But her eyes always give her away.
She’s struggling, and I need her to know that she’s safe with me. That she can let go.
“Nikki, mi corazón.”
She releases me and holds one of my hands in both of hers. “Tony, we need to talk.”
Well, fuck. Just the worst sentence to ever exist.
I nod and pull her off the dance floor and walk toward the beach for privacy. If she’s going to obliterate my heart for the second time, the least I can do is find some privacy.
I notice Chris and Kelsey watching us as we make our way to a small gazebo on the sand. I shoot them a subtle glare, and they scurry off in different directions.
We take a seat on the bench, but as soon as I get comfortable, Nikki shoots up and starts pacing.
This can’t be good.
“Okay, so. I’ve been preparing all day for this moment. I’ve been working out what I want to say.” She wrings her hands, then chuckles nervously. “But could you believe that I can’t even remember how to start this whole speech?” She continues to pace, making me nervous.
“Nikki, relax. I think I know what you’re gonna say.”
Sorry, Tony. But I’m not interested in a relationship with you.
She rubs her hand over her forehead. “Ha. I have a pretty good inkling that you have no clue what I’m about to say.”
I sigh, “Nikki, it’s fine. We don’t have to pursue—”
“I lied.” She takes a deep breath. “To you. I lied to you, Tony.” Her lip quivers.
I stay still, confused about what she could be talking about. “Um. Okay. You want to give me a little more context here?”
She must not hear me, because she continues. “And I just want to say, before anything else is said, that I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. And I understand if you never forgive me, but I just need you to know that I’ve lived with the guilt and regret, and I am so terribly sorry.” Her eyes begin to mist, and I’m on my feet, pulling her into my arms.
“Nikki,mi amor, you’re not making sense,” I mumble into her hair as her body shakes in my arms.
I’m scouring my brain for what she could have lied about recently that would garner this kind of reaction, but I’m coming up short.
Until she says the two words I never thought I’d hear from her lips.
“I remember.”
* * *
I don’t even realize I’ve moved until I feel the ocean water softly crash over my ankles.
“Tony. I’m so sorry.” I hear Nikki sniffle behind me.
I don’t turn back to her as I speak. “Seven years, Nikki.”
“I know,” she whispers.
I turn to face her. “No. You don’t know. For seven years, I’ve convinced myself that our night together never happened. That what I experienced with you must have been… couldn’t have been…”
She’s no longer in her heels as she steps into the water with me. “It was. It was everything. I felt everything. But—”
“But you lied. To my face.Twice.” The flashbacks start coming in fast and hard. My desperation for her to remember our night, along with my desire for her to finally make her way back to me.
She bows her head. “I know. Fuck. Yes, I know I lied, but… but…”
