Chapter 43: Doomed From the Start (The Good Kind)

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Doomed From the Start (The Good Kind)

We were still kissing, and by that point, I’d stopped making any serious effort to pretend I had much self-control left. Nicole was close enough that I could feel her warmth against me, and every time I thought we were finally going to pull apart, one of us would lean in again. Usually, it was me.

I’d known I wanted to kiss her. That much wasn’t exactly a mystery anymore. What I hadn’t accounted for was how quickly kissing her could leave me thoroughly turned on.

Nicole shifted back slightly, and I followed her for a moment before realizing she was simply moving away from me.

For a second, I almost pulled her back in for another kiss, ready to forget about self-control entirely and see where things went. Instead, I stayed where I was as she rose from the couch, leaving me to sit there and take stock of my situation while my brain slowly remembered how to function.

She tugged her T-shirt back into place where the hem had ridden up slightly as she stood. I watched her straighten it before she turned toward the door, still wearing that suspiciously satisfied expression.

"Where are you going?" I asked, looking up at her.

"To get my things from the car."

I stared at her for a moment, trying to work out what things she could possibly need at this hour. Nicole, apparently satisfied that she’d answered my question, simply smiled and walked out.

I remained on the couch, watching the doorway with a growing suspicion that I was missing something rather important.

She returned a minute later carrying a small bag.

I looked at the bag, then at her.

"Nicole."

She smiled sweetly. "Yes, Nate?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, already suspecting I wasn’t going to like the answer.

"You plan on spending the night?"

Her smile widened as she walked back toward the couch. "I was hoping you wouldn’t mind."

I stared at her for a moment. "I... woooow. I don’t even know what to say."

Nicole set her bag down beside the couch before sitting next to me. She reached for both my hands, holding them between hers as she turned toward me with an expression that was far too sweet to be entirely innocent.

"Please," she said softly. "I’ll be good."

I raised an eyebrow at her.

She gave my hands a gentle squeeze, then tilted her head slightly, her lips settling into the smallest pout as she looked at me with wide, pleading eyes.

"I even talked to Chloe already, and she said I could use her room." She paused, watching my face before adding, in a voice that was almost unfairly sweet, "I just want to make you breakfast before you leave for work tomorrow."

I stared at her, trying very hard not to let the look on her face influence my decision, but she was holding both my hands, looking at me as though I’d personally ruined her entire week by even considering saying no, and somehow she’d managed to make staying over sound like a perfectly reasonable request. She’d even remembered my Tuesday morning shift, something I’d only mentioned once.

I opened my mouth, closed it, then tried again.

"You’re a vixen. There’s nothing you can say that’ll convince me otherwise."

Nicole giggled, leaning over to press a kiss to my cheek before releasing my hands. She picked up her bag and rose from the couch, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

"I’ll go change into something more... casual," she said with a deliberately innocent smile.

I watched her walk away, bag in hand, and slowly came to terms with something I probably should have figured out a long time ago.

I’d spent all this time thinking I could keep Nicole at a reasonable distance if I tried hard enough. Apparently, that had been a very optimistic assessment of my situation. I’d been doomed from the day we met. I just hadn’t received the memo.

I let out a long exhale, pushed myself off the couch, and headed for the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. If nothing else, it might help me cool down a little.

—

After getting my water, I settled onto the couch again and turned on the TV, settling on a sports channel. The highlights gave me something else to focus on for a while, which was probably a good idea considering how the evening had been going.

I was halfway through watching a replay when my phone buzzed beside me. I glanced over at the screen and saw Sasha’s name.

I picked it up and read the message.

Sasha: Can you believe Norman from your class actually tried asking me out?

I smirked and typed back: What did you tell him?

Her reply came a few seconds later.

Sasha: That I’m in love with someone already.

My thumb stopped over the screen.

For a moment, I just stared at the message. Then another message came in.

Sasha: Gotcha. 😅😅 You definitely froze, didn’t you?

I let out a quiet scoff and typed my response: I have no idea whatsoever you may mean.

My phone buzzed again, but before I could check the message, I heard footsteps approaching from the hallway.

I looked up just as Nicole walked back into the living room, and for a moment, I forgot what I was doing.

She’d changed into a navy-blue pajama set, with matching loose-fitting bottoms that looked comfortable enough to sleep in. White memory foam slippers completed the outfit, making her look so thoroughly prepared for a night at home that I could only stare at her.

I had genuinely expected something else when she’d said she was going to change into something more casual. I wasn’t entirely sure what I’d expected, exactly, but it definitely hadn’t been this.

Nicole caught me looking and smiled as though she hadn’t done anything worth reacting to. She crossed the room and dropped onto the couch beside me, settling comfortably against the cushions before turning her attention to the television.

"What’re we watching?" she asked.

"Football."

"Ooh, nice." She tucked her feet beneath her and leaned back, looking perfectly at home. "Who’s playing?"

I glanced at the screen, then back at her. "Highlights."

