Scarred for Life Page 5

  Nicole rummaged through a large rack of DVDs by her colossal, wall-mounted television. On a glass stand underneath the TV was a DVD player, cable box, and a couple of remotes. There was a plethora of gaps between DVDs, showing where Tyler's discs once rested. A smile brightened Nicole's face as she grabbed a movie.

  "I haven't seen this one in a long time. It's one of my favorites. Do you mind?" Nicole asked her guest, showing the movie case.

  The sparkle in Nicole's eyes struck Dane in places that she didn't think existed. The look bordered on childish glee and innocence. It was rather…adorable. She couldn't recall the last time, if ever, that she thought an adult appeared so endearing. In the past, she never noticed cute things. She was more inclined to notice sexy things, like women with bewitching expressions that silently begged her to take them to the highest high she could until she had her fill just because they wanted to be near her. User and used at the same time, not that she ever minded. Despite that, an amiable smile sneaked onto her youthful visage.

  "I'd love to watch that with you," Dane answered honestly. If it kept that spark in Nicole's enchanting eyes, she'd watch anything. The expression made her feel a little warm. She had never felt that at all until now.

  Nicole grinned and popped the movie into the DVD player. Dane was elated to discover that it wasn't some cheesy chick flick. It was a romantic comedy, but the comedy outweighed the romance. By the end of it, they were both laughing hard and sharing cookies; Nicole was eating twice as many as Dane. Continuing their merriment, the host put on another movie right after.

  "Is it all right to watch another?" Nicole's eyes glimmered in what looked like a plea.

  Dane shrugged. "Sounds good."

  ***

  Nicole smiled because she never got a chance to watch these films when Tyler was present. She suspected Dane was exhausted with the nuances of her relationship with Tyler and she didn't want to rudely talk Dane's ear off about him either. Whenever he suggested they curl on the sofa together to bond over a film, he'd put on a crime drama or a suspense thriller. Nicole didn't mind those in small doses, but she didn't desire to see them every time they turned on the television.

  Most of the time, when she watched a movie with Tyler, she focused on cuddling into him. He often returned the embrace and seemed to enjoy their closeness together. It was one of the few constants in their relationship. Unfortunately, Tyler often thought of cuddling as a prelude to sex, so he'd ruin the moment by trying to undress her after they snuggled for sometime. Still, being hugged up on the couch would be one of the few pleasant memories she kept from their relationship.

  By dinnertime, the pair were quoting the movies they viewed and cracking each other up with little jokes. Smiles flowed easily from Nicole, feeling comfortable thanks to the mutual appreciation they had of the films. Dane's expressions were subtler. Her eyes weren't as dull as they had been that morning, as if laughter had turned on a low wattage light bulb in the smoky orbs.

  "You don't have to hang out here in the kitchen while I make dinner," Nicole informed her guest, scanning the refrigerator and pulling out items for their meal.

  "I planned on helping, actually," Dane explained.

  Nicole made a choking noise. "You want to help me cook?" She gaped incredulously.

  "Obviously. Look, I could've sworn we established I'm not my cousin. I know Dipshit never helped out in the kitchen, but I'd like to do something beyond sitting on my ass all day."

  "Okay. No problem. I've actually never cooked with someone before, so…" Nicole trailed off, unsure where she was going with her statement. She was uncertain as to how she felt about someone helping her cook.

  "It's cool, Nick. I won't take over the kitchen or anything. I'll stay out of your way. Just give me something simple to make."

  Nicole nodded and started Dane out with making a salad while she prepared chicken cutlets. Dane also worked on rice as Nicole fixed up some broccoli. They were eating in no time and Nicole found team cooking to be magnificent.

  "Danny, I need to get some work done when we're done with dinner. I don't want to be rude, but will you be all right on your own?" Nicole inquired.

  "Sure, Nick. Thanks for worrying, but I'm a grown woman. I can figure out how to spend an evening without a babysitter," the taller woman remarked with a teasing smirk.

