Always & Forever (Nick & Bailey #2)

31. Nick

Bailey has her back to him, but Nick knows it is her.

He's not sure how he knows considering the other end of hallway where she's standing has to be a mile away. He starts yelling her name and running, but she doesn't turn around. He has to reach her. He has to stop her.

As she becomes more in focus, he can see she is not alone. But he would know that red hair anywhere. Ian is standing next to her, shoulder to shoulder, also facing away. Neither one make a move, and when Nick finally reaches them, he knows he has to decide which one to choose. He only has one arm, after all.

Wait, what?

When Nick looks down, though, he sees that he's correct. His right arm is resting by his side while the other side is vacant.

He is unable to speak while sucking in air, trying to fill his lungs with the oxygen that never seems to come.

He raises his arm slowly, suddenly nervous, and spins Bailey around by her shoulder. She stares at him blankly, and he sees in her arms a bundle of blankets cocooned around a dark-haired sleeping baby.

"Bailey...Wha—?"

He's cut off by another male voice. "Darling, are you ready to go?"

Bailey's voice is monotone, showing no emotion. "Yes."

She turns around and starts walking away from Nick. "Bailey! Bailey! Wait! Where are you going? Who is that?!?"

Nick squints but isn't able to see any characteristics of the other person. She looks back at Nick one more time, "Goodbye."

Nick turns, "Ian, who was that? Where'd they go?"

Ian looks at him. "You chose her. I told you this would happen. And now she's gone."

Ian pushes Nick to the side and walks the same direction as Bailey. "Goodbye," he says as well.

And Nick watches all of them fade into the distance.

He wakes up with a jump, fully entangled with Bailey. Her body is half on top of him and half on the bed, one of her legs resting between his.

His arms are holding her so tightly that he's worried she isn't able to breathe. He releases her, and when she looks at him, he can tell she had just been sleeping.

"Did you have a dream?" She asks, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes I think so. But I never dream. It was so weird."

"I love weird dreams. What happened?"

He shakes his head. "I'm not even sure. Things that don't make sense."

He holds her tight again and feels her bare skin against his. "I'm so glad I don't have a roommate anymore. And next semester, I won't even have to share a bathroom. Maybe I'll be able to return the favor from last night."

"Mmm." She nuzzles into his neck.

He never wants to move from right here. Lying in bed, naked with Bailey, holding her in his arms. If he ever makes it to heaven, this would be it.

She shifts positions, and when he looks down at her, she appears to be looking through him, through his mattress, and straight to the floor. Something is definitely on her mind. "Nick, you know you can talk to me, right? About anything. Anything at all."

"Why do I have a feeling you're talking about something specific?"

"I'm not." She looks away from him—a sure sign that she's lying. "But...I mean...you probably have a lot of things built up that you don't talk about, like school, or work, or your parents."

"My parents? Why the fuck would I want to talk about them?" He sits up, and in the process, Bailey flops off of him. She's naked but doesn't cover herself up, propping herself up on her elbows instead.

"Because, Nick, I know you have to think about them sometimes. And I know it has to be hard for you." Her voice is getting louder.

He runs his hand up her thigh, trying to change the subject. "Well something is getting hard."

She pulls her leg away and sits up, facing him. "Don't."

What the fuck is her problem? "I have to take you home today, and I won't see you again for five days. I'm not spending the morning talking about my fucking parents!"

The image of Bailey walking away with a new family, leaving Nick with Ian saying 'I told you so' flashes in his mind. "You could never understand anyway. Is this a way to remind yourself of how you have it so much better than I do? Is that ego boost the only thing keeping you from leaving?"

What. The. Fuck.

He wasn't thinking when he said it, so where did it come from?

"Nick, what are you talking about? You can't really think that!"

He doesn't answer. His mind is trying to make sense of this.

"You're being a dick!" She moves to climb out of the bed but stops when he grabs her wrist. He wordlessly brings his mouth to her neck.

"Don't" She says again, pushing him away. "We can't solve our problems with sex. It doesn't work that way."

"How do you know if we don't try?" He runs his hand up her thigh again, this time moving to the inner part. He feels her goosebumps. "I don't think that of you, Bailey. That dream is fucking with my head."

He brings his mouth to her neck again and kisses her skin softly and slowly. "Now no more yelling." He brings his face close to hers and whispers, "That is...unless you're screaming my name."

She tries to hide it, but he sees her lips moving into the faintest smile.

"You are so fucking charming. You know that?"

He shrugs. "I've been called worse."

He feels the heat coming off of her sex just as he brings their mouths together, kissing her deeply. He pushes her onto her back and lies on top. She pulls her face away and looks to the side. "Shit! Nick I have to go. I have to be at work in ninety minutes."

He sighs and looks at the clock to confirm. She's right. They slept late. They'll have to finish this non-conversation another time.