She hummed, apparently satisfied with that answer, and shifted closer until she was practically snuggling against my side. Then she rested her head against my shoulder, looking perfectly comfortable as she settled in.

I turned my head and stared at her.

Nicole glanced up at me, her expression innocent. "Something wrong?"

I hesitated, wondering if I should even say it, but curiosity eventually won.

"I just... I thought you’d wear something that might give me a nosebleed when you said you were changing into something casual."

Nicole blinked, then nodded thoughtfully. "I did consider wearing lingerie."

I froze.

She held my gaze, her eyes sparkling with unmistakable mischief, and made no attempt to take the statement back.

"Sorry I asked," I muttered.

Nicole giggled and snuggled a little closer against me.

My phone buzzed again beside us.

I picked it up and unlocked it, intending to see what Sasha sent this time.

Sasha: 😅😅😅 Yeah, right. But he did ask me out, though, and I said no.

Sasha: You there?

I was still reading it when my phone buzzed again in my hand.

Sasha: Earth to Nathan Reed. Did you fall asleep with your eyes open or something?

I typed out a reply — Yeah I did. I’m actually asleep right this moment — while Nicole remained tucked against my side, her head resting comfortably on my shoulder. She wasn’t making any obvious effort to look at my phone, but she was close enough to see the screen without having to move an inch.

Sasha replied almost immediately.

Sasha: Oh, my bad. Should I come back when you’re awake? 😂

I smiled at the screen, already regretting giving her the opportunity to keep this going.

Nicole shifted slightly against me, then spoke in a perfectly calm, almost innocent voice.

"A friend?"

I glanced down at her. "Yeah."

For some reason, I found myself considering whether I could use this opportunity to get a little payback for all the teasing she’d put me through tonight. Nicole had been having far too much fun at my expense, and I figured it was only fair that I got one shot at returning the favor.

I locked my phone and set it aside before turning to face her properly.

"You’re not jealous, right?"

Nicole looked up at me and shook her head without the slightest hesitation. "Nope."

I stared at her.

That was it? No hesitation, no suspicious questioning, not even a hint of reluctance? Just a perfectly calm, completely effortless nope?

For some reason, that answer landed a little harder than I’d expected.

Nicole reached for her phone and unlocked it, settling comfortably against my side as she began scrolling through whatever had caught her attention.

I glanced at her screen before quickly looking away, then found myself wondering why I suddenly had the urge to know what she was looking at.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "She’s really a friend, though. We’ve known each other since freshman year."

Nicole continued scrolling, barely changing her expression.

"Jackson knows her too," I added.

"Okay," she said calmly.

I stared at her, growing increasingly uneasy.

"Nicole?"

She looked up from her phone. "Hm?"

I held her gaze, trying to work out what, exactly, I wanted to ask her.

Her expression turned curious as she studied me, waiting for me to continue.

I didn’t.

She stared at me for a moment longer, and I slowly began to notice the little changes in her expression. The way her lips pressed together, the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, and the unmistakable effort she was making to keep her face straight.

The moment she realized I’d caught on, her composure fell apart. Nicole burst into laughter, leaning against me as her shoulders shook.

"You should have seen your face," she managed between laughs.

I frowned at her. "It’s not funny."

"Of course it is!" she replied, still giggling. "You actually thought I was trying to make you jealous!"

I looked away, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing how thoroughly she’d gotten to me, which, judging by the way she was laughing, was probably too late.

Nicole’s laughter gradually died down, although the smile on her face remained as she lifted her head from my shoulder and turned to look at me. She studied my expression for a moment, apparently finding something else amusing, before holding out her phone.

"Here," she said, placing it in my hand before snuggling comfortably against my side again. "You can look."

I glanced at her, but she was still smiling, looking entirely too pleased with herself for someone who had just made me question my entire evening. I looked down at the phone instead, wondering what exactly she expected me to find.

Her messages were open, and my chat was sitting right at the top of the list, pinned above everything else. The contact name read ’My Nate 🥰❤️❤️’.

I stared at it for a moment longer than I probably needed to before moving my eyes down the screen. There were a few group chats, some conversations with names I recognized as male, and several others I didn’t recognize at all. Most of them had unread messages beside them, and one conversation had sixteen unread messages sitting there like someone had been making a determined effort to get her attention.

Nicole hadn’t even opened it.

I scrolled just enough to see a few more unread conversations before handing the phone back to her. She accepted it without a fuss, set it aside, and tucked herself against me again.

"I was a little jealous," she admitted, looking up at me with a small smile. "But I trust you, Nate."

I turned to look at her as she absentmindedly fiddled with the fabric of my sleeve.

"Besides, you’re hot," she added. "I’d be more surprised if girls didn’t text you."

I opened my mouth, then closed it again.

Of all the things I’d expected her to say, that hadn’t even made the list.

My phone buzzed again beside us.

Nicole glanced at it, then looked up at me. "You gonna get that?"

"Nope."

She giggled, and I let out a small laugh, shaking my head.