  "Are you sure? I really feel like I should give you a curfew, pup." Nicole smiled.

  Dane rolled her eyes. "If so, you should get one, too. But, would it be okay if I did some laundry?"

  "Sure, no problem. The machine's in the basement. I'll show you when we finish eating."

  Dinner conversation revolved around the movies that they watched, foods that they liked, and other light topics. Nicole attempted to dig in order to learn more about the affable soul staying in her home for the day.

  "So, do you cook often?" the lawyer inquired.

  "Almost never, actually. Wasn't too sure I could do it when I volunteered to help you. Nice to see I'm not totally useless." A self-deprecating look crossed Dane’s face.

  "You've been a great help to me." It was in that moment Nicole realized the veritable truth of her the statement, beyond packing Tyler's things. Dane had afforded her the best day off that she had experienced in months. Being around Dane kept her from feeling overwhelmed and despondent over yet another disastrously unsuccessful relationship. "Thank you for everything," she added in a soft tone.

  Dane ran her hand through her hair and scrunched up her face. She regarded her hostess as if she were some kind of alien life form. Nicole got the idea that Dane wasn't thanked very often.

  "Danny, all you have to do is say you're welcome," Nicole supplied with a smile.

  "Didn't do anything, so I don't see why you're thanking me at all."

  "Still, just say you're welcome," Nicole coached the younger woman.

  A light blush colored Dane's cheeks. "You're welcome," she muttered.

  The sudden urge to declare Dane adorable shot through Nicole and she had to literally bite her bottom lip to prevent her from doing so. She also resisted the impulse to grab her guest into a snuggle. The effect didn't fade when the blush did.

  After dinner, Nicole showed Dane the washing machine and dryer in the basement. They were state of the art appliances and Dane needed a minor tutorial on how to use them. Nicole courteously explained everything and was set to leave afterward, but she was briefly halted.

  "Do you want me to wash any of your clothes since I'm down here?" Dane offered. "It's a fair trade, right?"

  Nicole blinked, still flabbergasted by a Wolfe offering to help. "Uh…no, that's all right. I did my laundry a couple of days ago."

  ***

  Nicole began working in the living room, going through documents spread out on her obsidian coffee table. The humming of the washing machine was the only noise flowing through the house. Nicole almost forgot that there was someone else in the house until Dane entered the living room. She didn't say anything, quietly sitting down. The action stunned Nicole. She was used to Tyler begging to be acknowledged when he entered the room, whether she was working or not. He'd open his mouth and say whatever came to mind or sit close enough to her for it to border on uncomfortable, forcing her to say something to him.

  She recalled the time spend together when she first started dating Tyler. She thought his need for attention was cute. It reminded her of a puppy or a small child and she enjoyed giving into him. The appeal quickly wore off, though, when he started interrupting her work because he required attention at that very moment. She used to try to ignore him, but more often than not she'd give in and just promise herself to try to break him of the habit later on.

  "Are you done with your laundry?" Nicole asked.

  "Yeah, it wasn't that much stuff. Thanks for letting me do my laundry. You mind if I take a shower now?"

  "Oh, no, feel free. You know where everything is. Should I show you to one of the guestrooms beforehand?"

  Dane shook her head. "I
f it's okay with you, I'll just stay in the den again. I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

  "Well, I mind you sleeping on the floor."

  "It's okay, really. You don't need to go through a bunch of trouble for me."

  Nicole nodded, as if she understood, but she really didn't. When Dane disappeared upstairs to take a shower, Nicole went to get pillows and a sleeping bag for the younger woman to use if she insisted on staying in the den. She grumbled about how Dane was making it hard for her to be a good host, but she didn't feel as indignant as she was acting as an amused smile played across her lips.

  ***

  Dane wasn't surprised that after her long, hot shower there were bedding things waiting for her in the den. She decided to make use of them. Before going to sleep, she went to thank her hostess and bid her goodnight. The sight of Nicole curled up on the sofa, documents in front of her, a mug in her hand, and an intense look in her eyes caused Dane to pause. The waves of auburn hair that fell halfway over her face was breathtaking. Shaking her head, Dane managed to pull her thoughts away from the exhibition and remembered why she ventured into the living room in the first place.

