With Every Beat of My Heart

Chapter Six: (Nico) Love Languages

I sipped on my coffee in the backyard watching Lil Leo play on his swing set. My mind wandered off to the previous day's events. How could I crash and burn so badly? I never had a problem gaining Nina's forgiveness before. Why was Nina set on holding a grudge this time?

I watched Lil Leo giggle his way down the slide as my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I grabbed it and answered, "Hey Alex, what's up man?"

"Nico, how could you fuck up like that?" His chuckle rang through my ear. "You got her a mouse. A mouse, man!"

"Alex, not you too. Am I never gonna hear the end of it?"

"I just don't understand what you were thinking."

"Bro, you were the one who told me about all the gifts you bought for Athena. The mouse was a bad call, I agree. But I thought she'd like the watch and she hated it. She wants me to return it."

"Nico," he groaned. "The gifts I bought for Athena all had some kind of sentimental value. I accused her of doing something terrible. Athena believed I thought the worst of her and I needed to prove that I did know the kind of person she was. The gifts were meant to show her that I was paying attention." He blew out a breath and continued. "This morning I brought her a latte from her favorite coffee shop and she acted like I gave her the world, man. That's just Athena. I could buy her something from the fucking dollar store and it'll make her day."

"Yeah, you're right." I admitted. "She was like that when we were kids."

"But Nina isn't like that, Nico. You have to focus on the reason she is mad. She needed you and you weren't there, so prove to her that you'll be there for her."

"How do I do that?"

"Well, that's up to you to figure out."

I nodded. "Yeah, okay. I'll think it through. Thanks man."

"Anytime bro, talk later."

"K, talk later," I replied and hung up.

After my conversation with Alex, I was leading Lil Leo back into the house when the doorbell rang, and he went rushing to answer it.

"Leo, no," I scolded. "Wait for daddy."

"Okay, Dada." He paused by the door pouting at me.

I reached him and we answered the door. Christine and Arman stood at my doorstep. Arman had his arms crossed as he scowled at me.

"Hello, handsome boy," Christine cooed at Lil Leo as she picked him up. "Tata missed you."

"Hey guys," I greeted them.

"Is Nina up?" asked Arman.

"I'm not sure. Lil Leo and I were playing in the backyard and we just got back inside," I admitted.

"I'll go check on her. You boys do what you've got to do," Christine said as she walked inside the house and toward the stairs, carrying Lil Leo with her.

I turned to Arman. "What did she mean by that? Did you need something?"

"Come with me," he demanded as he walked to the driveway and toward his car.

I shut the door and followed him to his car. Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of what looked like an Armenian banquet hall.

"Where are we, Arman? What are we doing here?" I asked. We had spent the entire drive in silence and I was getting frustrated.

"We're here to pick up my friend, Toros. We grew up in the same neighborhood in Armenia," he answered.

I looked through the windshield and saw a middle-aged man —with a beer belly that made him look like he was carrying twins— approaching us. He opened the door to the backseat and slid inside.