Page 17 of Wild For You

Jail changes a man, though. Or maybe it doesn't.

“Josie! Grande hot mocha with extra whip!”

I didn’t waste any time picking it up and wanting to get the heck out of here.

I sipped my mocha, the foam leaving a whisper of white on my upper lip. With each passing second, the tendrils of steam seemed to weave the past and present together. Michael’s dark childhood bled into Nico’s stoic strength.

Did this seriously have to happen to me? Nico and I were building something slowly, and with Michael that would complicate things. I haven’t seen him since… heck right before graduation.

I was going to be late to Nico’s house and the last thing I wanted to do was sit around and hear these knuckleheads gossip about the Youngblood brothers. I took off, out the door, anddown the street, hoping that this wasn’t going to the thing that kept us apart.

After arriving at his house - finding him outside - I had to tell him the truth. No secrets.

“Hey, Nico,” I started, my heart pounding like a drum. I plucked at the grass, suddenly finding it fascinating. “There's something I need to tell you—about Michael.”

Nico's expression remained unchanged, the calm before the storm. “What about him? How do you know my brother?”

“Michael... he's my ex. From high school.” My words hung in the air, fragile as the wings of a butterfly.

A pause lingered between us, filled with the rustle of leaves and distant bird calls. Then, Nico let out a breath, his gaze steady on mine. “Everyone's got a past, Josie. Doesn't freak me out. Although, I have no idea what you possibly could have seen in him. Even back then.”

Relief washed over her like a cleansing rain. I looked at him, really looked at him, and saw not a shadow of judgment but rather an acceptance. “Are you sure? Your brother is a whirlwind of chaos. I don’t think he will like us hanging out.”

Hanging out sounded so casual, but what we were doing was way more. Or at least it felt like it.

“I’m a grown man and my brother doesn’t scare me. He’s an idiot to let a girl like you get away. Sounds like his loss.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, the knot in my stomach unraveling. “I just didn't want to keep anything from you.”

“Nothing to thank me for.” He shrugged. “We've all been someone else before we became who we are now.”

My thoughts spun like leaves caught in a whirlwind. I wanted to wrap myself in this moment, in the safety of Nico's understanding. My feelings for him grew roots, deep and searching, entwining with hope and something that might just be the beginning of love.

“Can I tell you something?”

Nico looked up, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. “Of course,” he said, leaning back on his heels, all attention.

I took a deep breath, the early breeze carrying the scent of freshly turned earth and the faintest hint of roses. “High school was tough for me,” I began, tracing the outline of a daisy with my finger. “Michael... We were young and reckless, and I thought I loved him.”

I paused, gathering my thoughts like scattered petals. Nico remained silent, a sentinel of patience.

“Things ended badly,” I continued. “He made choices—I made choices—and it all fell apart. It left scars, ones that made me build walls so high I sometimes wonder if I can see over them myself.”

Nico reached out, his hand enveloping mine, grounding me. His touch was warm, reassuring, linking us together in the quiet garden.

“Josie,” he said, lifting my chin with his other hand so I could no longer hide from his gaze. “We all carry marks from our past. They don't define us, but they do shape us into who we become. Your past with Michael—it's just that, the past.”

His words were a balm to my anxious soul. I let out a shaky laugh, marveling at the odd sense of peace that came with sharing my fears.

“Thank you.” My eyes glistened with unshed tears, not of sorrow but of gratitude. “I’ve been holding onto that story for so long, letting it dictate my steps. I didn't realize how heavy it was until now.”

Nico's thumb brushed away a rogue tear that had escaped down my cheek. “Let me be part of your story from here on out,” he whispered, his voice a soft rumble that vibrated through me.“No more shadows, Josie. Just you and me, and whatever comes next.”

I nodded, my heart swelling with an emotion that felt like the first rays of dawn after an endless night. In that tender exchange, I saw not only the man before me but also the promise of what could be—a future unfettered by yesterday's ghosts.

“Whatever comes next.”

Later, nestled in the corner booth of Lawson Ridge's diner, I poured out my heart to Molly. The checkered tablecloth beneath our elbows felt familiar and safe, like the pages of an old diary where secrets could be spilled without fear.

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