Page 57 of I Blame the Rival

I reach over and take back my phone.

“He’s a very talented artist. You should see the flowers he drew for me the other night.”

“So, he’s good with his hands.”

I blush, remembering the way Skylar touched me last night. Nico immediately notices and lets out a hoot.

“Youdidhave a good time last night.”

We’re sitting on my bed, backs against the wall and legs dangling over the edge. Being around Nico is safe and comfortable, but I hadn’t realized how much I missed the intoxicating excitement of being around someone you’re attracted to until I met Skylar.

“It was incredible, Nico.” Pulling my knees closer, I squeeze them into my chest, “He made me feel alive.”

Dark eyes study me intently, the teasing smirk softening into a genuine smile.

“You deserve to feel alive every damn day, Lace. And if this skinny kid does it for you, well, there’s nothing left to say except I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.”

He throws his arm around me and I lean into him. Breathing in Nico’s cologne, I let the scent envelope me and smile, thinking about how far we’ve come.

“You were the first boy I ever loved, you know.” I let out a rueful laugh, “I used to wish on every birthday candle that one day you would wake up and realize you were attracted to girls instead of boys. It was so selfish, but I couldn’t tell the difference between love and friendship.”

“It’s not ridiculous. I used to do the same thing.”

Nico shakes his head, “When I went to visit you at the hospital, I remember thinking it was my fault. If my sexuality hadn’t gotten in the way, none of this would have happened.”

I frown, “I made my own decisions. You had nothing to do with it.”

“But you wouldn’t have had to make those decisions if I’d been able to love you back.”

His eyes start to glisten, “I had the whole thing planned out. We would have been best friends through elementary, pretended to hate each other during junior high, and finally given in to our feelings in high school. I would have taught you the unbearable talents of my tongue, and by the time we graduated, we would have been engaged to be married.”

Nico’s voice breaks and so does another piece of my heart.

“We would have lived happily ever after, mi amor. That’s how it was supposed to be.”

I close my eyes as a wave of grief washes over me. The story Nico painted is the same one I used to imagine for myself, the young girl who wanted to fall in love with her childhood best friend, the boy who understood all my quirks and didn’tquestion my idiosyncrasies. All I wanted was a love story, complete with a happy ever after.

Instead, I got reality.

“Do you know why my birthday wishes never came true?” I choke out a laugh, wiping the tears from his cheeks, “Because we weren’t wishing for something real.”

“But it could have been.”

“No, Nico. Life doesn’t end with marriage proposals and babies wrapped up in bows. Life is hard and ugly and sometimes people and relationships get damaged and lost along the way.”

I press a kiss to his cheek, “We are exactly where we are meant to be. You’ve found someone who scowls as much as he smiles and I’ve found someone who smiles with his heart. Neither might work out but at least we know there are good men out there who treat us how we deserve.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Nico slumps with defeat, “I just wish you didn’t have to go through that to get to where we are now.”

“I know.”

Nudging his shoulder gently, I try to lighten the mood with a smile, “It never would have worked out between us. I don’t have nearly enough muscle mass for you.”

Nico snorts, wiping his eyes with the cuffs of his sleeves, “Apparently I have too much muscle for you. Seriously, babe, maybe we should put that kid on a cycle. He looks like he’s one strong breeze from falling over.”

“Skylar is perfect.” I smile, thinking about the boy whose broken pieces align seamlessly with mine, “And he’s got very talented fingers.”

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