"It was for the best—"
A solar flare burst in Nicole's green eyes, burning hot and high with her outrage. "No, it wasn't. We're both a mess. Look at you. Look at your damn leg. Listen to you breathe. I've cried for a week straight and been working as late as possible to avoid having to think about you, to avoid coming home to an empty house. What the hell are you so afraid of, Danny?"
Dane swallowed hard. "I…I don't wanna hurt you…" she whimpered, looking and sounding like a frightened child.
The whimper and expression gave Nicole a moment's pause. "Are you talking about possibly hitting me?"
Dane's took a deep breath. She raised her hand like she planned to put it through her hair. Instead, she brought it down to rest in her lap and stayed focused on Nicole.
"Tyler talked to you, didn't he? Bet he told you I almost killed one of my girlfriends or some bullshit like that."
"You know I never believe Tyler, so you tell me what happened. What're you so scared of?" Nicole gently touched Danny's good leg.
The only sound was Dane's labored breathing. Her heart was pumping so fast that the feeling strained her chest and hurt her ribs, but there was something about the trusting contact—Nicole being able to touch Dane's injured body—that mended some intangible force between them. Suddenly, Dane slowly nodded and moved her mouth around.
Her voice was quiet, but steady and strong as she confessed. "I hit a girl once. Wasn't really my girlfriend. We slept together a few times, but to me that didn't make us girlfriends. We were arguing. I don't even remember what the hell we were arguing over, but she called me a monkey, that much I remember. I told you when I was high or drunk back then, I was angry. I doubt she meant it in the way I took it, but my mind didn't process that. I just heard 'monkey' and punched her as hard as I could. Gave her a really bad black eye. I was such a fucking asshole and I never wanna be that way with you."
Nicole nodded. "Have you ever hit anyone since?"
Dane shook her head. "That one time was enough. Don't they say if it happens once, it'll happen again?"
"Did it ever happen again with you?"
Dane shook her head. "No."
"You haven't hit another woman. How old were you when this happened?"
Dane shrugged. "Dunno. Seventeen?"
"You haven't hit another woman in almost ten years. Not just a lover, but any woman?"
Another head shake. "Haven't hit a woman since."
"Did you think the girl was using a racial slur against you?"
Dane nodded again. "In my family, ever since I can remember, they whisper that about me as I go by. The monkey, the savage, the…'" she growled. Just thinking about it made her so tense that she clenched her jaw. Her eyes were a molten firestorm of outrage, showing more than just depression for the first time that day.
Nicole began rubbing and caressing the limb under her hand. "Oh, Danny. Do they really say that?"
"And worse. So, when she said it, I snapped. I don't want to snap on you." Dane tears were back, streaming again. Fear showed in her eyes. Fear that she might hurt Nicole and the feeling she couldn't trust herself not to.
Nicole's turn to nodded and grabbed onto Dane's hand. She made sure to look into those troubled eyes as she spoke from the heart. "I have faith in you, Danny. I don't think you'll snap on me, especially if you stay away from any drugs. You were high at the time you hit this girl?"
"High as a kite on coke and drunk off my ass, but that's no excuse. I shouldn't have hit her."
"No, you shouldn't have, but you understand that. Now, I have faith in you to not snap on me. You need to have faith in yourself to believe you won't snap. You also have to believe that I would never call you a monkey, especially not in the way that your family seems to mean it. I would never use any sort of racial slur against you," Nicole assured the younger woman.
"I didn't think you would."
"Did your father cover this up? Pay the girl off?"
Dane scoffed, which turned into a cough. "My father wouldn't do something like that because then he'd be helping me. He's one of the main people that go around calling me a monkey. The girl just backed off after that, but she's related to one of my cousin's wives, so my father eventually heard about what happened. Hell, he tried to get her to press charges against me. Trust me, my father would never do something that'd save me from jail."
"…Danny… could I ask you a personal question?"
"Of course."
