Wild Tendy (IceCats Book 2)

by Toni Aleo

“You can do it. I know you can. You’re so ready. You’re doing so great, Nico.”

  I don’t think I am, but her encouragement makes me feel a little better. Like, two percent better.

  “Does Aviva know that this is a big deal?”

  I shake my head. “I told her I’m freaking out, but she doesn’t know that I may not make it past the thirty minutes.”

  “Tell her. Please.”

  Yeah, because that’s gonna be easy.

  Hey, Aviva, I probably won’t make it past the thirty minutes because right now, I’d rather rip off my left nut than go.

  Damn it, the thought of all those people. Standing around me, wanting to make small talk. Able to touch me and look at me without my gear.

  Shit. I don’t think I’m gonna make it.

  My hands are shaking against the steering wheel as I head to get Aviva. We have to be there at seven and it’s already ten minutes till, and I’m driving like a turtle. I don’t want to go. It’s that simple. To make matters worse, my mom decided to call and talk me to death.

  “Why are you being so short with me?”

  I want to groan loudly, but she wouldn’t appreciate that. Especially since she’s been dealing with it basically since I was born. I’ve always been a pain in the ass. “I have that gala tonight, and Dr. Jenkins says I can’t drink.”

  “Oh,” she says softly. “I forgot that was tonight. I have it written down, but I forgot.”

  “It’s fine.”

  “You can do this, Nicolas. I promise. I have noticed such huge progress since you’ve been with this new therapist.”

  “I thought you hated her.”

  “I do. She sucks, but you’re doing great.”

  “Because that makes sense.”

  “Don’t question me,” she says sternly. “Listen, you know you have this.”

  “Eh, that’s spotty,” I say with my face all twisted in annoyance, fear, and a wee bit of anger. I don’t know why I have to do this. Why can’t I be the player who just doesn’t do shit but win hockey games? I think I’m doing what I’m paid for. “Aviva is excited, though.”

  “Is she? Send me pictures.”

  “I will.” I probably won’t, though. “Are you bringing Mimi and Papa when you come?”

  “I am.”

  “Fantastic, Aviva will get to meet all of my crazy family.”

  She chuckles happily. “For as much as you talk about her and her sister, I’m sure we’ll all love her.”

  “Are you going to give her the third degree?”

  “Yes, and this could all be done before I arrive if you’d give me her number.”

  I roll my eyes. “I wouldn’t subject her to that. I want her to like me.”

  “How could she not? You’re absolutely perfect.”

  I love my mom. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “It’s the truth. You know I love you more than anything in this world.”

  “I know.”

  “And if a woman is going to come in and replace me—”

  “No one can replace you,” I say quickly. “Aviva wouldn’t even try.”

  She pauses. I want to say I feel better, but I don’t. I’m terrified. I swallow hard as I turn onto Aviva’s street.

  “I’m very excited to meet her, and I hope I am able to go watch Callie do flips and stuff.”

  “Callie’s pretty badass. Great girl.”

  “It pleases me that you care for her. It has to be hard to raise a young girl and date.”

  I scoff. “I think I’m the first boyfriend Aviva has had since she lost her mom.”

  “Because who can say no to you!”

  “Aviva. She can say no. She did…a lot,” I laugh, and my mom gushes.

  “I love her already.”

  My laughter subsides as I pull into the parking lot. “Hey, make sure before you come, everything is taken care of on your end.”

  “It will be. My lawyer is doing everything we ask and is also handling the will.”

  My nerves are making my words come out jerky, and I wish I could focus on what she is saying, but I’m all kinds of screwed up. “Just make sure everything is done and right. Send my lawyer the paperwork.”

  “Please.”

  “Please. I’m sorry. I’m freaking out.”

  “You’re going to be fine.”

  I just wish I believed her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Aviva

  “I’ll Be There for You” by the Rembrandts is blasting through the shop.

  Even though I’m wearing a very expensive—and completely out of my comfort zone—evening gown, I help Callie prep for tomorrow as we sing at the top of our lungs. She’s actually a decent singer; then again, there’s not really much Callie isn’t good at. When I asked her to prep for tomorrow after Nico invited me to go to this gala with him, I was nervous to hand over the reins. I’m discovering, though, Callie is a lot like me. She is smart and quick on her feet. I’m very proud of the woman she is becoming.

