Page 130 of Tease Me (Dark Odyssey 1)

“Baby I swear to God I don’t know anybody who likes ice cream more than you.”

I laugh and start to ask him how his day was but stop myself when I think of his friend. Things may be getting better for me, but I doubt they are for Tommy.

I should say something. It’s one of those situations where you know talking is difficult but it’s right to at least ask how the person is doing.

“Nick, how is your friend?” I ask tentatively.

He rests his elbow on the table and brings his hand to his chin. There’s a definite shift in his mood and seriousness washes over his face.

“I’m starting to think in memories. Maybe it means I’ve said goodbye and I’m going through the motions. Just walking around in a shell of a person I used to be. That’s my long winded way of saying he’s not good.” The sadness in his eyes grips me and I want to sooth it away.

I can’t help myself, I get up and walk around to him, then lower to sit in his lap.

He slips an arm around me and appraises me with that admiring stare I love.

It’s the kind that makes a girl weak kneed. It’s the kind that makes this girl melt.

“Talk to me,” I whisper grazing over his chin. “I look at you every day and see you aren’t happy and we just keep forgetting life when we’re together.”

He breathes out a ragged breath and pain speckles his eyes. “He’s gonna die Mia… He’s gonna die and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

He presses his lips together and that harshness fades from his eyes, like a shield dropping to let me in.

“Maybe he won’t. Maybe it will work out.” I try to sound hopeful.

He shakes his head. “I hoped, but it’s come to that stage where I have to be realistic. He’s been in a coma for nearly six weeks and the talk now is about turning his life support off if he doesn’t improve. He’s just getting worse.”

“I’m so sorry.” I reach for his hand and smooth my fingers over his skin.

“It’s okay. I appreciate it. It’s weird… it just doesn’t feel real. I don’t have a single memory that doesn’t include him. Not a damn one at all. I’ve known him forever and it feels like I just stepped into some alternate dimension where I can’t do anything besides watch what’s happening before me.”

I’m listening.

I’m totally listening up because this is the first time he’s ever opened up to me and talked to me like this.

“Sometimes it’s like that. You just have to … see what happens. I know it’s not the same thing, but I felt like that when my Dad got sick. I was in L.A when I got the call that he’d had a heart attack and had to have emergency surgery. On my flight back I wondered if I’d make it. He never told me how sick he was.”

He squeezes my hand. “How is he now?”

“Better, much better. The down time did him good.”

“Good, I’m sorry too that happened to your Dad. My Dad’s a tough boot, and loves to hand me my ass on the regular, but even I would be worried if he’d had a heart attack.”

Jesus, I realize he’s actually talking about his father, an actual mafia boss. He’s also telling me more about his family. Although it’s nice it brings in that clash of emotion that reality tries to warn me about.

It reminds me Dad’s health is the least of my worries. It was and I didn’t know. I’m glad he’s better but with Carter the way he is, I feel it’s only a matter of time before something else happens. This is just the worse time, and I noticed how there was no talk of fixing our current situation that I’m paying for.

Me, I’m paying for Carter’s mistakes. I’m sitting on Nick’s lap like I’m his girlfriend, but I’m not that. I’m here because of Carter.

Nick cups my face and I’m pulled from the thought.

“Hey, what trouble just entered that pretty little head of yours?” His lips quirk.

I relax my shoulders and give him a little smile so I can carry on the façade that I’m okay.

“Nothing… just thinking about stuff.”

He straightens and pulls me closer and the shield comes back into his eyes, blocking me out again. The shield is clouded over with desire.

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