The Magnolia Café

Chapter 38

After a date with Connor, I arrive home, only to find Nico laying on the couch, looking like crap, blankly staring at the TV with junk food around him.

"You look... fine."

"Please don't." He sits and cleans up the food wrappers around him. "What did you talk about with Ren? Yesterday, after I left."

"About the truth."

"And what truth is that?"

I sit by his side. "You run away. You always do. Once you start to care about something, you disappear."

"Aren't you the same, though? Tell me, why it took you so long to get together with Connor?"

"That's not fair Nicholas. Just because I didn't jump straight into a relationship doesn't mean I was pulling away. I'm sorry if I like to take my time getting to know someone and if my previous relationship left me damaged. I was broken, and I had to pick up the pieces."

"Either way. Relationships of any kind just end in disappointment. Everyone leaves in the end."

"No kidding? Don't I know that? But isn't that exactly what you are doing with Ren?"

"You're right. I can't deny that. But it's always better to run away in the beginning than in the end."

"But do you think that's fair? You are afraid of being left alone and yet you do that to everyone around you. You do that even with me." Nico stays silent and looks away. "What do you truly want, Nicholas?"

"I'm not sure."

"There's got to be something you want."

"I want to be close to you. I want to get to know Ren. I still want to travel. There's so much I want to see."

"Then there's your answer."

"I can't do it all."

"Of course you can, Nico. I get it, being human sometimes is a shitty thing, but everyone should try their best. It's called balance. Finding the right balance between work, family relationships and so on."

"Clearly I haven't been doing that very well."

"Just try."

"There's no point. I'm fine with the way things are. It's not perfect but—"

"Then why do you look so fucking miserable?"

"Because I actually do feel like shit right now. Don't joke, but—"

"But what?"

"I think I'm actually falling for Ren. Fucking Christ... I'm going crazy. I think it's more than that. This doesn't make any sense. I've known him for like... five days. All the traveling and jet lag must be driving me crazy. For once in my life, I want to stay put in one place for more than a couple of weeks. I want to have the chance of getting to know him." I laugh. "I said don't joke."

"I'm not joking. Why don't you say that to Ren instead of saying it to me?"

"No way in hell I'm saying all that to him."

"Fine. Then at least why don't you tell him you plan on sticking around for a while and ask him out?"

"That, I think I can do."

"To be honest, I feel jealous of Ren. You won't stay because of your own sister, but you'll stay for a guy you just met. Not fair."

"Shut up Izzy. You know I'll go anywhere you are. Just call."

"I know."

"I'll call Ren tomorrow."

"He starts working at eight thirty and leaves at five thirty in case you are wondering."