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He curled his fingers into a ball.
“I can’t pack up and leave. That’s not me,” she said.
His face paled, like he’d received horrible news. “Even if that means a life with me?”
“A life with you will never be a life with you if your father’s demands are in our way. I thought after this whole thing you’d see through him, but—”
“Nikki, this is an amazing opportunity. If it were for my father, I’d date some investor’s daughter. I don’t care about his preferences, but I care about the company.”
“You do. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that. We have different priorities, you and me.”
He threw his hands in the air, visibly frustrated. “You can’t be serious, Nikki.”
She looked deep into his eyes. Her stomach sank to the floor, and every fiber of her being warned her against denying him. What her heart wanted and needed were two different things—and it was high time she faced the truth. “I think we end here.”
“You’re selfish and scared. You want to blame my father, fine. But don’t blame me. I gave you an option,” he said, throwing words at her like darts on a board.
“To move to the other side of the country to go with you? To pay for my kids’ school and plane tickets. In that case, I’d do all the work and all you’d do was foot the bill, Cole.” Who’s scared now? “You’re not changing what needs to be changed, and that tells me about the kind of man you are. Not the kind I want around me or my kids.”
13
“Are you okay?” Brit asked when she opened the door for her.
Nikki hugged her before entering Brit’s quaint home. A path of toy cars and train tracks outlined the way to the living area. That night, Lara had offered to babysit Nikki’s kids along with Brit’s at Nikki’s house so they could chat without interruption.
“No. I’m not,” Nikki said. It had been three days since Cole had showed up with his idea to move to New York. Sadness expanded in her chest. She plopped down on the sofa, her shoulders drooping against the smooth fabric and one of the several pillows Brit insisted on using to adorn her gray couches. “Took me so long to find someone I really wanted, then the bastard has daddy issues.”
Brit flashed her an apologetic look. “Sorry. Men can suck sometimes—that’s why I’ve been keeping my distance. They’re great for sex now and then, but so complicated on the daily.”
“No kidding.”
Brit squeezed her shoulder. “Hey. You’ll be okay. Maybe he’ll change his mind about moving.”
“Even if he does… I can’t be with a guy who wants to impress his father.” Not at the cost of her mental health, anyway.
“Do you really think that’s the only reason he took the job? I mean, this will be great for his career, and it’s hard to manage a company that big from the other side of the country.” Brit shrugged.
“I know. But if he’s this workaholic—”
Brit’s cat, Lulu, showed up in the living area, her tail wagging slowly from side to side, and her green eyes skimming the space. If only I had a third of this cat’s confidence.
“If this, if that,” Brit said. “Are you sure you’re not overcomplicating?”
“I wish. Before Luke realized he was gay, he worked a lot too. I like men who are ambitious, but Cole’s world is a different one altogether. I don’t want either of us to give up what we want for each other. That’s not what love is supposed to be like,” she said, her voice losing energy at the end. Perhaps she’d never experience real love with a man.
“I heard that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be like. What’s that word?” Brit drummed her fingers on her chin. “Compromise.”
“Yeah, to a fault.”
Brit tapped her shoulder. “I know. Sorry. I was so excited you were doing well with him.”
“Me too. He said he loved me.”
“Did you believe him?”
She thinned her lips, then tapped her fingers on them. She’d wanted to believe him, but what if he said those words to manipulate her into moving in with him? What if he simply enjoyed her company and what she represented, the idea of an instant family?
Brit got to her feet, and walked into the kitchen. “I say we talk to wine about it.”
