23. Nash

23

NASH

W aking, I feel Summer sitting on the edge of the bed. She's reaching behind to fasten her bra, and I drag my body up to sitting to help her. It flashes in my head, how I always used to do this.

Then and now.

"Here," I say as I close the hook and inhale the mango scent from her shower gel. She fell asleep quickly last night after causing me to burst out laughing when she said my father apologized, until I realized she wasn't joking. I was relieved, as that just meant one less thing to worry about. Still, Summer seemed worn out, and I just followed her cues and let her close her eyes in my arms. Whatever is on her mind or mine, it didn't seem to ruin our deep sleep. "Morning."

Summer barely glances over her shoulder with a look of appreciation then swipes the sweater that she had set on the bed. "Good morning. Didn't mean to wake you, thought you could sleep in."

Rubbing my eyes, I feel the haze of sleep fade away. "It's okay. I would rather we talk and spend the day together. "

That remark earns me a smirk. "If you don't mind, I'm just going to spend the day with Bo. I want to make up for yesterday not being here, and Harlow suggested we meet for coffee."

She's avoiding me. It isn't rocket science.

"Sure. Want me to get Bo dressed?"

Summer is already standing and zipping up her jeans. "It's okay, he's just in his crib playing around with his stuffed monkey."

"That little dude can scare away all of his bad dreams."

Her closed-mouth smile feels promising. "Doesn't change the fact it's a freaky little thing."

She quickly leans down to give me a peck on the lips. "We can meet later."

I grab her wrist before she can escape. "Are you avoiding me? Is that what this is?"

Her lips press together. "Maybe. I just want a little more time to clear my head, you know? Plus, you probably need it too."

Reluctantly letting her wrist free, I don't debate her. "Okay."

The good news as she walks out the door is that she doesn't seem to be as down as yesterday, but the bad news is that she still needs time.

My eyes drift to the drawer where somehow, I've occupied with my things in such a short period. Items in a drawer that hide a solution she doesn't realize.

Shaking my head, I throw the sheet hanging around my waist off. I'll head to the ice rink to wear off some tension. It's been a week since the Dizzy Duck management meeting on the ice. Today, I just want to skate alone.

An hour later, I'm on the ice, but I don't get my wish to be alone.

"Seriously, I thought Lori was going to throw her phone at me. She flipped out, and Lexi just watched like it was some reality show," Holden explains as he slowly skates next to me.

I have to laugh. "Who the fuck tells their teenager that they're in charge of taking the group of friends to the movie theater and that they are staying to chaperone? If I were her, I would have thrown a lot more. Let them be and make sure they're home by eleven."

We pass the puck gently between us with our sticks, well aware that there are a few other people on the ice, including a few kids. "Trust me, when you're a dad, you'll understand the protective overboard nature." Holden immediately pauses when he realizes his choice of words. To be honest, I don't even know how to interpret it. "I mean, it's not that you're not a da— You're an uncle, but you're…" He winces, as he must feel as though he is sinking into a melting pile of ice.

"It's fine. I'm not even sure how to label this. Of course, I'm protective of Bo, I just need to figure out how to navigate the role without replacing a piece, you know? It's one of the reasons why Summer has been freaking out lately. Not helped by my dad being a complete jackass."

"That bad, huh?"

My head cocks to the side slightly, but I don't need much time to evaluate. "A shitshow, to be honest. Summer went to visit her brother yesterday to escape. Now, we haven't really spoken since the other day." I lift the puck with my stick and begin to toss it in the air. "It doesn't seem to be bad for me, but I'm not sure."

"It will come around." Holden gently touches my arm to prevent me from skating forward. "And hey, about the parent thing. Maybe slightly different, but Lexi treats my kids as her own. The parenting dynamic comes in different shapes but something feels as though it isn't the greatest issue."

I begin to skate in a circle around him. "It's not. For fleeting moments, I remind myself that I'm a greedy asshole and should probably give Summer space, nor should I have led us down this path. I mean, what kind of brother am I? Stealing his wife after he's barely been laid to rest. But then… everything indicates that I'm right where I should be. I'm already confident about that. I've just been waiting for Summer to catch up. I don't want her with me for the wrong reasons. But my patience sometimes runs thin."

"What's the next step?"

"She wants to talk tonight. That's a good thing, except… I might have something to make everything go away…" Because I've been hiding something from her all along.

Holden seems puzzled. "Be honest with her. Don't do something stupid. I learned my lesson the hard way." We skate toward the exit, and Holden groans. "Shit. Principal Johnson. How can I not escape that woman? Even when my kids are well behaved. She must be visiting her daughter who is back from college."

I glance to my side. "You have horrible luck."

