Ties That Bind Us

by Nicole Knight

  Nick smirked. “It’s a vitamin superpack. My mom used to give them to my brothers and me when we were younger. It’s supposed to build your immune system back up.”

  “Well, it’s disgusting.” I cringed and handed the glass back to him without taking another sip.

  “You’re going to be a difficult patient, aren’t you?” Nick laughed, shaking his head slightly.

  “Did you expect anything less?” A small smile escaped my lips and I shut my eyes, wanting to just fall right back asleep on Nick’s chest.

  “Not at all.” He kissed my forehead. “How about this? Tell me a few things you will drink and I can run to the store. You need to stay hydrated, so you’re going to have to drink something.”

  “Can’t you just stay right here?” I mumbled, pretending I was falling asleep.

  “You need cold medicine and I don’t have any around here. It’s just down the street, I’ll be gone for fifteen minutes. Besides, you need to try to get some more rest.

  “Don’t pout,” he scolded gently. “Doctors orders.” He slid out from under me and replaced a pillow where his body had been, propping me up a little bit. “Now, what can I bring back that you’ll actually drink?”

  “Hmm, how about Sprite . . . and Gatorade,” I finally decided.

  “Interesting combination.” Nick laughed. “But what my girl wants, my girl gets. Try to get some more sleep and I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He bent down and kissed my cheek one more time before heading out.

  “Thank you,” I squeaked, snuggling down beneath the blankets.

  Nick left and at some point while he was gone, I fell asleep. It only lasted a few minutes, though, as I couldn’t get comfortable. First I was hot, then I was cold. Everything hurt and the idea of moving sounded torturous. It had been a long time since I’d been sick like this, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. I was close to finals for my classes, searching for a new internship, and we still had a lot to do for the wedding. Next week, our families were hosting an engagement party for us, and while I was looking forward to it, a small part of me wished we could sneak away and do things on our own terms. And now, on top of all of that, Nick had had to cancel his entire trip for me. He would never admit it, but he was under a lot of stress as he was preparing for his new role as well.

  My throat throbbed and I desperately needed some water. I got up and stumbled into the kitchen, which wasn’t an easy feat when my headache was causing me to see double. Somehow, I managed to get a cup and fill it with water, chugging it immediately.

  “All right, I’ve got Sprite, I’ve got Gatorade, I have Tylenol Cold . . .” Nick said as he came through the front door. “Ava?” he called, noticing I wasn’t on the couch anymore.

  “In here,” I called, my voice nearly gone.

  “What are you doing up?” He frowned, setting all of the grocery bags down on the counter.

  “I was thirsty,” I said, filling my glass one more time.

  “You should have waited for me,” he insisted, rushing to my side and wrapping an arm around my waist.

  “I’m sick, Nick, not completely useless,” I snapped.

  “I’m going to ignore that because you’re not feeling well.”

  I thought about fighting him on it but it was futile. I felt like shit and if he wanted to wait on me hand and foot, who was I to stop him? I let him lead me back over to the couch and lay back down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

  “Is there anything that sounds good to eat?” He pulled the blanket over me again and felt my forehead. I wasn’t the least bit hungry, but I decided to placate him.

  “My mom used to make me chicken noodle soup when I was sick,” I suggested, expecting him to order takeout. I used to secretly like getting sick when I was little. My mom would always make a big pot of chicken and noodles just for me, she’d sleep in my room with me, and spend days just doting on me and nursing me back to health, watching movies and reading books. Anytime any of us were sick, we received the same treatment, and all the other kids would be jealous.

  “Sure.” Nick smiled, looking slightly like a deer in the headlights. The only thing I’d ever seen him cook was eggs and bacon. “I can do that.”

  Nick disappeared into the kitchen and was gone for nearly an hour. I drifted in and out of sleep during that time, wondering what was possibly taking so long. Did he have to kill the chicken? I was ready to have him come lay with me and cuddle.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Nick emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray filled with food and a bouquet of flowers.

  “Okay.” He sighed, setting the tray down on the coffee table and arranging a few things. “This is my first attempt at making chicken soup, so cut me a little slack.” He grinned.

  I stared back at him and a wave of emotion struck me. Here was a man standing in front of me who had canceled his trip to take care of me, ran out when I needed Sprite and Gatorade on a whim, and had now tried to make me chicken noodle soup even though he hardly understood how to turn the oven on. Those were just the things he’d done for me in the last few hours. Nick was incredible. He was everything I could have ever asked for, and then some. No one had ever cared for me quite like Nick had, not even my parents. How had I gotten so lucky?

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” He chuckled anxiously.

  “Nick, I love you,” I blurted, admitting my feelings to him for the first time.

  Nick bit his lip, letting out a sharp laugh and sitting down on the couch in the curve of my stomach. “I think your fever is making you delirious. You just told me you loved me.”

  “It’s not. I meant it. I love you,” I said, nervous about how he was going to respond.

  “I love you, too, Ava.” He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine. My heart leapt at his response. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just taking it all in.

