Sipping my green tea I scanned through my inbox, finding tons of articles about Chris and his now ex-wife, Anna. I had hoped they'd get back together knowing how much Chris loved his wife, but I guess Nick had been right all along. Sometimes love isn't enough. What surprised me was that Chris was actually in Tokyo as well. Nick hadn't mentioned that when we arrived at our hotel last week. I knew my boyfriend was still high on the excitement of starting a family, but I wished he mentioned that he was doing business with Chris here. That being the main reason why he needed to stay in Tokyo for a month.
"You find anything interesting?"
My hand shook when I heard that familiar Australian accent, making me spill my delicious green tea.
"Tons of interesting articles. Mostly about you." I admitted, thanking him when he helped me clean up the mess, "So Nick is your silent partner who suddenly became a not so silent partner?"
Chris smiled, his charming boyish smile which made women swoon, "We may have leaked something to the press." Chris shrugged a shoulder and took a seat across me, "Nick is a big name in this business, Emily, linking his name to my club here will definitely boost sales."
I wanted to say that I was really interested in their business, but I wasn't. What interested me right now was the fact that Chris looked really happy. Last time I saw him we were having a party to cheer him up. His talk with Anna must have helped him find peace and that made me a little curious.
"Is it true?" I cleared my throat when Chris raised an eyebrow at me in question, "Are you really divorced?"
Chris' eyes wandered to my phone, "It is." He admitted, "It's better this way. She doesn't love me, she was never in love with me-" It pained me when he actually smiled, the sad, heartbreaking smile, "So this one-sided thing was never going to work. Our marriage was doomed to fail."
"Why did she marry you in the first place?"
"I've been wondering about that for a very long time." He ordered himself a green tea as well when a waiter walked past our table and got comfortable in his seat, "Sometimes people want to fall in love with someone because you know that person will be good to you for the rest of your life, that they'll cherish you and protect you, make you feel loved and you'll force yourself to think that you're in love with that person, but you're actually not. And then your marriage is doomed to fail."
I wanted to say that I didn't know what he meant, but I did. You want to marry the good guy because you know he'll never break your heart, but when the good guy doesn't make your heart race, it just doesn't work out. I could have been in a relationship with Brandon, but he doesn't make my heart skip a beat with a mere look. Nick does. Being with Nick was dangerous. He could break my heart into a million pieces, but not being with him would hurt me more. A relationship was hard and most complicated. I just wished Chris would eventually find that girl who'd fall head over heels for him. He deserved it.
"If I had a close female friend I'd introduce you to her."
Laughing Chris shook his head at me, "Apparently being single is the best thing that could have happened to me. At least that's what Evan keeps telling me."
"Don't listen to Evan." I rolled my eyes, "It might be exciting to have a different girl in your bed every night, but it gets lonely. I know because Evan always comes over for dinner at our place. Always lingering around. He is like our adoptive child sometimes."
"I'd ask if there was room for one more, but I just decided with Nick that it's best if I stay in Tokyo for a while. To get this club up and running." He thanked the waiter who brought the tea over and held the cup tightly in his hands, "Though I thought Nick wanted to stay here instead, he suddenly decided that he couldn't..."
I knew Chris was fishing for answers, but I couldn't tell him. I knew damn well why Nick suddenly decided he couldn't stay in Tokyo. I was pretty sure our little gift had something to do with it.
"Nick's new club in New York needs his attention as well. I'm sure he trusts you with business here."
Chris seemed to buy my lame excuse, so I tried to change the subject and started talking about Australia instead. I had never been there so it was really nice to hear about his family and his house there. Also the fact that he apparently loved being on the beach, surfing and hanging out with 'mates'. He apparently was a pro griller and I needed to come over sometime to join his backyard barbeque parties. I would never have guessed any of that since he looked so polished. Like he lived in his suits and only dined at the finest restaurants. Looks could fool anyone. We had our private little tea party together while Chris told me all about his life.
***
I smiled when I felt two strong arms wrap around me from behind, Nick's fresh scent engulfing me. He smelt familiar and safe, I couldn't help but smile like an idiot, turning around his arms to kiss him.
"I missed you."