"Are you adopted?"
"Adopted?" Dane blinked in confusion before remembering that Nicole had seen her parents. "No, those are my birth parents. You see, my mother, as quiet as it's kept, is actually mulatto. Her parents died when she was a baby and her mother's parents raised her, trying to cover up her father's side of things. They're an old money family and they looked at it as scandalous that their daughter had a baby with a black man. So, my mother doesn't really acknowledge her father. It is all really stupid."
"I didn't know people still did things like that in this day and age."
Dane nodded. "They're weird and racist as hell if you haven't guessed. With my mom, it helps that you can't tell she's mixed. It gives her a way of denying things and deny she does." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "It wasn't an issue until I was born. You can imagine why." She smiled and got a chuckle out of Nicole.
"You took after your grandfather when it came to skin tone," Nicole guessed.
"I'm the only one in my family that looks like this. Got two brothers and a sister who like my mother, can easily pass. I don't mind the way I look, but everyone else sure does. Instead of acknowledging that my mother's mulatto, my father accused her of sleeping around since all of 'his' kids were 'white,' but I wasn't. He wanted a paternity test, which he got, and it told him that I was his daughter. Instead of believing the test, he wanted another one, which said the same thing. So, now he basically accuses the tests of being liars and my mother's a liar for saying that I'm his kid."
"You look like him," Nicole blurted out.
Dane laughed. "I know I do, but he claims he doesn't see it. He's the one that started calling me monkey and names since I was little. Hell, when I was little, I thought that was one of my many nicknames and it took me a long time to learn different. Actually, I didn't know until the chef explained things to me. He was basically my babysitter. I think my father left me with him because he was black. Guess he thought we'd bond because of our skin color." She shook her head. "The chef liked me enough and had no problems watching me. My parents didn't give a damn. When they came here, my dad was being his usual condescending self, saying I stole you from Tyler. Hell, he was under the impression that you were Tyler's fiancée." She rolled her eyes.
Nicole rolled her eyes, too. "Tyler called them. He called my parents, too. He was trying to start trouble and he succeeded."
Dane locked eyes with Nicole and scowled. "He been bothering you?"
"He thought that we'd get back together and he was trying to get me back, but I told him where to go. Did your parents remind you of this past thing? Is that what made you run away?"
The younger woman nodded. "My father did. He made it seem much worse than it was, but I expected that. He always does that. He only hears about stuff because Bryan, my former best friend, tells him. Bryan's told him a lot of things about me that my dad twists in his own sick mind. I let him get to me, though. Whenever that happens my father plants a little bomb in my head, leaving me to think on it long and hard until it explodes. This one exploded with fear that I'd hurt you one day, that I'd turn back into the angry punk who hit that girl. But, if you're willing to take the chance, I will, too."
Nicole's bright smile lit up from the room. It brought a huge grin to Dane's face. "I'm glad for that. You should have faith in yourself. Now, eat up while I get something for your leg." Nicole lightly patted Dane's thigh. "I need to find something for your cough. I know I have something around here for congestion."
Dane was too relieved to argue. She turned her
attention to the oatmeal. Nicole returned and smiled when she saw that Danny was eating. She placed a cup of peppermint tea and some medicated salve for Dane's leg on the tray. She caressed Danny's cheek.
They existed in a comfortable quiet as Dane ate and Nicole massaged her leg. Dane winced as Nicole rubbed the sore limb with some balm. Once she was done with the leg, she put a bag of ice on the scarred knee and secured it with an ACE bandage. Dane finished her meal, Nicole moved the tray to the side, and settled in next to Dane. Dane wasted no time putting her arms around her and pulling her closer. They both sighed.
"I missed this so much," Dane whispered as she kissed the side of Nicole's head. Feeling a cough coming on that she was certain would spoil the moment, she quickly reached for the hot tea and took a generous gulp. It suppressed the cough, but burned her throat.
"I did, too. Where have you been staying since you left the house?"