  “Now, will you please eat some of this so you can get some rest?” Nick tilted his head at me, offering me a spoonful of chicken soup that smelled amazing.

  “Of course.” I smiled.

  My mom had been right after all, it wasn’t impossible to find love in a situation like ours.

  Chapter 20

  Ava

  By the time Friday rolled around, I was feeling much better. I even got up early so I could make some breakfast before Nick headed into work. He had stayed home with me all week, nursing me back to health. If his career with the Mafia didn’t work out, he certainly had a future as a nurse. Yesterday, he couldn’t avoid going into work for a little while, but it was the first time he’d left me all week.

  I was just starting to mix up some waffle batter when my phone rang. I rushed to get it so it wouldn’t wake Nick up.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, sweetheart.” I nearly had a heart attack hearing my father’s voice on the other end of the line. It had been weeks since we’d talked, and it wasn’t like him to just call me out of the blue.

  “Hi, Dad, how are you? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine, sweetheart, I’ve just been meaning to call the last few days.”

  “Oh, really?” Maybe he wanted to know how I was settling in or how things were going with Nick. This was new.

  “Yes. Paul Bradford called me a few days ago. He said he has an internship open at this office next semester and he’s been waiting on your call.”

  I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Oh, yeah. Jimmy mentioned something about that. It sounds like a good opportunity, I’m just not sure that’s something I should be doing right now.”

  “Nick wants you to quit school?” he asked.

  “No, nothing like that. I’m going to finish. I just—” I paused, trying to sort out my words. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea, with my history with Jimmy. I know it’s not directly—”

  “Oh, nonsense, Ava. It’s a great opportunity. Jimmy has nothing to do with it. You should be flattered Paul would cons
ider you for something like that,” he said.

  “Maybe.” I bit my lip, anxiety building in my chest. It was incredible how uncomfortable he could make me.

  “I took the liberty of setting up an interview for you. He’ll be expecting you at eleven o’clock.”

  My eyes widened. “Dad, today is really not a good day, with the engagement party tonight. And I don’t really—”

  “It’s rude not to respond, Ava. Paul is a friend of mine and I was completely mortified when he said you didn’t even call. The least you can do is go see what it’s all about.”

  “Sure. There’s no harm in that,” I said reluctantly.

  “Good. Let me know how it goes.” He hung up without waiting for a response.

  I threw my head back, trying to stifle my groan. Why did I let him do that to me? When was I going to stop being afraid to stand up to him? He always railroaded me into things I wasn’t comfortable with, and now somehow I was going to have to explain this to Nick too. I checked my watch, realizing it was close to ten o’clock now. I didn’t have any time to spare if I was going to make it to Bradford and Chambers by eleven. There was no way I wasn’t going to show up and run the risk of pissing my dad off even more.

  I put the waffle ingredients away and grabbed a banana on my way to the bathroom. I didn’t have time to shower, so I slipped on a professional looking black dress and ran my fingers through my tousled curls. I leaned against the counter, applying a healthy coat of red lipstick and smacking my lips.

  “Wow! You certainly look better today.” Nick came in shirtless and sweaty, having just finished his workout in the home gym. He snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me into him and peppering my cheek with salty kisses. “Where are you off to dressed like that?”

  His eyes raked over my body as he held me out in front of him. I blushed slightly under his gaze.

  “Thank you.” I laughed anxiously. He wasn’t going to be thrilled when he found out where I was headed. “I’m going to Bradford and Chambers. I have an interview at eleven.”

  Nick’s face fell and his entire demeanor stiffened, as if preparing for a fight. “You’re what? I thought we talked about this.”

  “We did. But my dad thinks it’s a good idea if I go. It’s a really prestigious firm and . . .” I turned back to the mirror, trying to finish my makeup so I could get on my way.

  “It might be prestigious but it’s also a direct line between you and your drug dealing ex-boyfriend.” He reached for my wrist, turning me back around gently. “Ava, you know how I feel about Jimmy. I don’t want that scumbag anywhere near you, and if you’re working for his father . . .” He trailed off. “It’s like easy access.” He threw his hands in the air.

  “Look, Nick, I get how you feel about it. I’m sorry, I obviously wasn’t planning to go otherwise I would have told you sooner. My dad set this up without even talking to me first. How am I supposed to say no?”

  Nick laughed sharply. “Pretty easy, actually. You don’t have to listen to him anymore. I don’t care who he’s friends with. Jimmy didn’t tell you about the offer to help you, Ava. He wants to see you fail and he wants you to owe him. He’s made that very clear the last few weeks, don’t you think?” Nick said.

  I rubbed my forehead roughly, immediately feeling my migraine coming back. “There is no harm in me going down there and going through the motions. I’m just trying to make everyone happy.”

  “You don’t have to make anyone happy but yourself, baby. Fuck your dad. He hasn’t called in weeks and now suddenly he does because he has something else he wants you to do? It’s bullshit.”

  “He’s still my dad, Nick.” I folded my arms across my chest in frustration. This was the last thing my nerves needed this morning. I was anxious enough as it was—having Nick’s support would have been nice. “Please just let this go. It’s not going to go anywhere.”

