My phone rang, jerking me awake from sleep. I'd fallen asleep on the sofa after getting home from picking up Alexis from her friend's place.
"Hello?" My voice was a little croaky and I cleared my throat.
"Ch-Charlie?" Nick's voice was quiet and wobbly when he spoke and I instantly woke up a little more.
"Nick? You okay? What's wrong?"
"Imogen and I fought."
"Oh, Nick. What about? Do you want me to come over?"
"Please?"
"Okay. I'll be there soon." I hung up the call and scrambled to get off the sofa, grabbing my keys and wallet. "Nathaniel, Alexis, I'm going out for a bit. Be good." I called to my kids, getting shouts of affirmation from both of them as I ran out the door.
It didn't take me long to get to Nick's house and I soon found myself sat on the sofa in his living room, waiting for him to calm down enough to tell me what happened.
"S-she can't come h-home." I finally managed to understand some words and squeezed his hand sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, Nick. I know you were looking forward to seeing her again."
"That's not even the worst part!" He wailed, bursting into fresh sobs. "She tried to use that stupid kiss against me. Even though she's already forgiven me." My eyes went wide. I knew Nick had told Imogen about the kiss on our drunken night out and I knew that it'd caused a bit of tension between them for a while until Imogen found it in herself to forgive both Nick and me. She'd told us she understood why I'd taken him out and why Nick had said and done what he did. I just never thought she'd try to use it against Nick like this.
"That's not fair. Do you want me to talk to her?" He looked up at me with hopeful eyes.
"Would you? Charlie, we've never fought like this before."
"I know." I pulled him close for a hug which he initially accepted but then he froze and pulled back. "What?"
"We shouldn't do that. I don't want to push it."
"Imogen's not here."
"I know that but I just..."
"Okay." I nodded and looked around for his laptop so I could call Imogen. "Where's the laptop?"
"Counter." Giving his hand one last sympathetic squeeze, I got up and made my way over to the kitchen where his laptop was sitting. I made the decision to stay in the kitchen, at least for now while I talked to Imogen. It didn't take me long to turn on the machine and find Imogen's contact and called her.
"Nick, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-Charlie? Why are you there? Is Nick okay? Did something happen? Oh god, what did I do?"
"Hey, whoa. Stop." I said, cutting off her frantic rambling and waiting as she breathed heavily for a moment. "Nick is fine, physically, anyway. Mentally, he's distraught. He's heartbroken."
"I never should have said that."
"You think? Imogen, he loves you so much. He misses you. He needs you here."
"I know. I know. He was getting so angry at me; over something I can't control. And I just, I don't know why I said it."
"I think you need to talk to him. It's been six months and he barely leaves the house. Work and home, that's all that he ever does. Unless I can manage to convince him to come out for something occasionally."
"I'm so sorry, Charlie, that you got all caught up in this. I know you've got your own stuff going on."
"I'm getting there. We've finally unpacked the last box in the new place." Just after Imogen left, I'd finally decided to sell the house I'd been living in and bought a new, smaller house for Nathaniel, Alexis and myself. It was closer to work and, conveniently, closer to Nick's house. "But right now's not the time to worry about me. I think it's time that you and Nick have a serious conversation about what you're doing. How it is now, is not healthy for either of you. Or Abby."
"I know. Is he there? Can I talk to him?"
"Hold on a second." I slid off the stool and went into the living room where Nick was still sat on the sofa, sniffling to himself. "Nick? Do you want to talk to her? She's asking for you."
"Yes." He scrambled to get up, rushing into the kitchen where I heard them talking quietly together. I decided to give them some space and just sat on the sofa to wait.
--------------------
A while later, Nick came back, looking a little happier than before and he sat beside me.
"How'd it go?" I asked, setting my phone down on the coffee table.
"She apologised for before. And when she finally does come home, we're going to have a talk and make a decision about where we go from here."
"Okay. Good. Just remember, don't agree to do something just because you think it'll make her happy."
"I know. But I've done a lot of thinking these past six months and a lot of research. I think I could be happy in New York."
"Really? What about Pinewood?"
"Well, I can still teach over there. I can bring rugby into whatever school I teach at. And maybe I'll find a school even better than Pinewood."
"You think you'll be happy over there? Away from Pinewood?"
"Maybe not, but the magazine is paying Imogen a bit more now so I wouldn't be under as much stress to make as much. Plus schooling is cheaper there for Abby."
"Oh." I was a little surprised at the sudden change in his thinking. The whole time he'd been so against moving away. Maybe this whole fight with Imogen had changed something for him. "If you really think you'll be happy, then go for it."
"I think I will. It'll be good for us. To get a fresh start somewhere new."
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. But we can always keep in contact. And visit sometimes. I mean, both Imogen's and my parents are here anyway so we'd definitely come back occasionally."
"Of course." I watched sadly as he got a dreamy look in his eye, clearly thinking of the wonderful life he'd have in New York.
"Just think; in a couple of months, I could be living in New York in a gorgeous apartment with my beautiful family."
At least maybe now I'd have a chance of moving on from him.
