Page 49 of Falling for Nicole
She’s silent as she watches me make us both drinks before I follow her back out to the decking where she was when I first got here. I look over at the deck chair and see she must have been here a while.
“You stay the night?”
“No, the twins are teething. I’ve been up since three and needed a few hours’ peace.”
“So you came here?”
“I knew everyone would either be out or sleeping.” I nod at her as I sip my coffee. “Sooooo…” she starts, and I just about resist the urge to groan. “Things seem to be getting serious with Nicole.”
“Nah, I wouldn’t say that.”
“You’ve spent the night with her. I’d say that’s pretty serious for you.”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went out on my bike and caught some waves. I didn’t spend the night with her,” I argue.
“Okay, well maybe not last night, but you did the night before. What’s Declan Morrison’s one main rule when it comes to women?” she asks patronisingly. “Never spend the night, because it gives them the wrong idea.”
“Nicole won’t get the wrong idea. She knows the score.”
“But do you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh come on, don’t play dumb with me, Dec. We both know you’ve been in love with her forever.”
“What? Stop talking shit, Lills.” I argue, but I feel my face heat along with my body, and I know Lilly can see through all my bullshit.
“After all these years, you’ve finally got what you always wanted but were never man enough to admit. So for fuck’s sake, grow a pair and finally claim what’s yours.”
I open my mouth to argue but no words come out. What Lilly just said is buzzing around my head too loudly to allow me to respond.
“Why did I have to have a twin who knew my mind better than her own?”
“I know my own mind, thank you very much,” she sulks.
“Oh yeah, because it was all sunshine and roses when you first met Lucas…”
She narrows her eyes at me but says nothing. She’s not got a leg to stand on.
After taking a few sips of tea, she turns her gaze back on me. “So what’s the plan then?”
“For what?” I ask innocently.
“Nicole. I presume she has no idea about how you feel. Declan,” she warns when I keep my expression blank. “You have to tell her. She might feel the same.”
“Does she?” I ask. Knowing how close they are, I’d put money on them already having had this conversation.
“I’ve no idea. I’ll talk to her too, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be the go between, giving each of you what you won’t say to the other.”
From the look in her eye, I’d safely say she knows more about what Nicole feels than she’s letting on, but there’s no point pressing her. Lilly’s too loyal; I know I’ll never break her down.
“I’ve always known she was the one for you, Dec. Now’s the time for you to do something about it. If you don’t, you might lose her again.”
“What do you mean,again?”
She gives me a knowing look. Maybe I didn’t keep those feelings to myself after all.
“You’re a pain in the arse, you know that?” I ask, but the only response is a smug smile.
“Have you spoken to Mum recently?” Relief washes through me at her change of subject
“No, why? Is she okay?”
“I think so. I don’t know, she just…sounded weird on the phone the other night.”
“Weird like what?”
“I dunno. I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe she was just feeling under the weather.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I say reassuringly as I take a sip of my coffee, my mind immediately going back to the redhead I can’t stop thinking about.
