Page 25 of Hooked on Trouble

I relax into my chair. “That sounds more my speed.”

“Plus,” Shay says, “the home fries are amazing.”

A few patrons glance our way, probably thinking we make an odd bunch. We’ve always been a mash-up of music genres and styles. Shay in her trendy platform shoes, skinny jeans, and fitted pink T-shirt is our Pop girl. Lily looks as though she walked off the cover of one of her hipster CDs, flowy lace top, jean skirt, ankle boots, and all. My black outfit and inked skin scream old school punk. The three of us are as different as different gets, but they’re my closest friends, and I need their advice.

Attention focused on their menus, they don’t notice me twisting my hands on the table. Probably best to blurt it out. “I kissed Nico.”

Their heads fly up at once.

“What? When? Why? I thought you hated him,” Shay says.

Grinning, Lily leans forward. “Details, please.”

I never told the girls the Aspen specifics. I’d never even told them I’d met my grandmother, let alone the fact that she’d passed. Skilled at bulldozing my emotions and masking the wreckage with sarcasm, I cracked jokes and teased them about their love lives, and we had fun in Aspen. Back home, it all hit me so hard. The worse I felt, the snarkier I’d get. I’d hook up with guys. When I couldn’t shake thoughts of Nico, I’d lie on my bed and blast the Clash loud enough to wake the dead. I’d use the time to perfect my Ten Ways to Kill Nico List. Talking to the girls back then meant reopening old wounds, and I was squeaking by.

But I kissed the Sexy Beast and his offer to help me find Rose means we could be spending more time together. Avoidance is no longer an option. “Apparently he’s been running on the beach each morning because I told him I go there to take photos.”

“Tenacious,” Shay says. “I like it. So you made out on the sand?”

I nod. “He had his shirt off and everything. That man’s body should be illegal.”

And his lips should be black market contraband. But it’s his sweet nature that has me shredding the napkin in my hands. Nico has apologized more than once. He’s devoted to his community, to his family, and he’s offered to help me find mine. He’s the type of man girls dream about. Why am I still holding back?

Shay and Lily exchange glances, then Lily drags her chair closer and lowers her voice. “You must have your reasons for being quiet about what happened in Aspen, but we can’t help if you don’t let us in. If it were me, I’d be upset if a guy didn’t call after hooking up, but you’ve never cared about that. Why Nico?”

Because he looked into my soul that night. Because for the first time in my life, I wanted more. “Because he pushed me to share personal things with him and promised he wouldn’t hurt me. Then he blew me off.”

Lily bites her lip. “I’m sorry, Rave. I wish you’d talked to us about it.”

I drop my shredded napkin and trace my rose tattoo, the first ink I ever got. The way Nico kissed it in Aspen made my chest ache. “I should have. But I didn’t know what to do with everything I was feeling. And it seemed ridiculous. It was one night, and I fell so hard for him. It fucked me up, to say the least.”

“And now?” Shay asks. “You’re willing to give him another shot?”

My roaring libido and nervous stomach seem to differ in opinions. “Aside from the fact that he’s the sexiest thing on legs, Nico and I have an intense connection. We’ve both been through a lot as kids, fucked-up family stuff. And I know he didn’t mean to hurt me. But part of my move here was about finding Rose. He’s offered to help, and I said yes, but I’m having second thoughts. I’m worried if we spend time together, I’ll fall harder. The idea of looking for Rose and getting in deep with Nico scares the crap out of me.”

The snarky waitress interrupts us and blows the bangs from her face. “What do you ladies want? If it’s me, I get off in a couple hours, but it takes a lot of work to get me off.”

Well then. “I’m good with the menu,” I say, chuckling.

The girls rattle off their orders, and I choose pancakes on the fly. When I ask for coffee, the waitress says, “You have feet, get it yourself.”

I smile as she marches off, getting into the vibe of this place. “If my apprentice gig falls through and our event business doesn’t take off, I could probably waitress here.”

“You do have a PhD in sarcasm,” Shay says.

Lily elbows her. “Back to the Nico problem. I have a suggestion.”

I bounce my leg, eager for advice. Advice I could have used when I let a friend tattoo a guitar on my hip. The proportions are off, the lines wonky, and the neck is a blur of muddy colors. It resembles a choking chicken. If I push Nico away again, odds are my regret over the choking chicken tattoo would pale in comparison.

Lily smooths the napkin on her lap. “My vote is that you should let him help you find Rose. He has the resources, and it’s important. If you don’t look for her, you’ll always wonder. As for Nico, I get why you’re hesitant. I don’t believe for a second he’d hurt you again, but relationships can be messy. I’d take it slow, but I’d give it a shot.” She looks at Shay, who nods in agreement.

I tap my fingers restlessly. “Slow might be a challenge. I mean, you have seen him, right? And that kiss was unreal. Plus, things get intense when we talk. Slow isn’t in our vocabulary.”

On the beach, I was a heartbeat from spilling about the hell that sent Rose running. The horrific beating. How I pissed myself that day. It’s not a story I want to relive, and if he asks again, I’m not sure I’ll be able to swallow it down. But never knowing if my sister and I could reconnect would be harder than sharing my worst day as a person. Nico’s a cop. He’s got access to databases and driver’s license info. All I’ve been doing is scanning random people on the street.

I sigh. “If we spend time together, fighting this thing between us won’t work. But yeah. I want his help finding Rose. I’ll just have to hope for the best.”

Hope my heart doesn’t get trampled.