Cracking Her Code

Chapter 18

Simone's POV

My place was quiet except for the low hum of jazz spilling from my speakers. Jazz was my go-to to unwind after a long day or week. A single lamp lit the living room in a warm pool of gold, and I sat curled up on the couch, glass of wine in hand, trying not to think too hard. It had been a long week. A blur of lectures, office hours, and very careful distancing. Nyk and I had kept things professional. A few quick visits to my office. A lot of texting. But no real time together. Which was for the best, boundaries and all. Still, I missed her. 

I reached for my phone and stared at our message thread for a second longer than necessary, then typed. 

Me: What are you up to tonight?

The reply came back in less than a minute. 

n: Nothing. Just at home. Why?

I stared at the message, smiling a little to myself. The wine had loosened just enough of my resolve. I typed slowly, then hit send. 

Me: Come over. Spend the night, maybe? We could do something tomorrow. Get out of town for a bit. 

My heart beat a little faster as I watched the message delivered. I took a sip of wine, waiting.  

Waiting. 

Then the screen lit up. 

n: Be there in 20.

I grinned, setting my phone down. I all of a sudden felt energized in a way I hadn't felt all week. 

                                                                                   ----------

Nyk's POV

I showed up exactly twenty minutes later, backpack slung over one shoulder, hands stuffed in the pockets of my jeans. The late fall air was cooler now, dusk settling in like a soft blanket. I took a breath and knocked twice on Simone's door. 

It opened a few seconds later, and there she was, barefoot, with a glass of wine in hand, her hair up in a lazy ponytail like she hadn't bothered trying to impress me but somehow still did. 

She smiled and said. "Hey," stepping aside. "Come in."

I nodded, brushing past her into the familiar space that already felt like her, warm lighting, soft music, the faintest scent of her perfume lingering in the air. She slid the strap of my backpack off my shoulder and said, "I'll be right back. Go grab whatever you want to drink."

And then she disappeared up the stairs. I watched her go, already grinning to myself like a damn fool, then made my way into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. I popped the cap and padded into the living room, sinking into the couch. Everything about being here felt ... right. 

She came back less than a minute later, barefoot still, wearing that same casual softness that made it hard to look at anything else. She curled beside me on the couch, one leg tucked under her, elbow perched on the back cushion so she could rest her cheek against her hand, eyes on me like I was something she hadn't let herself look at in a while. 

"I missed you this week," she said quietly. 

My chest did a weird little flutter, but I grinned through it, taking a sip of my beer. "I missed you, too. But those office kisses?" I smirked. "Perfect."

She laughed quietly and low, but there was something in her eyes, softer than usual. Exposed in a way she didn't always let herself be. 

She reached over and ran her fingers gently through the ends of my hair, not really saying anything for a second. 

"You really didn't give up on me, huh?" 

I turned my head slightly, meeting her gaze. "Didn't plan to," I said. "You weren't exactly easy, though."

"I was scared," she admitted, eyes flickering down to he rim of her wine glass. "Still am, sometimes. But ... letting you in, probably is the best decision I've made in a long time."

That made my chest ache a little in the best way. I didn't say anything right away. Just looked at her for a second.  And then I smirked, letting my eyes drag over her like I knew exactly how to get under her skin. "Keep talking like that, Simone," I said, taking a sip of my beer. " You're gonna make me fall in love with you."

She rolled her eyes, but there was colour blooming on her cheeks. She brought her wine to her lips, clearly using the sip as a shield.

I grinned wider. "What?" I said. "I can't be soft sometimes."

"No, you are just smug all the time," she muttered into her glass. 

"Fair."

A quiet moment settled between us, comfortable, not heavy. The kind that made me want to lean into her and kiss her stupid, but I didn't want to rush it. This was good. This was us. 

"What do you wanna do tomorrow?" I asked.

Simone hummed, thinking, her fingers absently finding mine and threading them together. "Do you wanna go hiking tomorrow? Or are you more of a brunch and find trouble kind of girl?"

"I don't care what we do, as long as the adventure has you in it."

She leaned in and kissed my cheek, slow and purposeful, and whispered. "Perfect."

I slid my arm around her shoulders, tugging her gently until she shifted and curled into me. Her head rested against my shoulder.

"This okay?" I asked

She exhaled slowly. "Better than okay."

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and smiled. 

"You scare me, Nyk," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "Because I want this with you. More than I've wanted anything in a long time. I know we shouldn't be doing this, but it feels right with you."

"We're going to figure it out, Simone," I murmured. "Every messy, complicated bit of it. Because I want this, too. More than I think you know. I promise, I'll fight for you, for us, when it gets too difficult. There's a reason why I chased you and pursued you."

She sat up, her eyes were slightly glossy, and she searched my eyes.  Her hand came up slowly, resting it on my cheek, grazing my cheek. 

"Thank you," she whispered. 

"For what?" 

"For not letting me run."

I smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "You didn't run. You just took the scenic route."

She let out a quiet laugh and curled back up in my arms again, resting her head against my chest where it was before.