walking in front of me? That probably wouldn't help the situation at all." Seth could see a sparkle of amusement in Nicky's eyes when he tiled his head back. "It just might make it worse, in fact."
"I sure as shit can't walk behind you. We'd never even make inside the house."
"Well, we can't stay out here." Nicky snorted. "I can see someone looking through the front curtain as it is."
Seth whipped around just in time to see the living room curtain fall back into place. He rolled his eyes, knowing his mother stood on the other side of that curtain. Her curiosity must be driving her out of her mind.
"Sorry about that, babe."
"I'm not." Nicky chuckled. "It's actually kind of cute. I expect her to start flipping the porch light on and off any minute now."
"She would too."
"So, I guess our only choice is to walk in side by side then, huh?"
Seth grinned and grabbed Nicky's arm, wrapping it around his. "Shall we, my dear?"
"You know I'm going to pay you back for this, right?" Nicky asked as he fell into step beside Seth and walked up the cobblestone walkway to the front door.
"I'm counting on it."
CHAPTER 10
Nicky's breath fluttered in his chest. He knew meeting them was important to Seth and hoped to make a good impression. He just didn't know how he would accomplish that when he had to lie to them right from the beginning. It didn't bode well for the future, yet another reason Nicky felt so hesitant about committing to Seth.
Seth was quickly turning into everything Nicky ever dreamed of. The man was smart, caring, and drop dead gorgeous. He also seemed to want to stick around for the long haul. He was supportive unlike anyone Nicky had ever met.
Nicky was just terrified that Seth's support wouldn't last when push came to shove. How could he ask Seth to put himself in danger? Even being with him now while playing dress-up put Seth in danger. If Morales caught wind of where Nicky was, the danger to Seth would increase to a level he didn't know if he had a right to expect Seth to agree to.
Nicky would be destroyed if Seth got injured, or worse, because of him. Despite what he told Seth, Nicky truly did care for the man. He could easily imagine spending the rest of his life side by side with him. He knew he'd be happy every day they were together.
"We can do this another time if you would prefer, Nicky."
It wasn't until Seth spoke that Nicky realized he had a death grip on the man's hand. He smiled nervously and loosened his hand. "No, this is okay. I guess if we're going to be in a relationship I'll need to meet your parents at some point, right?"
Seth looked stunned for a moment then a beautiful smile slowly spread over his face. Nicky hadn't meant to say they were a couple but after watching the joy fill Seth's face, he was helpless to pull his words back.
"Do you mean that, Nicky?"
Nicky drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to find the right words to give Seth what he wanted but retain control of his emotions, emotions that were screaming at him to take a chance while he had it. His head was screaming at him to run back down the walkway.
"I mean that I want to be with you but you need to understand I am still scared. I don't know exactly what this is that is happening between us. I just know I've never felt this way about someone before and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
"Nicky, being with me doesn't mean something bad is going to happen to me."
"You don't know that," Nicky insisted. "If Morales catches you—"
"If, Nicky, if."
Nicky rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond when Seth knocked on the door and it was immediately opened. Nicky plastered a smile on his face that he didn't really feel and turned to greet Seth's parents.
"Seth, son, it's good to see you."
"Dad," Seth said.
"And who is this lovely lady?"
Nicky arched an eyebrow and turned to send a meaningful glare in Seth's direction. Lovely lady, indeed. He was so going to make Seth pay. Not because he was being introduced as
"I sure as shit can't walk behind you. We'd never even make inside the house."
"Well, we can't stay out here." Nicky snorted. "I can see someone looking through the front curtain as it is."
Seth whipped around just in time to see the living room curtain fall back into place. He rolled his eyes, knowing his mother stood on the other side of that curtain. Her curiosity must be driving her out of her mind.
"Sorry about that, babe."
"I'm not." Nicky chuckled. "It's actually kind of cute. I expect her to start flipping the porch light on and off any minute now."
"She would too."
"So, I guess our only choice is to walk in side by side then, huh?"
Seth grinned and grabbed Nicky's arm, wrapping it around his. "Shall we, my dear?"
"You know I'm going to pay you back for this, right?" Nicky asked as he fell into step beside Seth and walked up the cobblestone walkway to the front door.
"I'm counting on it."
CHAPTER 10
Nicky's breath fluttered in his chest. He knew meeting them was important to Seth and hoped to make a good impression. He just didn't know how he would accomplish that when he had to lie to them right from the beginning. It didn't bode well for the future, yet another reason Nicky felt so hesitant about committing to Seth.
Seth was quickly turning into everything Nicky ever dreamed of. The man was smart, caring, and drop dead gorgeous. He also seemed to want to stick around for the long haul. He was supportive unlike anyone Nicky had ever met.
Nicky was just terrified that Seth's support wouldn't last when push came to shove. How could he ask Seth to put himself in danger? Even being with him now while playing dress-up put Seth in danger. If Morales caught wind of where Nicky was, the danger to Seth would increase to a level he didn't know if he had a right to expect Seth to agree to.
Nicky would be destroyed if Seth got injured, or worse, because of him. Despite what he told Seth, Nicky truly did care for the man. He could easily imagine spending the rest of his life side by side with him. He knew he'd be happy every day they were together.
"We can do this another time if you would prefer, Nicky."
It wasn't until Seth spoke that Nicky realized he had a death grip on the man's hand. He smiled nervously and loosened his hand. "No, this is okay. I guess if we're going to be in a relationship I'll need to meet your parents at some point, right?"
Seth looked stunned for a moment then a beautiful smile slowly spread over his face. Nicky hadn't meant to say they were a couple but after watching the joy fill Seth's face, he was helpless to pull his words back.
"Do you mean that, Nicky?"
Nicky drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he tried to find the right words to give Seth what he wanted but retain control of his emotions, emotions that were screaming at him to take a chance while he had it. His head was screaming at him to run back down the walkway.
"I mean that I want to be with you but you need to understand I am still scared. I don't know exactly what this is that is happening between us. I just know I've never felt this way about someone before and I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
"Nicky, being with me doesn't mean something bad is going to happen to me."
"You don't know that," Nicky insisted. "If Morales catches you—"
"If, Nicky, if."
Nicky rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond when Seth knocked on the door and it was immediately opened. Nicky plastered a smile on his face that he didn't really feel and turned to greet Seth's parents.
"Seth, son, it's good to see you."
"Dad," Seth said.
"And who is this lovely lady?"
Nicky arched an eyebrow and turned to send a meaningful glare in Seth's direction. Lovely lady, indeed. He was so going to make Seth pay. Not because he was being introduced as
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