Page 96 of Falling for Nicole
“We’ve got a table up the front,” Lilly shouts when we walk towards her at the bar.
Glancing around, I see BJ, a brunette I don’t recognise, and Liam looking up at a guy trying to sing an Ed Sheeran song.
“Go on then, go and put your name down,” Dec encourages.
“You mean you haven’t already done it, like last time?”
“Nope. I didn’t think I’d need to go to those lengths this time.”
I feel his eyes on me as I walk up to the stage. Stopping to look back, I find exactly what I was expecting—his attention solely on me as BJ and Liam look at him like he’s a stranger to them.
We all chat away while I wait for my name to be called. I don’t know whether everyone had been briefed or not, but no one mentions anything to do with cancer, treatment or hospitals. I must admit it’s a relief to have a reprieve from it, and I’m glad Lilly and Dec are able to escape it all.
“How’s he doing?” Lilly asks when we excuse ourselves to the ladies’.
“He’s okay. Now the shock’s worn off and he can see clearly, he seems better.”
“I was so worried about him that night. I was convinced something had happened.”
“Your twindar must have been glitching, thankfully.”
“Things are good with the two of you now?”
“Yeah, really good, actually. I never thought I’d say it, but he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. He pushes me, makes me face things I don’t think I’m ready for. I’m a better person because of him.”
“Aw, Nic Nac, that’s so cute,” she says, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye.
“Shut up.”
“Hey,” Dec says, pulling me to him the second I drop down on to the chair next to him. He wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me to him. “I think you’re up next.”
Butterflies explode in my stomach. I can’t wait to get up there. I’ve already planned out the songs I want to sing; they’re much more upbeat than the last time we were here when I was focused on telling Dec how I felt about his little stunt to get me up singing. I want to be hopeful about the future. Yes, we’ve all got some big hurdles to get through, but we’ve got good things in our future, I know it.
I manage to get three songs in before someone else wants a go. My mouth drops when the woman with the mic announces the next performer.
“Declan?” she asks through the sound system, and I watch as he puts his drink down and stands.
He made such a fuss about getting up here last time, I really didn’t think it would ever happen again.
He grabs my hand as he passes me coming off stage, and pulls me back with him. Is he planning a duet?
He stands behind the microphone but makes no effort to allow me to get close enough to join in. I stare at him the entire time, trying to figure out what the hell he’s doing.
I watch as he nods for the music to start, and the moment the first beat fills my ears, my heart swells. He squeezes my hand and goosebumps race across my entire body as he turns to me and begins to sing Kodaline’sThe One.My heart pounds in my chest as I eat up every single word he sings directly at me. If I ever needed proof of his feelings for me, this really is it.
I’m gutted when I realise the song’s coming to an end. I could stand here all night and be serenaded by him. My thoughts are cut off when he takes a step back from the mic stand and drops to the floor. On one knee.
Holy shit.
My hands fly up to cover my mouth, hanging as wide open as it will go. “Oh my god,” I mutter. This can’t be happening.
Silence falls across the entire room as we all wait for what’s going to happen next.
Dec pulls a little black box from behind his back and looks up, his eyes almost as wide as mine, although I’m pretty sure his are with fear.
“Nic…” he starts, but has to clear his throat before he’s able to continue. It doesn’t matter; I can read everything he wants to say in his eyes, and it makes tears sting mine. I fight it the best I can, because I don’t want to be a blubbering mess before he’s even had the chance to say anything.
“Nic, I spent so long trying to believe what I felt for you was hate…” I hear a couple of gasps in the room but I can’t help but smile, because I know exactly what he’s talking about. “But it turns out that need I had to annoy the hell out of you wasn’t because I didn’t like you, it was because I liked you, a little too much, but I had no idea how to deal with it. Then you came marching back into my life and turned it upside down. Everything I thought I wanted was washed away as I realised I’d spent all my life trying to push away the one thing I wanted more than anything else. You.
