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“A thank-you.” She swallows. “I thought I’d lost him for good, but turns out, he was always searching for me.”
“If you want to really thank me, that kiss can go somewhere down below.”
She fixates me with a playful look. “I said later.”
“Later isn’t a measurable time so it’s meaningless. In fact, later could be the fifteen minutes we’ll spend on the drive home.”
“Nice try.” Nicole’s laughing now and I can’t get enough of the sound. Of the carefree nature of it.
The fact that it shines through pain is what makes it even more special.
I would sell both my kidneys in a buy-one-get-one-free package if that means I’ll see her laugh more.
So I try to keep it on her face as we take the fucking stroll, twice, while I’m holding her hand. Because fuck it, I’ll be sappy if it’s with her.
Once we sit on the bench, she fingers the healing wound on my temple, her brows knitting together. “Does it hurt?”
“Not really, but I’m seriously worried about the fact that it’ll scar. My magazine cover status is in jeopardy.”
She laughs. “It’s their loss. Besides, scars are beautiful.”
“How so?”
“We’re humans, we’re not supposed to be perfect.”
“Aren’t you the philosophical one?”
She leans back on both her palms and stares at the sky, as shitty and cloudy as it is, I wish I’m that sky right now. “I just learned to appreciate things and erase others.”
“Was it hard?”
“Sometimes. But I didn’t let it bring me down.” She smiles and I want to trap that smile in my chest. Better yet, I wish I was there all these years she’s been struggling on her own.
I wish I didn’t let my dick dictate my actions and how I felt.
“I need to check on Jay.” Nicole rummages through her bag. “Ugh, I can’t find the thing. Can you call me?”
I would rather not. I like the peacefulness of this moment too much to ruin it, but I do so anyway.
She pulls it out and releases a sigh. “Found it.”
I pause at the name she saved me as and snatch her phone away. “Are you calling your boss a bloody idiot, Ms. Adler?”
A blush spreads over her cheeks and neck. “All assistants do.”
“When did this start?”
“When we were eighteen.”
“This won’t do.” I tell her to unlock the phone, then change the name to Daniel surrounded by two hearts. Then I take a selfie while I kiss her lips and put it as the designated picture.
Nicole calls me silly, but she’s smiling like the hopeless romantic she is.
We spend some more time in the park before she insists that we buy groceries.
“You know I have staff who keep the fridge stocked, right?” I push the trolley as she throws all sorts of things in it. “They’d have a mini-stroke and call you Americanized behind your back as they sip their Earl Grey tea.”
She throws a smile at me over her shoulder. “I’ll drink with them. I love tea.”
