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Gabe’s stomach turned at the very idea. He didn’t think he could stand to hear her actually say it. “So you’re not confused anymore.”
“I’m totally confused,” Nikki said, “but now that I know what I was feeling for Melanie is part of my condition and not real attraction, I can handle it. I won’t try to jump Mel’s bones again.” She made a cross over her heart. “Hope to die.”
Gabe wasn’t so sure Nikki was confused about her feelings for Melanie, but he would give her the opportunity to prove herself. Regardless, he trusted Melanie not to fuck around on him with Nikki or anyone else.
“All right, let’s shake on it.” He spit in his palm and extended his hand toward Nikki.
Her cute nose crinkled up. “You’re so gross.”
“That’s not what your friend thinks.”
“Maybe she’s wrong about you.”
Melanie laughed as Nikki spit into her own hand, cringing the entire time her wet palm was pressed against Gabe’s as they sealed the bargain with a firm spit-coated handshake.
“Are you two ready?” Melanie asked.
Staring hard into Nikki’s eyes, Gabe nodded. Without looking away, Nikki mimicked the motion.
“Let’s head to the apartment and pack a few things,” Melanie said. “We can start for Texas in the morning.”
“I’ll take a look at your car while we’re here,” Gabe said, unable to ignore his urge to tinker with a machine.
“That would be fantastic,” Melanie said.
Gabe wiped the spit off his hand on the leg of his jeans and took Melanie’s hand. She didn’t flinch or make a face. He was glad she didn’t think he was gross. “I’d like to do one more thing before we leave tomorrow,” he said as they headed out of the hospital unit, Nikki leading the way.
“What’s that?”
“Meet your parents.”
Based on the look she gave him, maybe she did think he was gross after all.
Chapter Eight
Melanie helped Nikki sort through her clothes to find appropriate attire to wear on what Nikki thought would be an exciting mini-vacation to Austin. Gabe was down in the parking lot tinkering with Melanie’s stupid car.
“Does Gabe have a pool?” Nikki asked.
“No, but he’ll probably take us to the lake on his boat.”
Nikki tossed a neon-pink string bikini into her open suitcase. Melanie didn’t comment. She would only wear a swimsuit like that to attract male attention, and in the past Nikki had thrived on that kind of attention, but she wanted Nikki to make her own choices. If she could manage to strut around in that bikini without initiating sex with the admirers that were sure to flock around her, more power to her. Melanie just hoped Gabe was impervious to Nikki’s blatant sex appeal. Crap. She’d forgotten the man had eyes. Of course he’d find Nikki attractive. What had she gotten them into?
Melanie took a deep breath. This wasn’t like situations in her past. She and Gabe were partners. Nikki wouldn’t take him away or seduce him, because he understood her risky behavior was part of her psychological condition. At least Melanie believed he understood that.
Her phone dinged with a text from Gabe. Got it started. Going to take it for a test drive.
“He got my piece-of-shit car started,” Melanie said, smiling at his genius.
“I’m not surprised,” Nikki said. “He’s pretty handy. Did you call your parents and ask them to dinner yet?”
Melanie’s heart took a dive to her feet. “I think I’ll just tell him that they couldn’t come.”
“So you haven’t asked them yet.”
“What if they don’t like him?”
“It doesn’t matter. You like him.”
“I love him.”
“Right. That’s what I meant. And if you love him, they’ll love him.”
Melanie was pretty sure it didn’t work that way.
“They thought Anthony was too wild for me.”
He was an accountant she’d dated a couple of years ago, one of her many boyfriends who’d ended up sleeping with Nikki. Her parents had thought him wild because he owned a motorcycle. He’d rarely ridden it, but just the owning of the dangerous thing had made him wild. If Anthony had been wild, then Gabe had been raised by wolves.
“Anthony was a dick,” Nikki said. “You know he came on to me, not the other way around.”
“I know.”
“I could have said no.” Nikki offered her a regretful frown and then looked into her suitcase. She removed the pink bikini and replaced it with a black one piece.
“Saying no is hard for you.”
Nikki nodded slightly. “Still not a good excuse. I’m sorry for all those times I messed up your relationships.”
“If it weren’t for you, I’d have never met Gabe.”
Nikki lifted her head and met Melanie’s eyes. She smiled. “So I guess that makes up for all my wrongs.”
Not even close, but Melanie nodded. “We’re square. Just don’t try to take him away from me.”
“I’d never. Not someone you actually loved. I’ve seen the way you look at him.” Nikki smacked Melanie in the gut with a bed pillow.
Melanie had thought she was in love with Anthony. Now that she was with Gabe, she knew better. He made her feel far more deeply than she’d ever experienced with anyone. So maybe all that heartache was a blessing in disguise. It allowed her to recognize the depth of her feelings quickly, allowed her to act on them, and to believe in them.
“I don’t know why you keep taking me back,” Nikki said, tracing a stripe on the comforter on her bed. “I’ve done some truly awful things to you.”
“I like to be needed.”
“Then I’m perfect for you. I have boundless need.”
Melanie laughed and hugged her.
“Go invite your parents to dinner,” Nikki said, “or I’m going to call them. I’m sure you remember how well that went the last time I called.”
Her parents had called the police, convinced that something terrible had happened when Nikki wouldn’t let them talk to Melanie. Melanie had been taking a nice leisurely bath. Nikki had called them to ask if they’d lend her the money to buy Melanie a birthday cake, which they thought was some code for drugs. Yeah, her parents were a bit overprotective and judgmental. She could only imagine their reaction when she introduced them to a man with a crimson-tipped Mohawk and dragon tattoos on his scalp. They’d probably think he’d pass those traits directly to their grandchildren.
