any rooms for rent in the area and he told me he had an extra room in his rental.”
“I can’t imagine your parents were happy about that.”
“They threw a fit, but in the end I knew it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t live there a second more.”
“Well Tempie, I think it’s admirable.”
“Thanks,” I said blushing. I had always sought his approval and having it meant a lot.
“Did you know you’d have a roommate when you decided to move in?”
“No. Not really. I mean I knew Damien rented from Peter, I just didn’t realize it was the same house I’d be living in. It’s worked out fine though.”
Nik arched an eyebrow at me. “Fine? He looks like he breaks people’s legs for fun. I was scared out there. Did you notice how he was glowering at me? Almost shit my pants.”
I giggled and propped myself up on my elbows. “He’s not scary. Just intense.”
“That’s a good word for it,” he replied dryly. “I’ll make sure to steer clear of him. He didn’t seem to like me.”
“Everyone likes you. You could charm the socks off Satan.”
“Yeah, but that guy’s scarier than Satan and that hickey…whew…he must have one hell of a girlfriend to give him something that big.”
I flushed and turned away. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
Nik eyed me. “Well, in any case, who parades shit around like that? Almost looks like he’s showing it off.”
I shrugged. “Who knows? It’s Damien. I don’t get him.”
Nik shuddered. “He’s one scary dude, Tempie. You’re a brave woman to live next door to him.”
I shook my head and smiled , wanting to change the subject. “I’ve missed you. I thought you wouldn’t be home until Christmas.”
“Yeah well, plans changed,” he replied solemnly.
I tilted my head and watched him. Something akin to pain flashed across his face before he grinned widely at me. “I’m glad I’m back though. I’ve missed you and Jed.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why do I think you’re lying to me right now. What happened in New York?”
Nik’s eyes shut momentarily before they popped open. “ Shit. Am I that easy to read?”
“Like an open book.”
“Fine. I was living with someone and we broke it off a few weeks ago.”
I scrambled up into a seated position. “What? You were in a relationship?”
He nodded. “Fucked up, right? Me. Relationships. Doesn’t mesh.”
“No. I never said that. I meant that you were so adamant about never being with anyone like that. You were all about casual relationships. I’m just surprised , is all.”
“Yeah well, me too. It surprised me that I fell head over heels for some girl who didn’t want me in the end.”
The pain in his voice had me pushing off the bed and walking over to him. I lowered myself into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. A few months ago being this close to Nik would have been my dream come true. Damien had ruined that for me in the course of one hot evening in his truck. And if the pain in Nik’s voice were real, being near him like this wouldn’t mean anything to him anyways.
“I’m so sorry, Nik. What was her name?”
“Elsie,” he said softly.
“What happened?”
Our eyes met and what I saw inside made my eyes almost fill with tears. “She broke it off when she realized I wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t have enough faith in me to keep us together.”
“So you came home?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t stand to be remotely close to her. I just needed to get away.”
“Nik, I’m so sorry. I’m glad you’re home, but not like this. I want you to be happy.”
He forced a smile on his face and brushed his fingers across my cheek. “I am happy. It’s nice to be around Jed and you again.”
“I mean like happy happy. Really happy. You’re not. I can see it in your eyes.”
He glanced away from me. “I will be. Just need some time.”
I looked away, not being able to meet his sad gaze for one more second without crying and saw Damien
“I can’t imagine your parents were happy about that.”
“They threw a fit, but in the end I knew it was the right thing to do. I couldn’t live there a second more.”
“Well Tempie, I think it’s admirable.”
“Thanks,” I said blushing. I had always sought his approval and having it meant a lot.
“Did you know you’d have a roommate when you decided to move in?”
“No. Not really. I mean I knew Damien rented from Peter, I just didn’t realize it was the same house I’d be living in. It’s worked out fine though.”
Nik arched an eyebrow at me. “Fine? He looks like he breaks people’s legs for fun. I was scared out there. Did you notice how he was glowering at me? Almost shit my pants.”
I giggled and propped myself up on my elbows. “He’s not scary. Just intense.”
“That’s a good word for it,” he replied dryly. “I’ll make sure to steer clear of him. He didn’t seem to like me.”
“Everyone likes you. You could charm the socks off Satan.”
“Yeah, but that guy’s scarier than Satan and that hickey…whew…he must have one hell of a girlfriend to give him something that big.”
I flushed and turned away. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
Nik eyed me. “Well, in any case, who parades shit around like that? Almost looks like he’s showing it off.”
I shrugged. “Who knows? It’s Damien. I don’t get him.”
Nik shuddered. “He’s one scary dude, Tempie. You’re a brave woman to live next door to him.”
I shook my head and smiled , wanting to change the subject. “I’ve missed you. I thought you wouldn’t be home until Christmas.”
“Yeah well, plans changed,” he replied solemnly.
I tilted my head and watched him. Something akin to pain flashed across his face before he grinned widely at me. “I’m glad I’m back though. I’ve missed you and Jed.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why do I think you’re lying to me right now. What happened in New York?”
Nik’s eyes shut momentarily before they popped open. “ Shit. Am I that easy to read?”
“Like an open book.”
“Fine. I was living with someone and we broke it off a few weeks ago.”
I scrambled up into a seated position. “What? You were in a relationship?”
He nodded. “Fucked up, right? Me. Relationships. Doesn’t mesh.”
“No. I never said that. I meant that you were so adamant about never being with anyone like that. You were all about casual relationships. I’m just surprised , is all.”
“Yeah well, me too. It surprised me that I fell head over heels for some girl who didn’t want me in the end.”
The pain in his voice had me pushing off the bed and walking over to him. I lowered myself into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. A few months ago being this close to Nik would have been my dream come true. Damien had ruined that for me in the course of one hot evening in his truck. And if the pain in Nik’s voice were real, being near him like this wouldn’t mean anything to him anyways.
“I’m so sorry, Nik. What was her name?”
“Elsie,” he said softly.
“What happened?”
Our eyes met and what I saw inside made my eyes almost fill with tears. “She broke it off when she realized I wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t have enough faith in me to keep us together.”
“So you came home?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t stand to be remotely close to her. I just needed to get away.”
“Nik, I’m so sorry. I’m glad you’re home, but not like this. I want you to be happy.”
He forced a smile on his face and brushed his fingers across my cheek. “I am happy. It’s nice to be around Jed and you again.”
“I mean like happy happy. Really happy. You’re not. I can see it in your eyes.”
He glanced away from me. “I will be. Just need some time.”
I looked away, not being able to meet his sad gaze for one more second without crying and saw Damien
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