Then he gets a devious look on his face. "Nah, I think it will change. I'm saying hi then mentioning that you're sticking around and that you two should chat." He winks at me before skating off, not giving me a chance to protest.

I smile tightly when Principal Johnson approaches the exit of the ice, ready to pounce with her over-the-top grimace. "What a lovely surprise. I've mentioned that Lake Spark Academy is… "

What the hell, I have some time to kill. I might as well humor everyone for the next thirty minutes.

Some would say the holiday lights at night on Main Street and the shop windows lit up are magical. Except seeing Summer pacing back and forth on the corner of the street causes my heart to clasp around a speck of fear, and I dip my fingers into my pocket to feel the crinkle of glossy paper.

She asked me to meet her here since Bo is with Harlow and Stone. Summer was on a walk then sounded adamant that I come to meet her here. The house is too confronting, perhaps, and the dock has been overused for our life confrontations.

Summer's eyes draw up from the ground to face me as she shakes out her hands. "The thing is, Nash." Oh, okay, she's going straight into this. "I'm not some toy that's been tossed around between you and your brother. Sometimes it feels that way, and I'm not that woman. You are every red flag that I've been warned about. You could run away at the first hint of a challenge. Or realize you're confused too in a time of mourning." Her impassioned words are causing her breath to stagger, and her body is anything but calm.

"Summer, are you sure you want to talk about this right now?" As I move forward, she takes a step back, clearly adamant that we will continue this conversation in public.

"Yes. I need to get this out now. For the last few weeks, I've been beating myself up about how life is transpiring, except… it's with you, and that's a missing piece that I've been waiting for." Her face shifts, and I see the blaze in her eyes. "You know, your brother lied to me, to all of us. He kn ew he wasn't going to make it long before we did. I just discovered that little fact, but it makes sense now. It's as though he was playing a game of chess." There is anger in her voice.

My jaw flexes side to side from her revelation as dots begin to connect in my head. "What do you mean?"

"You and I?" She throws her arms up in the air, and the glint of her treasure necklace catches the light just right as she begins to walk away. "This shouldn't be happening, Nash," she nearly yells.

Following her, I grab her arm to ensure she faces me again. "You know that's not true."

I'm still fighting for her it seems. It's as though I'm staring at a wall, debating if there is a crack or not.

A tear falls down her cheek. "Which is exactly why… you're right." The certainty of her words catches me by surprise, with a swoosh of air wrapping around me. She isn't fighting. "I want you. I want this. No more running. No hiding. I won't feel guilty, and I'm allowed to have this, us," Summer lists, overwhelmed with emotion.

Instantly, I step closer to her and touch her shoulders, ready to pull her close. I couldn't care less that probably half the street has heard us or that we have an audience.

My own breath is heavy as I'm melting with Summer. "I've been waiting for you to figure it out."

"How so?"

I squeeze my eyes shut then open. "We've returned to one another because of us. The situation gave us that opportunity, but it's our feelings that have us standing here together, wanting it all." I gesture to the street, and I swear Holden and Lexi are lurking across the street watching this confrontation between Summer and me. "I've been lying to you. "

Summer's breath catches and concern floods her face. "What do y-you mean?" she stammers.

"The thing is, I came back to Lake Spark, and the moment I saw the opportunity to make you mine again, I selfishly took it. Then, I had a sign that it was okay. I just… didn't tell you. I wanted you to find your way to me because you wanted me. Not because you got a nudge."

Summer glances to the side then back to me, her tongue sweeping across her bottom lip. "I think we got that as we lived together. It's like he was plotting for a while." She nervously laughs as if it's a joke.

But my stomach drops because it is no joke.

Shoving my hands in my pocket, I debate what is the right thing to say right now. "I love you, and we're right where we should be. You're with me on this, right? We're together, and you're comfortable that we're happening and have a future for the right reasons?"

She nods, with honesty written all over her face.

"Plotting isn't a far stretch. We may never have told my brother about us, but he couldn't have been blind, and he left this for me to find…" Sighing, I take the photo from my pocket and hand it to her.

Summer's gaze drives down to the photo to see the three of us from all those years ago, then she flips it over. It feels as though I'm reading it with her, and both of our minds catch up with our hearts. Her eyes strike up to meet mine, and we share a similar look. An inescapable emotion, and our sight drops again to the back of the photo.

"It seems we all knew that you and I would end up where we always should have been," I state softly.

Maybe it's the doodle he drew of her necklace or maybe it's simply his writing. But the words vanish all worries because her mouth quivers yet forms a soft smile as she reads aloud.

"‘For someone who loves treasure, I ensured she got her crown jewel. I was her first husband, but you'll be her last.'"

She looks up. "And that's why he told me… ‘Don't worry, Summer, I've made sure that you'll have everything you need, I promise.'"