Page 89 of One Sweet Day I Found You

Twenty-Four

Nick stopped and pulled back then looked her in the eyes. “Courtney, I missed you so much. So much.” His expression was pained.

“I missed you too.” Emotion had overcome her. “I don’t want to be without you, Nick.”

“I’m sorry I cut you off like that. I just—I just thought the worst possible things when I saw him there. I’ve been burned before. Some girls just…well, it hit a nerve, that’s all.”

She kissed him again, this time with relief. “I understand.”

Nick continued. “I’m sorry I cut you out like that. I had to turn off the tap completely for a while, just to get out of bed everyday. I couldn’t think about you with him.” He shook his head. “I didn’t know what to think. Can you understandthat? This week has been brutal.” He gazed into her eyes with longing.

“Yeah. I get it, but we could’ve hadthisback—so much sooner, if you’d have just let me talk to you.” She gazed at him. “I don’t want to lose you again. You can’t cut me out like that.”

“You won’t.” He kissed her with more intensity then whispered in her ear. “I care about you so much, Courtney. I want you to know that.”

“I feel the same way.” She threw her arms around him again and buried herself in the warmth and strength of his neck, and he held her there tightly.

Abruptly, Courtney pulled away. “Wait.”

“What is it?” Nick looked confused and sat back.

She had to come clean. She had to tell him the last important detail. She could never fully move forward with Nick if she weren’t honest with him. She’d broken his trust. It had to be said.

He searched her face again, and worry began to cloud his. “What’s going on?”

“There’s just…” She looked away then back at him. “I…I have to tell you—something else,” she stuttered.

Off in the distance, the first fireworks of the night began to light up the sky.

Distracted, they both turned to look. A couple of spurts appeared, accompanied by a few quieter cracks and bangs. Soon, a sparkling red, white, and blue trail of flame ascended from the horizon, hissing as it rose. High over the lake, it burst into the sky with a magnificent boom.

“Oh, my gosh! It’s so beautiful!” Courtney’s face lit up.

Another followed moments after, and another, and another. They watched, forgetting for now that Courtney had just put a damper on the moment.

Nick looked at Courtney, his expression sweet, happy. He put his arm around her.

She rested her head on his shoulder, both of them with eyes on the sky. “Happy Fourth of July.”

“Back at you,” Nick said, kissing her cheek.

A few minutes later, Nick sat up again and gently pulled some hair away from her face. “Hey, what else did you want to talk about?”

Courtney sat back. She was going to ruin the moment if she told him now. She watched nervously as another set of firecrackers lit up the sky.

She couldn’t lie to him.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to sacrifice this moment—not yet. She couldn’t get enough of Nick—she’d only just gotten him back. “It can wait a minute. Let’s just enjoy the fireworks first.”

She put both arms around his firm shoulders and the heat between them rose as the sky thundered with fire. Nick kissed her back, everything else forgotten for a few precious moments.

Finally, Courtney pulled away. It was time. She couldn’t go on lying to him.

“Okay, so, I have to tell you something,” she began again, this time forging ahead before she lost her nerve.

Nick sat up. “What is it?”

“Austin kissed me that night. He didn’t know about you at the time—he thought I was single. But I was so upset, about him, about you—I thought you’d blown me off all day. I just forgot myself for a minute. It came out of nowhere…” She paused. “I kissed him back.”

---