  "Hey, Nick, I just wanted to say thanks for everything."

  Nicole glanced up in surprise. Her auburn mane was still partially covering her face and Dane had to quietly exhale. A small smile adorned Nicole's face.

  "No problem, Danny."

  Dane nodded. "Well, I'm going to bed."

  "All right. Goodnight," Nicole replied with a small smile and a wave.

  Danny nodded again and watched Nicole for a moment longer, taking in the image of her. She fought against categorizing the sight as sexy, leaving before the thought settled in her mind and took up residence as Nicole went back to work.

  ***

  Sunlight shone into the bedroom and woke Nicole before the alarm clock. Going through her morning routine, she found herself looking forward to the day. She could go downstairs and didn't have to hear Tyler pestering her for breakfast or to make him that gourmet coffee that she detested. She hoped Danny was awake because it would be nice to share some light conversation before going off to the office. The deep silence that greeted her as she descended the stairs led her to believe that her guest was still asleep. She decided not to disturb Danny, figuring the younger woman could use the rest.

  Once breakfast was made, Nicole marched to the den, knocking on the sidewall because there was no door. The room was deathly quiet. Nicole poked her head inside and discovered that the room was empty. The sleeping bag was folded on the short couch and the pillow topped the bedding.

  "She left? Already? But, she didn't even give me a chance to pay back her kindness," Nicole muttered, shaking her head. Her shoulders slumped with disappointment that there wouldn’t be a repeat of yesterday’s laughter.

  Attempting to shake off unanticipated distress, she ate breakfast. The silence she would have welcomed just two days ago felt crushing. She ate quickly and hurried out of the house, trying to flee the bizarre emotion. Getting to work, she rushed to her office to avoid Tyler. Safely behind the door of her office, she dived into her work with her usual zeal. The only interruption came at lunch when her best friend showed up at her door to drag her out of the firm. She suspected the forced lunch date had to do with Tyler. She attempted to wiggle out of it, but her best friend wasn't the type to abandon her to her desk.

  "Mina, I have all of this work to do…" Nicole protested. She made a show of going through a pile of folders on her desk, most of which had nothing to do with what she was working on.

  Mina James stood in the doorway and rolled her deep chocolate brown eyes. She was a striking woman of Nicole's height with mocha skin and flowing black hair pulled back because of her flat twists. With her arms folded across her chest, she stared down at her friend. Nicole made sure to keep her eyes on her work. Mina's full lips were set in a scowl, upset that Nicole dared to play that game with her.

  "Sweetie, when the hell don't you have a ton of work to do? That doesn't mean you're not coming out for lunch. Now, get up and let's go. You know if we have this fight, you're just going to lose eventually," Mina pointed out.

  Hopelessly, Nicole sighed and conceded because her friend was right. She packed up her things, putting all of her work away to make sure that her desk was left immaculate, and left with Mina. On the way out, they were met by their other friend and coworker, Clara Ramos. She was a petite woman with deep, honey skin, hazel eyes and short, wavy brown hair. They marched to a nearby café.

  "So, are you going to tell us why Tyler came into work alone and looked like someone kicked his dog? Not to mention, you came in alone, even though you and he left together on Friday?" Mina inquired, jumping right into the reason why she pulled Nicole away from her desk.

  "Is everything all right between the two of you?" Clara asked in a gentle voice, compassionately touching Nicole's forearm.

  "Everything's fine now. I broke up with Tyler yesterday," Nicole stated indifferently.

  "You don't sound too broken up about it," Clara noted. She glanced at Mina, who didn't seem too surprised by the lack of feeling.

  "I'm not, honestly. Whatever feelings I had for him withered a couple of months ago and I don't think I had many to start with. What I did have didn't get a chance to grow into more. It was clear yesterday that he wasn't going to try to make things better and things would certainly only get worse. He exhausted me. I actually felt good after I got it all out and he left."