"The street mostly, condemned buildings, park benches, little crawl spaces, and places like that. Cut myself on plenty of shit while I was out there. Got bit by some bugs, too. I didn't feel up to bothering anyone for a place to stay. I used to wander around to different family members. They really don't like me, but they let me stay because they think it'll get them on my parents' good side." Dane shot her lover a crooked, mischievous smile.
"You mean they think it'll get them into you parents' wallets?"
"Yup, my mom's very wealthy and my dad's a very successful lawyer in defending very rich assholes. My relatives are kinda nice to me sometimes thinking it'll help with my parents. I doubt it helps and I don't know why they think it will when they know my mom doesn't talk to me and my dad hates. But, it's something I'm not above taking advantage of for a couple of days, if only to grab a shower and a free meal."
Nicole nodded. "I've dated people like that."
"I won't be like that with you,"
"I never thought you were. You're one of the only people that I'm certain likes me for who I am, not because I have money, not because I'm pretty, not because I'm smart, and not because I'll bend over backwards to try to please you. That's why I love you, Danny," Nicole looked deeply into Dane's eyes.
"I love you, too, Nick. I'm sorry I hurt you by leaving. I'll never leave again, unless you tell me you want me to," Dane vowed, caressing Nicole's side and arm.
Nicole smiled and curled in closer to Danny, sharing their body warmth and mending their broken hearts. She placed her hands around Danny's waist and set her palm against the musician's abdomen. The affection got a smile out of Dane and she took another gulp of her tea.
"Honey," Nicole said with pout on her face.
"Yeah?" Dane settled in to close her eyes and enjoy the closeness between them.
"You haven't been eating well. The little round part of you is gone," Nicole teased. She drew a circle around Danny's completely flat stomach. "I miss your little pouch."
Danny snorted, sounding almost indignant. "You know, most people would like that her girlfriend has abs."
"And I'm sure you like mine, but you don't have abs, honey. You're just thin. Still, I like it," Nicole drew more circles around Dane's bellybutton. Her fingers wandered close to the Dane's tattoo, but stayed in the area of her navel.
Dane smiled. "You just love me for my body."
"Aw, you found me out,"
Dane suddenly yawned. "Do you think you're up for a nap?"
"As long as I can stay right where I am, I could sleep forever."
***
They fell asleep smiling. Nicole awoke first and watched Danny in her sleep. She couldn't help settling as close as possible to the Danny and caressing her just to feel her and know that she was really there. Eventually, she managed to tear herself away to make a light lunch and prepare more tea for Danny. She also checked on the younger woman's leg before waking her. She smiled slightly, thinking that the leg looked better already, but it definitely needed more ice. Dane's breathing had cleared up some, but it was still easy to hear each breath.
"Danny, baby, lunch," Nicole whispered, gently shaking her awake. She made it a point to rub Dane's head just in case Danny woke in a total panic.
"Hmm…" Dane turned in the direction of the sweet sounding voice speaking to her and leaned forward to get more of the delicious petting. She smiled before opening her eyes. "I thought it was a dream that I was back here," she muttered through a yawn.
Nicole smiled and kissed her girlfriend's cheek. "It's no dream, honey. I'm glad you're back. Now, I want you to eat."
Dane nodded and turned her attention to the tray. There was a grilled cheese, tomato soup, and more apple juice along with her tea. Dane attacked the apple juice first, taking a big gulp. Nicole joined her and had a sandwich and tea.
"So, you said that Tyler told your parents about us. What did they think?"
"Considering the fact that Tyler made you sound like a raving maniac, they weren't happy to know I was in a relationship with you. They also think I lied about you being just my roommate. I don't care what they think, though." Nicole locked eyes with Danny.
Dane smiled. "I like when you look at me like that. I believe everything you say when you look at me like that."