He leaned in to kiss me again, "I've only been gone for eight hours."
"I know." I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, "I'm obsessed."
Chuckling he leaned down again, kissing me with much more force this time. He pulled me up into his arms and holding me tightly to him. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he walked us to the bed, laying down with me in his arms.
"I'm the one who is obsessed." He buried his face in my hair, "I thought we established that."
Shifting in his arms I let my fingers run through his hair, smiling at him as I took him in. I could stay like this forever with my Nick.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" He asked me gently.
I slightly pulled up to look at his face, "That you're working together with Chris." I tried to hide my smirk when his eyes shot open, "Oh and that Chris is actually here."
He sat up, "You've already met up with Chris." He ran a hand through his hair, "I was going to tell you, but it really just slipped my mind."
I knew why it had slipped his mind, placing my hand on my stomach I couldn't help but to grin like an idiot. The business was not important to Nick, he was probably already thinking a hundred steps ahead, planning our future together. I knew how he felt about Chris and his marriage. It didn't matter to him. His colorful words were 'I don't give a shit about their so-called marriage'. I guess he was right about that though, it was a sham. It had been since the beginning, Chris admitted that. It amazed me that Chris was still standing after hearing the ugly truth from his now ex-wife.
"Are you in love with me?"
My question made Nick frown and eye me suspiciously, "I'm crazy about you. You're all I can think about when you're not near me and when you're near me you still fill my mind. I think that means I'm utterly in love with you, completely obsessed."
"I know you are."
He brushed his knuckles over my cheek, "We are nothing like them. This isn't a one-sided kind of love. We're both in this."
I leaned into his hand with my head, "I know. I just needed you to confirm it."
He brushed his thumb over my lower lip, "You're done doubting us?"
I smiled, "Yes, I'm over it." I suddenly leaned into him, causing us to fall back.
"Careful!" He warned me sternly, "You're only two months pregnant, we shouldn't take risks like that."
I placed my hand over his heart, listening to his breathing while he held me in his arms again.
"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful," I promised him.
We talked about everything and nothing for a while. I asked about Nick's day and he went over his boring meetings and plans for the club. After that we freshened up for bed, had dinner in our room and headed to bed, calling it an early night.
***
It was the middle of the night and someone decided to rudely interrupt our sleep. Nick stumbled out of bed, cursing whoever dared to wake us. I prayed for whoever was behind that door had a spine or at least a pretty good lawyer because Nick was going to eat them alive.
"What the hell!" Nick cursed loudly, I couldn't see who it was but Nick sounded less hostile than a minute ago, "It's fucking three A.M, Chris."
I sat upright in bed when I heard Chris mumble something. He was so fucking wasted. I guess that was how he was dealing with his heartache. Drinking his sorrow away.
"Why do you have to be so bloody perfect?" Chris stumbled into the room, "She swore she'd have you, you know. I don't understand why she can't leave it alone-" Chris noticed me in bed and raised his hand in a greeting, "Morning Emily."
"Morning Chris." I replied, getting out of bed to help Nick with this situation, "Why don't you take a seat, Chris." I nodded to the couch, glancing at Nick so he got the message, "I'll get you some water. You need to hydrate."
"Such a sweet girl." Chris made it to the couch with Nick's help.
"Who swore what?" I asked, handing Chris his glass of water.
Nick wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him, "Who do you think he is talking about? Obviously, his delirious ex-wife who lives in fantasy land together with her evil step-sister Giselle."
I wrapped my arms around myself, watching Chris who seemed focused only on his glass of water. Apparently drinking the cold liquid was quite a task for the drunk man.
"What can they possibly do? You still have your clubs even after Anna tried to sabotage you. They have no cards up their sleeve anymore."
Chris pointed at me, "True." He held up his glass for me to take, but Nick beat me to it and placed the glass on the table, "So I guess we should all chill and go to sleep."
"We were fucking asleep." Nick threw a pillow at Chris, "Just take the couch, we'll talk in the morning."
I smiled when Nick led me to the bed again. I was pretty sure that the old Nick would have kicked Chris out no matter what state he was in. These little changes were pretty amazing to me. It only made me love that man more.