Page 87 of Lost Room Lawyer
“How is Nico?” I asked, rising from my chair.
The woman’s mouth formed a thin line. “I usually discuss such matters only with family members.”
“Can I see him?”
“You’re his boss,” she said with a slight disdain. “Nico needs rest right now. Work can wait.”
I stared at the psychologist in shock while Dominic laughed beside me.
“Ha! Lady, this isn’t about work.”
Now she looked at me with irritation. “I mean it. He needs rest. So please, try not to upset him too much.”
“I won’t,” I said as my body moved on its own.
No, I didn’t want to wait any longer. Even though I had no idea what to say to Nico, what I wanted to say, or what was even appropriate, I knocked briefly, opened the door, and stepped in.It was the only place I wanted to be. The only right place where it made sense for me to be.
When I spotted Nico, I stood frozen. He was curled up on one side, facing away from the window, resting on one arm in a fetal position. His hair was slightly tousled, sticking out in all directions. He was hooked up to an IV and wore one of those white-gray patient gowns.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a raspy tone.
Seeing him like this tore me apart, but at the same time, his appearance washed away all the doubts and lies that had kept me captive for so long. I felt like I was standing naked in front of him, even though he didn’t know I had stripped myself bare to the world. Well, not to the whole world, but that’s how it felt to me right now.
I walked over to him, sat on the edge of the bed, and took him in my arms.
“Goddammit, what are you doing?” I whispered with a trembling voice next to his ear, stroking his head, unable to let him go.
Touching his body, feeling his warmth, and smelling his faintly lemony scent stirred something in me that I couldn’t even name. Emotions broke free that I seemed to have suppressed all my life, and an intense tremor seized my body, making me cling to Nico even tighter.
Eventually, he was the one who pulled away and brushed my cheek. “You’re crying,” he said.
“I was such an idiot. I’m sorry.” Overwhelmed by my emotions, I wiped at my wet cheek. “Fuck, how pathetic. I thought I could keep going as before, but I was just lying to myself. How blind could I be not to see the obvious? I love you.” Taken aback by my own words, I squinted and shook my head in disbelief. “Yes, I love you. Now it’s out. And if you ever pull such crap again, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
It was far from my intention to make Nico cry, but seeing tears in his eyes somehow made me feel better. I took his head in my hands and pressed my forehead against his.
“I’m serious. I just realized how important you are to me. Anytime, I would drop everything to be with you. I’m a fool for not realizing it sooner. I’m so sorry. If you think I’m too much of an idiot, then … I’ll just have to accept that.”
Nico smiled sadly and placed his hand on my neck. Without hesitation, I yielded to the moment and kissed him. I had kissed him many times before, but this time felt different. This time, I was someone new—someone who could no longer hide, though I might still want to out of sheer habit. Nico’s warmth, his soft lips, his breath—everything about him made me feel like I had finally arrived.
“It wasn’t intentional,” he whispered, stroking my cheek. “More of an accident.”
“And the psychologist?”
“I guess I’ll see her a few times. Can’t hurt,” he said and shrugged. “Now that my boss kicked me out—”
“That wasn’t how it was meant,” I interjected. “Shit, I was so confused. I really thought that was the solution. But my wife just showed me otherwise.”
“Don’t take it the wrong way, but …” He grasped my battered hand and examined the bandage on the side. Without saying anything more, he glanced back up at me. “I accept the termination.”
“That wasn’t …”
Nico cut me off with a passionate kiss. I melted and absorbed all the heat I could get from him. His soft lips were like a drug.
God, I missed making out with him!
A knock on the door made me instinctively pull back. Even though I didn’t want to, this behavior had been conditioned into me over the years. Still, I wasn’t quick enough.
“What the hell …”