"Danny, I love you, enough to not care what my parents think of you." She placed her hands on Dane's forearms and kept her eyes on the Dane's face. "Danny…do you think you might want to meet my parents and maybe my friends?"
Dane's mouth dropped open and she almost dropped her sandwich. "You want me to meet your parents?" she asked incredulously.
Nicole balked, thinking she might have put too much on her convalescing lover. "If you want to. I don't want to put any pressure on you. I just think that if they meet you, they'll relax a little. Tyler scared them really bad about what type of person you are. I want them to see he's just a dirty rotten liar."
"I guess if you think I'm parent-meeting material, I'll do it. I don't want them doubting your judgment just because Tyler's a dipshit. When do you want me to meet them?"
"Soon. First, I want you to heal and I want to talk to them a bit beforehand. Then, I'll bring them over here for dinner. We'll have home court advantage," Nicole remarked with an amused smile.
"If that's what you want, angel. I'm here for you. I just hope I don't embarrass you."
"As long as you're your usual self, you'll be fine. You're a sweetheart, Danny. You know it and I know it. So, just be your usual self when they come over. After you meet my parents, then we'll work out how you can meet Mina and Clara."
CHAPTER 18
Nicole took a deep breath as she approached her father's office. She was packed up to go home with her coat on and briefcase in hand. She hoped to catch her father as he was leaving, too. He nearly walked over her as he exited his office.
"Daddy, watch out," Nicole warned him and he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Wow, Nikki, I'm glad you said something or I definitely would've gone right through you," Raymond remarked with a sheepish look on his face.
"I noticed. Daddy, may I talk to you? I mean, seriously talk to you?" Nicole requested with determination cut into her visage.
Raymond smiled despite her stern expression. She had a feeling her father was just overjoyed that she was speaking to him without malice or exiling him out of her office. Of course, her amiable mood might be short-lived depending on his actions.
"Sure, of course. Do you want to step into my office or would it be better if we did this some place out of the office?"
"Outside would be great."
Raymond nodded and they walked outside together. They strolled down to a bar that many firm employees frequented after work. They found a table in the back, sat down, and waved off a waiter as he came to take their order. They ignored the crowd and no one bothered them.
"What do you want to talk about, Nikki?"
"I want to talk about Danny. I know you believe every foul thing that Tyler said and more, and I don't want you to. I love Danny and she makes me very happy—"
&n
bsp; "Nikki, you haven't known this Dane or Danny or whatever the hell her name is long enough to know you love her—"
Nicole frowned as she spoke sharply. "That's where you're wrong, Daddy." Her face was fierce and she tapped her finger hard on the table for him to get she meant it. "I know I love her and I know I want to spend my life with her, and I'll do that regardless of what you and Mommy think of her. She's a very sweet person and she's nothing like Tyler said. Tyler's a manipulative liar, even for a lawyer."
"Nikki, think this through. Tyler should know his cousin well—"He flinched from the way she tore into his statement, almost like she physically cut him.
"Should, but doesn't. Why are you so willing to take his word over mine? Do you trust him so much more than me?" Her eyes hardened with her anger.
Raymond shook his head. "Nikki, it's not like that—"
"It seems like that from this end. Don’t you want me to be happy?"
"Of course I want you to be happy." Raymond's eyes begged her to believe him. He leaned forward across the table as if being closer would help.
"Then starting with this, you have to let me make my own decisions and you have to trust me…"
Raymond nodded and breathed a sigh of relief when Nicole smiled.
"Danny is nothing like Tyler said. Yes, she has a past, but very few people don't." Her entire face softened and her eyes lit up at the thought of her lover. "But, Danny is kind, sweet, and gentle. She makes me breakfast every morning and dinner every night, and this was before we started dating. I didn't lie to you, either. Danny started out as my roommate, by accident, too. She showed up one day looking for Tyler and after I kicked Tyler out, he failed to take his cousin with him."
Raymond arched an eyebrow. "He left her in your house? How do you leave your cousin in a stranger's home?"
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