  “You say that now, but what happens when your dad tells you to take the job? You’ll miraculously stand up to him then? It’s fucking sick that he’s even okay with you being around Jimmy in the first place.”

  “Nick, it’s his dad!” I shrieked exasperatedly. “Jimmy won’t ever even be there.”

  “If you believe that, Avs, you’re being naïve. Paul Bradford knows full well that his son is in love with you. That’s why he wants to hire you,” he said harshly. “That and it’ll put him in your father’s good graces.”

  Nick’s words hit me like a bullet from a gun. I knew he hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, but all I could hear was that he didn’t think I could get a prestigious internship like Bradford and Chambers was offering on my own merit. It was only because of my ties to Jimmy.

  He immediately regretted it. “Babe, I didn’t mean that how it sounded. You could work anywhere you want, and you deserve to be somewhere that hires you for more than your connections. It’s just that you’re in such a good spot right now. Are you sure it’s healthy to put yourself in a situation where you’ll be around Jimmy and that kind of temptation?”

  “You don’t think I can resist getting drugs from Jimmy if I see him again,” I said flatly, realizing what he was insinuating. That stung the worst of all. I was fighting this as hard as I possibly could and to hear he didn’t have faith in me was a tough pill to swallow.

  “No, no, no. That’s not what I said.” Nick held his hands up, desperately trying to backtrack. I could tell by the remorse in his eyes he realized what a low blow that was.

  “I need to get going.” I sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed my phone from the counter. I wanted to put some space between us before things got worse. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Ava, please,” Nick said, grabbing my arm. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I know you can resist it, I’m just . . .”

  I held my hand up to quiet him. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. I am working as hard as I possibly can to turn it around and you can’t just throw my addiction in my face every time we’re arguing. You don’t get to bring it up when it’s convenient. I told you I have no intention of taking the internship, but I am going to go down there and meet with him because my father asked me to. I’ll talk to you later.”

  I hurried out of the room before he could stop me again. Nick’s words had completely blindsided me. On one hand, I was furious with him for doubting me the way he had, but I also understood. It had only been a few weeks and even though I felt really good, it was going to take some time to build Nick’s trust back up. But I also didn’t feel like it was fair of him to bring it up and use it against me when I was working so hard to move on. How was I supposed to do that if I knew he didn’t think I could?

  His father was supportive of him, so Nick had no clue what I went through trying to make my father proud of me. For my entire life, I’d felt like I constantly had to win his love and approval, and that wasn’t something I could just shake overnight. Honestly, I’d rather keep the peace than do anything to rock his boat. Nick didn’t understand that, and I knew that was a big obstacle to him understanding why I was doing this. I hated that my father had that kind of power over me still. I felt like I was making progress, but this was just proof it was a slow process.

  I felt completely confused as I headed to Paul’s office. Angry with Nick, angry with myself, and spiraling. I pushed back my tears as best I could and took a deep breath. It would be a miracle if I made it through the day.

  Nick

  When I arrived alone at Ava’s parents’ for our engagement party, the place was already packed. Not wanting to mingle without Ava, I ducked into Alessandro’s office, hoping to hide out there until she arrived. I already wasn’t thrilled about the idea of this party, and now that Ava was pissed off, I was really dreading it. Families from both of our fathers’ groups would be here, and it would be the first big event Ava and I did together. My father harped about its importance to me, considering in the coming months all of these men would become mine. We really needed to put a strong
face on for everyone, but I knew that wasn’t going to be easy to do.

  I had royally fucked up with Ava this morning and her lack of response to my calls and texts had me on edge. I wanted to know how it had gone today, and I was anxious to talk to her. Once again, Alessandro had put her in a terrible position, and my anger with him had been taken out on her because she had been willing to appease him. Someday, I would break her of that habit, but for now, I could be a little more understanding.

  When I heard her voice in the foyer, I peeked out and watched her greeting a couple who had come in a few seconds in front of her. I didn’t recognize them, so I figured they must have been friends of her parents. My eyes raked over every inch of her body in her tight, floor-length gown with a slit that went high up her thigh. I could already feel my pants tightening across the crotch at the sight of her. I was a lucky man, and I needed her desperately. Impatiently, I watched as she chatted with the older couple, smiling politely and nodding at something they were saying. All the while, I was imagining all the ways I wanted to have her in this very office. Once they walked away and she was finally alone, I reached for her wrist and pulled her into the darkness with me. Before she could protest, I pressed my lips roughly to hers, pulling her into my body and pressing her up against the wall. She gasped at first but once she realized it was me, relaxed into the kiss.

  “Are you still mad at me?” I whispered huskily against her ear, pulling my lips away from hers. Her scent was intoxicating.

  “Of course I’m still mad at you.”

  “That’s fine. Make-up sex is my favorite anyway.” I pinned her against the wall, driving my hips into her.

  “Generally, someone has to apologize for it to be make-up sex.”

  “I’m sorry.” I smirked. “Happy?”

  Ava leaned her head back as my fingers trailed up her thigh and beneath the material of that goddamn dress.