Page 22 of Nitro

Nitro was more considerate of my feelings.

“There you go, bacon, eggs, and burnt toast,” I said, setting two plates on the counter.

“Hey, I wanted to make you some grub before you woke up. I guess I’m just terrible at cooking. My ex didn’t cook either,” he commented. “We mostly ordered take-out or ate at expensive restaurants.”

Nitro made a face when he said this. Still, this was the first time I heard about an ex-boyfriend.

I sort of figured Nitro to be the non-commitment type, at least before he met me.

It was arrogant to think that, of course, but it was nice to think that he changed when I entered his life.

“Your ex?” I asked, wincing when my voice came out a little pitchy.

“Gin,” Nitro explained. “Found him and my ex-best friend together five years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I genuinely said.

“Don’t be. Gin and I were never going to work out. He was too high maintenance for me, and he was never happy with what I could give him,” Nitro said.

“Can I ask what happened next?” I asked.

Nitro seldom spoke about his past, and I wanted to know more about him.

Nitro blew out a breath. “Not right now.”

My face fell, and he must’ve noticed my expression because he reached out across the table for my fingers and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

“Do you trust me, Tommy?” Nitro asked all of a sudden.

“I do,” I said without thinking.

Nitro nodded in satisfaction. “I don’t want to tell you about the next part because the last thing I want is for you to hate or fear me.”

“Nitro, be serious. I can never hate or fear you,” I said, laughing, but Nitro’s expression remained grim.

He was the one who brought up the topic of his ex, I thought. For now, I decided to drop the topic.

“Next time you decide to make breakfast for me, consult me first,” I told him.

“I’ll do that,” he said, and I finally got a smile out of him.

6

TOMMY/ NITRO

TOMMY

“So Nitro’s staying the night over again?” Dylan asked during our lunch break at the Three Hills Kindergarten.

Nearby, I could hear kids laughing at the playground. I watched two adorable girls by the swings.

The older one had offered to help push the younger one.

It made me think of Marc and me back when we were kids. Back then, we weren’t that close.

Marc had his group of friends, and so did I. Then everything changed after my abduction.

I pushed those awful memories aside and tried to think of more pleasant things.

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