Auld Lang Syne

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Won't they find it strange?" I asked, gingerly picking up my entire foot as I walked. The floor was tiled with porcelain – and very cold. "I'm here before everyone else – and Nadine didn't even have to threaten me this time."

The sudden curve of Nik's mouth and his low chuckle told me that he was finding humour in the situation, even if I didn't.

"I'm serious," I insisted. "It's suspicious, isn't it?"

"Then let them suspect."

I grimaced.

My silence forced Nik back into a somber mood. "All right," he said, gaze flitting away as he attempted a compromise. "Why don't you leave five minutes before they're due and come back later, then?"

I knew he was hoping that I would throw up my hands and admit it was senseless. Instead, I said, "That sounds like a good idea."

A corner of his mouth twisted as he shrugged and turned away. "That's settled, then."

I pressed my lips together and made a move for the table. He was still in the midst of preparation – the table, empty save for a cloth spread out over one edge, didn't yet look to be in shape to welcome guests in a mere sixty minutes.

"Where's the food?" I asked.

"In the fridge," he replied. "I haven't started preparing yet."

"I can help," I offered.

"It's okay," he said, already headed for the kitchen. "I'll just put the casserole into the oven. The rest are served cold."

I made a face. "So I'm supposed to just stand here and do nothing?"

Nik turned back; smiled. "You can come stand beside me and do nothing."

"You're in a good mood," I observed.

"Well," he said, shrugging, "you're here with me."

I swallowed. That was almost sweet, coming from him.

"Are all of them coming?" I asked, reaching out to fiddle with the corner of a cleaning rag on the counter. It looked newly bought – malleable but still stiff with lack of use. The unwelcoming texture beneath my fingers made me retract my hand.

"They'll all be here," Nik said, and I fought back the grimace threatening to emerge. It had been too much to hope that at least the most hostile of them wouldn't be showing up.

"Ansel isn't coming," I said. The lament slipped out before I could censor myself.

"He wasn't invited."

With his back to me, I couldn't begin to guess at Nik's expression. Was that a terse note in his voice? Had the set of his shoulders looked as unforgiving five minutes ago? I bristled, my back straightening in defiance. My mouth was already opening, sharp words on the tip of my tongue. Then I caught myself and snatched them back.

The more time I spent with him, the more the past came rushing back. I couldn't stop the memories, but I didn't have to fall back into that expired version of myself.

I took a deep breath and said, "Well, I wanted him here. You said you wanted to make things right with the group. He's a part of it, as much as the others are."

Nik turned around. Something clenched deep within me – a fight instinct that hadn't completely deteriorated over the last four years – until I saw the look on his face. His face was placid, but there was a light in his eyes. He was still listening.

Maybe we had both changed.

"You said you wanted to put the group back together," I repeated, my voice stronger now. "That means Ansel too, in case you've forgotten."