speak for yourself. I’m a nice man.”
“No, you’re not. You’re a player and you know it. I don’t
want her to be hurt. She’s too damn sensitive and whenever she cries or is in
pain, I feel it. I can’t stand it, okay?”
Oh. Nick blinked. For a while there he’d forgotten about
their twin connection. Everything Alex had told him tonight made sense and now
he felt even worse. Would this ever end? he thought with a grimace.
Now that their parents were gone and with his own long
forgotten, the twins were the only people he wanted to claim as family. And
what had he done? He’d had sex with Lucy, had pissed off his best friend so
much they’d nearly come to blows. Why do I always screw things up? He
clenched his hands.
Alex was right. He wasn’t good enough for Lucy and never
would be. She deserved better and even if the thought made him want to hit
something, he knew she should find herself a man who’d make her happy, someone
who’d understand her. He couldn’t give her a family; he couldn’t even give her
the stable relationship she probably yearned for. No, he definitely wasn’t that
man.
It didn’t matter that he cared about her. Love sucked
anyway, something he’d been taught at a young age. There really was no choice.
He was going to have to stay away from Lucy and make her hate him. Whether he
liked it or not.
* * * * *
Lucy had come to a unilateral decision. What had happened
earlier had been a wake-up call.
She sat up in bed and clicked her bedside lamp on, wincing a
little as the bright light hit her half-opened eyes. Leaning back against her
headboard, she smoothed the duvet over her knees and thought back to Nick’s
face as he’d leaned down to kiss her hello. Like a boyfriend did…
She wanted that, damn it! So why wasn’t she fighting for
him? Whatever her brother thought, whatever Nick had said, none of it mattered.
She loved him. She was head over heels in love with him, especially after the
weekend they’d spent together. It’d been amazing to just be the two of them,
being able to talk and laugh and just plain have fun without interruptions.
Like a normal couple did…
Yes , she thought as she drew her head up. She was
going to fight for him. She couldn’t just give up on what they’d shared at the
cabin. She would show him how good they were together, that even though they
had no guarantee over what the future held, they were worth a shot.
He won’t know what hit him , she thought with a smirk.
Leaning to the right, she clicked the light off and snuggled back under the
covers. She closed her eyes and dreamed of Nick and a happily ever after.
* * * * *
Today would be the day where the rest of her life began.
Armed with a smile and clothes she was sure Nick would approve of, she made her
way through the bar her brother always hung out at after work, her gaze on the
lookout for the tall blond man her heart clamored for. There! Her feet
changed direction as she squared her shoulders.
They were playing pool, the usual acolytes hanging around.
Beer bottle hanging from its neck between his fingers, Nick leaned back against
the opposite wall, a smirk on his face as he called out something to her
brother. Probably some insult or another, she thought, remembering how
competitive the two were, even during a friendly game of pool.
She managed to avoid being seen as she stepped closer and
closer until she was right beside Nick. Almost as if he’d felt her there, he
turned toward her, his smile changing into something else as he spotted her
only inches from him. “Luce?”
That smile still on her face, she put her hand on his
forearm and moved onto her toes, leaning up to drop a soft kiss on his cheek.
That it was deliberately close to the corner of his lips, well, that was only
for her to know. She drew back and leaned against the wall, their arms
brushing. “Hey, Nick. How are you?”
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice sharp.
Her eyebrows rose. “I
“No, you’re not. You’re a player and you know it. I don’t
want her to be hurt. She’s too damn sensitive and whenever she cries or is in
pain, I feel it. I can’t stand it, okay?”
Oh. Nick blinked. For a while there he’d forgotten about
their twin connection. Everything Alex had told him tonight made sense and now
he felt even worse. Would this ever end? he thought with a grimace.
Now that their parents were gone and with his own long
forgotten, the twins were the only people he wanted to claim as family. And
what had he done? He’d had sex with Lucy, had pissed off his best friend so
much they’d nearly come to blows. Why do I always screw things up? He
clenched his hands.
Alex was right. He wasn’t good enough for Lucy and never
would be. She deserved better and even if the thought made him want to hit
something, he knew she should find herself a man who’d make her happy, someone
who’d understand her. He couldn’t give her a family; he couldn’t even give her
the stable relationship she probably yearned for. No, he definitely wasn’t that
man.
It didn’t matter that he cared about her. Love sucked
anyway, something he’d been taught at a young age. There really was no choice.
He was going to have to stay away from Lucy and make her hate him. Whether he
liked it or not.
* * * * *
Lucy had come to a unilateral decision. What had happened
earlier had been a wake-up call.
She sat up in bed and clicked her bedside lamp on, wincing a
little as the bright light hit her half-opened eyes. Leaning back against her
headboard, she smoothed the duvet over her knees and thought back to Nick’s
face as he’d leaned down to kiss her hello. Like a boyfriend did…
She wanted that, damn it! So why wasn’t she fighting for
him? Whatever her brother thought, whatever Nick had said, none of it mattered.
She loved him. She was head over heels in love with him, especially after the
weekend they’d spent together. It’d been amazing to just be the two of them,
being able to talk and laugh and just plain have fun without interruptions.
Like a normal couple did…
Yes , she thought as she drew her head up. She was
going to fight for him. She couldn’t just give up on what they’d shared at the
cabin. She would show him how good they were together, that even though they
had no guarantee over what the future held, they were worth a shot.
He won’t know what hit him , she thought with a smirk.
Leaning to the right, she clicked the light off and snuggled back under the
covers. She closed her eyes and dreamed of Nick and a happily ever after.
* * * * *
Today would be the day where the rest of her life began.
Armed with a smile and clothes she was sure Nick would approve of, she made her
way through the bar her brother always hung out at after work, her gaze on the
lookout for the tall blond man her heart clamored for. There! Her feet
changed direction as she squared her shoulders.
They were playing pool, the usual acolytes hanging around.
Beer bottle hanging from its neck between his fingers, Nick leaned back against
the opposite wall, a smirk on his face as he called out something to her
brother. Probably some insult or another, she thought, remembering how
competitive the two were, even during a friendly game of pool.
She managed to avoid being seen as she stepped closer and
closer until she was right beside Nick. Almost as if he’d felt her there, he
turned toward her, his smile changing into something else as he spotted her
only inches from him. “Luce?”
That smile still on her face, she put her hand on his
forearm and moved onto her toes, leaning up to drop a soft kiss on his cheek.
That it was deliberately close to the corner of his lips, well, that was only
for her to know. She drew back and leaned against the wall, their arms
brushing. “Hey, Nick. How are you?”
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice sharp.
Her eyebrows rose. “I
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