  "I'm not surprised by that. It was the same thing that you did before I convinced you to swear off dating last year. You're too nice and you give people way too many chances. Also, being the person you are, someone who has to do everything right and make everything right, you always stick with losers longer than necessary. You think you can fix them or something. You need to learn and remember that everyone isn't like you and willing to make things run smooth. Most people just want shit to go their way. You’ll keep wasting your time and energy with losers if you continue to think that if you work on the relationship, your partner will start working on it too, and eventually everything will work out. It never happens that way with the people you date," Mina mildly reprimanded her friend.

  "Mina," Clara scolded the other woman, giving her a hard look. "Nicole doesn't need you playing Mom for her. She has a good mother already."

  Mina sighed and turned large, apologetic eyes to her dear friend. "I know. I'm sorry, Nicole. Look, sweetie, you do enough feeling for you and a partner and I know that has to be tiring. I just want to see you settle down with someone good for you. Not someone with a cute smile and plays interested in you for a little while, but is in essence an asshole. People do this to you all the time, Nicole. You attract these people because of your kind heart and they take advantage of that after they win you over. They don't change or try to work on things because they think you're pliable since you give them so many chances. I'm tired of watching you ignoring things and trying to work with losers until they turn into what you need, which never happens. They need to want to be what you need. You can't wait it out or turn it into a project to save them. So, personally, I'm happy that you dumped Tyler. I hate him."

  Clara and Nicole chuckled. Mina's feelings concerning Tyler were no secret. Mina was good at feeling people out and she trusted her instincts much more on personal issues than Nicole. Mina had tried her best to keep Nicole from going out with Tyler, but Nicole’s parents outweighed her opinion. There was something in his eyes that made Mina's blood run cold.

  "You deserve the best, Nicole. Not someone that's going to jerk you around and waste six months of your life," Mina stated.

  "It wasn't a total waste. The first couple of months were good," Nicole argued.

  "Those first months were a lie, Nicole. You actually started dating again for him and then he turned into another asshole on your list of asshole partners. Don't defend the lie," Mina begged.

  "Mina," Clara reprimanded her again.

  Mina sigh
ed. "All right, all right. I'll stop now. Could I make a toast to our dear friend's wake up and liberation, though?"

  The friends accepted that, even though Nicole wasn't in the mood to celebrate. She was jubilant to be rid of Tyler, yes, but her mind drifted to her Danny. It still disconcerted her that Danny left her house without a word.

  After a light lunch, the trio of friends returned to the firm. Nicole bustled to her office, again to elude Tyler. Staying later than most people at the firm was her norm, but she did it that day to make sure she didn't have a run in with Tyler. The thought crept into her head that she was also avoiding her empty house. It wasn't so much that she wasn't accustomed to being there alone, even though it had been a while. More so, it was like that weird sensation would be waiting for her since Danny had left the house. Maybe it was just the first time in a long time she got along with company and was able to civilly interact with someone without worrying about burying her feelings to the point of them festering into a tumor.

  When she arrived home, she found herself wondering where Dane went. The younger woman might have gone on to stay with Tyler, not that she understood that. It was clear Dane didn't think very highly of her cousin, so Nicole couldn't see Dane rooming with him, even for a few days. But, then again, Dane didn't seem to have many choices. It was probably a toss-up between living with Tyler or living on the streets.

  "Well, she could've stayed here. Surely I'm more tolerable than Tyler and I have a much better taste in movies," Nicole remarked. She conceded that Danny seemed quietly ashamed of being at the house, though. It was best if Danny left rather than remain and be uncomfortable. Despite those thoughts, she was slightly troubled that Danny would rather beg Tyler for a place to stay—after all, there was no way a selfish bastard like Tyler would help someone without them begging for it—than to gather herself at Nicole's house. Let it go, Nicole. You gave her a place to stay for a day and gave her some food. That should be enough. She's not your cousin, after all.