Chapter Thirty-Two NICO

Chapter Thirty-Two

NICO

By the time I’m bringing the steaks into the house to let them sit for a few minutes, I find Sienna in the kitchen making the salad. A glass of wine is sitting next to her, and the music is cranked up.

None of the soft jazz that Ever likes to listen to when she cooks. Nope, Sienna is blasting the Nicki Minaj song “Want Some More.” She’s singing every word as she sprinkles cut-up tomatoes on top of the already full salad bowl, snapping her lips shut when she sees me standing there with a plate of still-sizzling steaks.

“That was quick,” she says, her gaze going to Coop, who just came inside after me. “And those steaks smell delicious.”

“Where’s Ever?” My appetite threatens to vanish. If she left because of what I did earlier .?.?. what I’ve been doing .?.?.

The disappointment crashes into me like a giant wave. I’ve fucked everything up.

“Oh, I sent her away to take a shower. She seemed—frazzled.”

My relief is instantaneous, but the knowing look on Sienna’s face tells me she’s aware of everything I’ve done. Even more than what I told her on the phone earlier.

I’m not surprised. Ever has become close to Sienna since she moved in, and I think it’s great.

“You really messed everything up, you know,” Sienna says as she turns off the music.

“I’m gonna go call Gav. See where the hell he is.” Coop holds up his phone as he rushes out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with Sienna.

Who seems ready to give me a lecture.

“I know I messed everything up with Everleigh.” I go to the oven and peek inside to see the garlic bread is browned nicely. I go ahead and turn the oven off as well as the timer. “You don’t need to remind me.”

“Well, she messed up with you too.”

I turn to look at her, surprised she’d bash her friend. “What exactly do you know?”

“I know that you tried to make a move and she panicked and bailed on you Sunday afternoon.” She shrugs. “You two are both scared. I told her that, and she completely disagreed.”

“Right, because she’s not scared at all to stand up for her feelings.”

“No, she said you’re the one who’s not scared. She ran away from you, which makes her feel like a chickenshit.”

Leave it to Sienna to tell it like it is.

“I’m trying to do better.” I walk the platter of steaks over to the dining table and set it down. “You know I’m not good at this relationship thing.”

Sienna laughs and takes a big sip from her wineglass. “No kidding. But I think you’re on the right track with this dinner.”

I pause, trying not to get my hopes up. “You really think so?”

Sienna nods.

“I left her flowers in her room.”

“Aw.” Sienna rests her hand on her chest. “That’s sweet.”

“What else should I do? I need input. And I’m clueless.”

“Just—if you’re into her, let her know. Show her that you like her. Even better? Tell her. Say out loud that you want to pursue something with her.” She pauses. “You do want to pursue something, right?”

“I do.” The words leave me without hesitation, and I realize I’m speaking the truth.

I do want to pursue this. I want something meaningful with Everleigh. I like her. A lot. I care about her.

A lot.

“Let her know. And be serious. Don’t be all Mr. Player. The big man on campus who can get any girl he wants with a wink and a smile.” Sienna rolls her eyes.

“I don’t have to wink. I usually just smile and they come running.” I’m grinning.

She plucks a cherry tomato from the salad and tosses it right at my head, but I catch it just in time. “You know what I mean.”

Before I can say anything, Coop and Gav enter the kitchen, Gavin’s nose in the air. Damn, that guy got here fast. “What smells so fucking good?”

“That would be dinner,” I tell him, my gaze shifting to Sienna once more. “Could you pull the garlic bread out of the oven, please?”

“At your service.” Sienna salutes me, heading over to the oven.

Sienna and I work as a team to get everything on the table while Gav and Coop gather drinks for all of us. Frank eventually wanders in and makes small talk with me—progress. I am dying to ask him what’s really going on with Portia, but no way am I saying her name. There’s no need to bring her up right now. It’ll probably only end up pissing Dollar off all over again.

By the time Ever enters the kitchen, we’re all seated at the table, passing around the bowl of salad. The only empty chair left is the one to my right, and she sits down, smiling tentatively at me when I hand her the salad bowl.

Everyone remains quiet once we’ve got food on our plates, no hesitation as we all start to eat. Gav, Coop, and Frank are just shoveling it in like they haven’t been fed in days while the girls start in with their salad.

I’m the only one with no appetite. I’m too nervous.

Clearing my throat, I decide I need to say something and get it out of the way.

“I’m glad you all came tonight,” I start, causing them all to pause, their heads swiveling in my direction. “I haven’t been .?.?. easy to deal with lately, and I want to apologize to all of you.”

Frank sets his fork on the edge of his plate, giving me his full attention. “Go on.”

“I was a dick this weekend at the party. And I was a major dick today at practice. I know I need an attitude adjustment. I’m working on myself.” I nod once. “Go ahead and keep eating. Don’t let your meal get cold. I just needed to say that. Thank you for being my friends, and I’m sorry.”

