Chapter 2
Ciara
smiled brightly at the look of concern on Nick’s face. “Doesn’t hurt, baby.”
“Mmmm….yeah,
that’s what you’ve always said. How many a day you up to now?” Nick watched as
she capped up the needle and put it back into her bag. Ten years later and he
still couldn’t get used to watching her do this to herself before every meal.
“Three,
sometimes four. Depends on my schedule, my blood sugar. Same old shit.”
“You
didn’t take that many last time we talked…it’s not the same old shit, Ci. When
is it gonna get better?”
“Nick,
honey…it’s not. I’ll never get better. This is something I’ll have to live
with…and die with. You’ve known this all along.”
Diabetes.
Thing was, it was only the root of an entire forest of scares and health
problems that Ciara dealt with on a day to day basis. What was so odd was that
she rarely, if ever looked sick. It was a hidden disease, known only to those
closest to her. And Nick knew. Plenty. He gingerly reached across the table and
touched her arm, not having a word to say.
“I
want bacon. Lots and lots of bacon.” She placed her hand on his and offered a
smile. Getting him back to normalcy after a reminder of her health was always
difficult. Maybe it was from the scares she’d put him through as a kid. Maybe
it was because he was like every other man in her past. He couldn’t deal with
it. Damaged goods. That’s all she was. There was no way Nick was any different
from all the rest.
He
took her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Then bacon we’ll get.” He
knew she wasn’t in the mood to talk about it, not like she ever was. But
somehow they had to talk about last night. About this morning. About…tomorrow.
Her health was not part of that equation, at least not to him.
They
placed their orders for eggs, hash browns and “lots and lots of bacon” and
settled in their seats for the wait. Neither could stop staring at the other,
going over events from the night before, memories from years’ past, wonderings
of days to come…would there really be any? Was that just a night of incredible
love making and flimsy words to rationalize it all? Neither knew. Both were
afraid to ask.
“So,
uh…how was your tour? Damned long one this time, huh?”
“Tour
was good. And yes, very long. We head to
“You’ve
never been there before have you?”
“Yeah,
a long time ago and then for that One Hundred Hour thing last year….”
He
stopped talking and remembered. Their last time together had been before he
left for
“Yep.
I know it. You were enjoying your single life, your adulthood…it’s all good.”
“I
know…too much sometimes. But I always kept up with you on tour before. Hell,
you used to join me for a bit of it. What the hell was I…” He looked down at their
hands intertwined knowing that of all the women he’d been with for that tour
alone, none could even compare to his Cici. What a fucking waste. He finally
looked up and met her gaze. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t
be. We agreed to be nothing more than friends and…well, you know, an occasional
romp in the sack. Nothing more. You didn’t owe me anything.”
“But…don’t
you see, Ciara? I meant what I said last night.”
“Don’t,
Nick. Promises after sex mean nothing.”
“I
didn’t make any promises. Neither did you. And I’m sorry, but that was not just
sex. Or were you somewhere else?”
She
looked up into his eyes. Those eyes. In them she could still see the little boy
she met so many years ago. But, now he had been joined by a man. A man she’d
never seen before. He was 20 years old last time they met. Newly single from an
overbearing, overprotective witch of a girlfriend. Aged only by travel,
parties, women and work. Now suddenly he seemed to want more of life. More for
himself. But there was no way in hell she could be that for him.
“Yeah,
I was definitely there, Nick. Totally and completely there. I don’t understand
it all right now. I just don’t want you to feel obligated to anything you said
to me last night.”
“All
I said was that I was done running. Done playing. And I wanted to stop it all
with you. I want to be with YOU, Cici.”
“No,
you don’t.”
“Don’t
tell me what I want, Ci. Or is it that you just don’t want…” Their conversation
was interrupted by the arrival of their breakfast. He looked firmly in her
eyes, letting her know this was not the end of their discussion.
“Scrambled,
browns and extra bacon for you…” The waitress laid the hot plate in front of
Ciara and grabbed for her second plate.
“Thank
you.”
“…and
over easy, browns and bacon for…oh…my…God…” She almost dropped the plate in
Nick’s lap as she caught a glimpse of who she was actually serving. He reached
up to grab the plate from her and set it down, trying to remain polite.
“You…you’re…”
“Yep.
Hi. What was your name again?” He glanced at her name tag and offered up a hand
while reading. “Sheila. Nice to meet you.” The girl quickly wiped her hand off
on her apron and took hold of his. “I think we’ve got everything now. Thank
you.”
“Oh,
yeah…” She pulled her hand out of his and nervously brushed a free hair from
the bun atop her head. “I’ll just uh, yeah…I’ll leave you two to, uh…yeah. Nice
to meet you, Nick.”
He
lifted his fork to her in response and looked back to his breakfast date. “And
YOU…are no help at all. Sitting there snickering like a school girl.”
“Nice
catch…you almost had scrambled eggs there yourself.”
“Yeah,
all over my pants. How appetizing.”
“Mmmmm…yeah,
sounds yummy!” Ciara wagged her eyebrows at Nick, grateful for the break in
their previous conversation. If she played her cards right, she could keep him
distracted enough to not have to continue it. “So, uh…” she peaked her voice up
to a teenager squeal, “NICK!” He glared at her and smiled around his fork,
chewing quickly so he could reply.
“What?
You’re such a pain in my ass.”
“Thank
you…are you going to be home for Halloween?”
“Yup!
You got a good party to go to?”
“Yup!
And I need a partner.”
“Ooooooohhhhh…..do
I get to wear lots of make up? No one will know me?”
“Well,
the costumes I had in mind, no, but we could do something to hide you, I’m
sure.”
“Cool!
If I can hide, I’m there. So…what are we gonna be?”
***
