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The idea of anyone, even Lexi's best friend, knowing she had broken my heart again was more than I could handle at the moment.
"It's really none of my business what Lexi does, is it?"I crossed my arms in front of my chest, causing Nicole's hand to fall.
She stared at me for a moment, and then, as if a fire had sparked to life inside her, she grabbed my arm.Leaving her bags on the floor, she pulled me over to a bench with surprising strength and pushed me down on the hard leather.She stood over me; her red hair flashed against the lights and her eyes pinned me to the spot."Drop the tough guy act," she hissed."That crap might work with someone else, but I'm not falling for it.Do you think I'm stupid, or just blind?"
I didn't answer her.I was still a little stunned to be handled so forcibly by this petite woman.
"Well?"she demanded.
"Neither," I managed.
"Lexi is my best friend and I know everything there is to know about her, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't try to keep secrets from me."
"What do you mean?"
"Leo," Nicole said.Her stance softened and she didn't look quite so much like she was going to hit me."She doesn't have to tell me for me to know what you mean to her."
I tried to wrap my head around that convoluted sentence."Come again?"
"Leo, you're special to Lexi.You always have been."
Despite myself, my heart soared like a grade school kid rewarded by his first crush."What do you mean?Special?"
Nicole plopped her tiny frame next to me on the bench and I twisted to look at her.
"Look," she said."I blame myself that she went back to Andrew all those years ago."
Whatever I was expecting her to say, it hadn't been that."Pardon me?You what?"
"That time, after she met you," Nicole said, waving her hands in the air."She tried to tell me about your special connection or whatever."
"No, not whatever," I interrupted."What did she say exactly?"
"I don't remember her exact words.It was years ago."Nicole shot me a look before continuing."But basically, she liked you.A lot."
I smiled.I couldn't help it.
"But I told her it was pointless.Just a fling—that relationships didn't happen in Vegas," she said.
My smile fell and my stomach twisted as I remembered hearing those exact words myself."You told her that?"
"Well, come on, Leo," she spoke quickly."You have to admit, Vegas isn't really the place to meet your soul mate, right?I mean, I was just trying to be a good friend."
"But, I...Lexi..."
"I know," Nicole said.Her voice was soft and she put her hand on my arm.When I looked up, I could see the hurt in her own eyes."I know that now.Hell, I think I knew it then.But then Andrew was there, and he wasn't awful, he just...and then when Ben was born..."
My thoughts fled to my unseen child.
"I knew," she said.
"You knew what?"
"I'm not blind, Leo.I've always known."
"That Ben is my son," I whispered.
"He's the image of you."