Gavin, who is sitting to my left, slaps me on the shoulder. “You don’t have to apologize, bro. Everyone has a bad day here and there.”

“Thanks, man.” I smile at him, grateful for his comment.

Gavin nods, his attention switching to Dollar. “Tell us what’s up with you and the blonde. Portia.”

I inwardly groan. That was the last thing he should’ve brought up.

Frank’s cheeks actually turn ruddy. “Nothing much.”

“You don’t need to hold back, Dollar Bills.” Gavin is teasing him. “She’s hot.”

The annoyance on Sienna’s face is obvious. “Don’t forget she used to date Nico.”

“Oh, I remember. She was wild.” Gav chuckles. “I’m guessing she still is.”

“Probably not the best topic to focus on right now,” I tell Gav, who completely ignores my warning.

“So tell us—are you with her or what?” he asks Frank.

Dollar glances in my direction, looking like he might shit his pants at any moment. “We are—casually seeing each other.”

“Keep it that way,” Gavin says with an approving nod. “No need to get serious with anyone right now.”

I want to stomp on my friend’s foot to get him to shut up, but I restrain myself.

“That’s terrible advice,” Sienna blurts.

Gavin tilts his head. They’re sitting directly across from each other, and I know Sienna planned it that way. He didn’t notice, though.

Or does Gav notice and not give a shit? Does he enjoy having Sienna follow him around like a fangirl? Does it feel good to him knowing that she’ll always have his back no matter what?

If he’s not interested in her, he needs to stop toying with her emotions. Full stop.

“I don’t see you in a steady relationship,” Gavin challenges her. “And hey, I figured you’d agree with me. You always agree with me.”

Oh God.

Dollar actually groans out loud. Ever and I share a look, seemingly always in sync when it comes to these situations.

“For once in my life, I’m definitely not agreeing with you.” Sienna grabs her steak knife and points it in Gav’s direction. “You’re an oblivious asshole.”

The chuckle dies on Gavin’s lips, his gaze going to me. “I thought Nico was the asshole tonight.”

“You’re all assholes.” Sienna points at every guy at the table with the knife, pausing on Coop. “Even you.”

“Me?” Coop rests his hand on his chest. “What the hell did I do?”

“You exist. You have dicks and a shitty attitude. You treat women like garbage, or worse, you ignore them completely, like they’re meaningless.” Sienna drops the knife, and it lands with a clatter onto her plate. She leaps to her feet, taking her wineglass with her. “Nico, I appreciate your apology. If you could just get your head out of your butt and realize there’s a pretty great woman sitting beside you who might change your life for the better—that would be perfect.”

I blink at her, my gaze finding Ever’s once more, but she looks away quickly, her cheeks pink.

“And if you could stop being so overprotective all the time, maybe I could find a little independence,” Sienna says to Coop, taking a big gulp from her glass, her attention shifting to Frank. “I’m not mad at you, Dollar, but you gotta know that Portia is toxic as fuck and she will ruin you. Run while you can.”

All Dollar can do is blink at her.

“Then there’s you.” Sienna waves her glass in Gav’s general direction. “You’re blind. Or an egomaniac. Most likely a combination of both. You know how I feel, yet you still lead me on. As my dear old dad would say, Gavin, it’s time for you to shit or get off the pot.”

She raises her glass in a cheers gesture, polishes the rest of the contents off in one long swallow, and slams it down on the table before she turns on her heel and exits the kitchen.

The front door slams shut seconds later.

“Should I go after her?” Ever asks, pushing back her chair.

“No.” Coop shakes his head. “Someone else should.”

The table goes silent, which has been a common theme tonight. I thought my dinner was going to bring us together and we’d have a good time.

Things really veered offtrack from my original intentions.

“I’ll go,” Frank starts, but Coop shuts him up with just a look.

“You think I should go after her?” Gavin actually has the nerve to ask. “I wanted to finish my steak.”

“You know what, if you want to finish your steak, go for it. I’m thinking Sienna finally realizes that you don’t care about her anyway.” Ever patiently cuts her own steak, keeping her gaze on her plate.

“I do care about her. She’s a good friend to me. It’s just—”

“What?” She turns to him, her expression scarily calm. “You don’t see her like that? Have you ever told her beyond that one drunken night when she was a freshman and basically threw herself at you?”

The shock on Gavin’s face is almost comical. Even I know about that night. And from Coop’s complete nonreaction, I’m guessing he knows about it too. “She told you about that night?”

“She’s told me a lot of things.”

“I knew about it too,” I add.

“Same.” Coop nods, which is shocking because he acted clueless about those two only a couple of weeks ago.

“She even told me.” Dollar shrugs.

“Jesus,” Gav mutters, jumping to his feet. “I’ll go talk to her.”

He’s gone in a flash, and we all look at each other from across the table.

“Look, I’m still starving.” Coop plucks another piece of garlic bread from the basket and shoves half of it in his mouth. “They’ll figure their shit out. Just like you guys will.”