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Nico fixed her a look. “Yes. That’s why they’re called fears.”
“You’re being silly.” She held up a finger to cut off his protest. “You are. Not talking to him guarantees you lose him.”
“It’s not that simple. I’m sure he likes me.” After last night he was positive of that. “The problem, as I keep saying, is he’s still in love with his ex. He may not realize it over the hurt and anger, but he is. I can’t compete with that.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Nico went to the window and watched someone try to fit an SUV into a parking space just big enough for a Mini. Elisa kept silent, and he knew she could keep quiet until he answered. “Can’t. How do you compete with an idea?”
“By being better than the idea.” Her chair scraped on the floor. “Boo, I tell you this all the time, but you are the most amazing person. Luke sees that. What are you so afraid of?”
Anyone but his sister and he could get away with lying, but she knew him too well. “I don’t know. Kent . . . he’s jealous of me. I have a feeling he’s angling to get back with Luke. It’ll break my heart if he picks Kent over me.”
“You don’t know that will happen.”
“The risk is too much. It fucking hurt when Tomas left me, okay? And Tomas . . . hell, he’s nothing compared to Luke.”
She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “My advice is to talk to him. Yeah, I know what you’re going to say, but it’s the only way to approach this. Ask him if he sees a future for you two.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Things could get awkward. We still have to live together.”
“Boo, things already are awkward.”
He swallowed the protests he had ready.
“What do you have to lose?” she whispered.
Only everything. But she was right. Better to kill any lingering hope he and Luke would be together than to continue with this mood-crushing uncertainty.
Luke
Luke turned left on Pine Street and headed home. The entire day had been a blur. After their amazing night, the morning’s tub of ice water had left him in a funk all day. If they’d asked him what he did all day, he might not have remembered.
“Hey, Luke.”
His head popped up, and he found Nico sitting on the stoop with a goofy grin.
“Nico? What are you doing there?”
“Waiting for you.” His playful mood disappeared. “Can we talk?”
Luke had planned to ask Nico the same thing, but hearing those three words come from Nico scared him. “Sure.”
Pushing up, Nico led them upstairs. “I didn’t have time to cook. Do you want to go somewhere or order takeout?”
Suggesting they go out to eat calmed Luke a bit. Nico wouldn’t suggest that if their talk was going to cause a problem. “Either is good.”
“I vote we go out. There’s a sushi bar near Front Street I’ve wanted to try all summer.”
“Sushi it is.”
“Great.” Nico unlocked the door and let Luke go in first. “Do you want to change?”
“Not really.” He avoided Nico’s gaze. “I’ve kinda wanted to talk too, so let’s do that first.”
“Right.” Nico sat on one end of the futon and tucked a leg under him. “So, the thing is, I like you, Luke. A lot.”
It felt good to finally hear that from him. Only, Nico didn’t seem happy. “But . . .?”
“Kent.”
“Kent what?”
Nico breathed deeply and then exhaled. “I’m afraid you’ll go back to him.”
“Nico, that’s crazy. Why would I go back to a lying, cheating asshole?”
“I don’t know, but every time he calls or texts, you rush to answer. Every time he needs something, you help him.” He shrugged. “You say you don’t like him, but you act like you still do.”
He opened his mouth to deny it, but Nico’s sad eyes stopped his words. A simple denial wasn’t going to ease Nico’s fears.
“What did I say this morning that has you so worried?”
Nico’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s something.” Luke took Nico’s hands in his. “Nico, I’m tired of pretending we’re going out. This weekend, last night, I wasn’t pretending. I didn’t ask you to the picnic just to have a date. I asked you because I wanted you to go with me.
“Last night I didn’t just want to get off, I wanted to be that close with you. I know you feel the same way, but I keep giving you a reason to hold back. I need to fix that so you’ll trust me when I say I don’t want Kent. I want you.”
“I trust you, Luke.”
“Then please tell me what I said that . . .” Of course. He squeezed Nico’s fingers. “We were talking about us and I mentioned him, didn’t I?”
Nico nodded. “I know it’s not rational, but it feels like he’s there every time we do something.”
