.”

His brown eyes stared at me and there was nothing but sincerity in them. Something in my brain went fuzzy and I had to look away while reminding myself that falling in love wasn’t an option. It didn’t matter how sweet or how nice he was, falling in love with Nick couldn’t happen.

We were both quiet as we went around the Ferris wheel twice before stopping at the very top. The view was amazing and showcased the city as it mingled with the desert. A strong wind kicked up, causing our car to rock slightly. Nick’s fingers dug into my shoulder and I felt his body tense up. I glanced over at him and raised my eyebrows.

“Are you scared of heights?”

His chin was tipped up, as if he couldn’t look down, and he shook his head slightly. “No.”

“Liar,” I said with a small laugh. “Nickolas Christos is afraid of heights. I knew you had a fault, mister.”

“Stop moving, Kel. You’re rocking us. I can handle being on a ladder, I can handle being on a rooftop. Hell, I’m okay up here if we keep moving. It’s the stopping at the top that gets me.” He spoke through a clenched jaw and I couldn’t help laughing again.

“Want me to take your mind off of it, Nicky?”

He nodded very slightly. “Yes.”

I shifted as slowly as possible, causing him to suck in a breath as the car rocked, and I wedged the octopus between us before moving my hand to the back of his neck. My other came up to rest at his jaw and gently guided his mouth to mine. His lips were unyielding at first, but I moved mine against them anyway. When I ran my tongue along his top lip, he finally relaxed and gave me access. Our tongues began to move together like a slow dance and Nick’s free hand dropped to my thigh.

We continued kissing as the Ferris wheel started and stopped several times and we finally parted when our bar was pulled up. Nick smiled at me and shook his head.

“Best Ferris wheel ride ever.”

Someone cleared their throat and we both turned to see the ride attendant giving us an annoyed look. We stood and our fingers immediately entwined before we moved towards the exit. As we walked in the direction of the food kiosks, I chuckled and shook my head.

“You’re totally afraid of heights.”

“You better not tell anyone, Gold,” he warned as he glanced over at me. “I’ve got to keep my manly image intact.”

I just laughed again as we looked for my sister and her boyfriend. They were both standing near a hot dog stand while they conversed with one another and I dropped Nick’s hand so I could flourish dramatically in front of them.

“We lived to tell the tale.”

Simon chuckled and shook his head. “We were just trying to decide who got your stuff if you two didn’t make it. What do you guys want to eat?”

“I really want a snow cone. Wait, popcorn. No, funnel cake. Maybe some cotton candy.”

Nick laughed and squeezed my shoulder. “Did they have a class that covered that while you were in school?”

“Yeah,” I replied with a nod, leaning my body into him as I did. “That was ‘Shit that’s bad for your body one-oh-one.’ Carnivals and fairs don’t count, though.”

“Let’s split up,” Simon said as he gripped my sister’s hand. “We’ll go get some hot dogs, one veggie dog, and some corn on the cob. Can you guys grab sugar and drinks?”

Nick and I both nodded at the same time and we went left while they went right. The line for the funnel cake stand was about ten people deep and it was directly in the hot sun.

“This better move fast,” I grumbled as I leaned around the line so I could see the front. “I’m starving.”

“Great. You’re nice and scary when you’re hangry.”

I grinned at Nick as I reached back to brush a hair or something off my bare shoulder. I gathered up my hair into a make-shift ponytail off my sweaty neck. “I’m sweet all of the time and you know it.”

Something tickled the back of my shoulder for a second time and I attempted to sweep it off with my hand again. That time, though, I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my skin. I didn’t think about it for a moment or two but when the realization of what happened suddenly infiltrated my brain, dread washed over me.

“Shit,” I whispered as dropped the hair that I was still holding in one hand so I could grab my purse. I heard Nick say my name but it I could feel my throat starting to swell and I began to feel lightheaded.

It had been a fucking bee.