  “I told Amelia about the surgery.”

  I glance back over at her as I pull the bread out of the proofer. “What did she say?”

  “She said she understood but that I can’t get lazy on her.”

  “Well, of course not,” I say, putting in the next batch. “You know we can just do the mastectomy now and then do the reconstruction and augmentation when you’re older.”

  She shakes her head. “No, I’ll be like you and put it off.”

  She’s got me there. I shift uncomfortably in my bra. I wish I’d had an augmentation now; a real set of breasts would have given me better options for a dress. Also, a lot more confidence. Since I don’t have cleavage, I went with a sparkly, midnight-blue halter-top gown that shows all of my back. I was kind of nervous about my little bit of back fat, but Nico promised the dress looked great on me. He says he sees no back fat, but I know it lives there. I left my hair down in big, wide curls with a small braid around the crown of my head. Callie did my makeup all classy-like, with a dark red lip. With a pair of strappy-backed heels, I feel like I look sexy, and I actually feel somewhat sexy. I just hope Nico thinks so.

  “Whatever you want,” I answer as I move to get another batch of bread going. “I just don’t want you out of the gym long.”

  “I know. I don’t either.”

  “And I’ll be pissed if you pop a boob.”

  She snorts. “Me too!”

  She moves past me to grab the big stack of onions. I really should move away. I don’t want to smell like onions when Nico gets here. “So, things with Nico are going very well.”

  I nod as I side-eye her. “They are.”

  “How long has it been?”

  “Almost two months now.”

  She gushes, “I’m just so happy for you two. You’re, like, the best together. I like him way more than Mike.”

  “Me too,” I agree. I feel all gooey inside.

  Things have been great with Nico. I’ve never had a man do everything to spend time with me. He’ll sit in the shop just so he can talk to me between customers. He keeps me laughing all the time, and we have a great time. He went to Callie’s gym practices twice last week, and while he didn’t want to sit in the crowd, standing by the wall with him was worth the numb legs at the end. He’s just great, really great, and I’m so damn happy.

  “Do you love him?” she asks, and I laugh loudly.

  “Callie, I don’t know. It’s still early. You can’t tell this early.”

  “Yes, you can,” she says quickly. “And you do. You’re just hiding behind your walls.”

  She might not be wrong, but I don’t want to acknowledge what I am feeling yet. I don’t want my mind to fuck with what we have. I could fall, completely and wholeheartedly, for Nico, but the fear that he can’t fall for me is there. I don’t want to keep beating a dead horse, but he could do so much better than me. So much. Yet he’s here almost every day, and when he’s not, my phone is blowing up.

  It gives me some inconceivable f
eels.

  “Well, I love him. He could be my brother-in-law any day,” she says, and I smile, my heart bursting in my chest.

  “He’d love that.”

  “Yeah, he’s great. Really, I love him for how much happier you are now. Who knew all you needed was for someone to get in your pants?”

  For the love of God. “Calliope, come on!”

  She snorts with laughter just as the door opens and in comes my super-hot date. He’s wearing a black tux with pants hemmed to the ankles to show off his fancy blue suede shoes. Every time I see them, I want to sing the song. I don’t want to sing now, though. Not that I can with my tongue hanging out of my mouth. With his hair slicked back, Nico is one fine man.

  And he is all mine.

  “Hey!” I call to him, excited to see him. When he comes in closer, though, I notice his body language. He’s not happy, more nervous. I come around the counter and go to him. “Hey, you okay?”

  He shakes his head. “Nope. Don’t want to go.” I thread our fingers together as he comes down for a kiss. “You look incredible, babe.”

  I want to swoon, but I’m worried about him. “We don’t have to go.”

  “I do,” he says on an exhale. “They’re making me.”

  I feel awful for him, but before I can try to help, Callie says, “Nico, you’re a rock star. You got this.”

  He doesn’t seem convinced. “I don’t know about that.”

  “You do. It’s a party. Just think of everyone as Vee, Chandler, Amelia, and me. You got this.”

  He exhales hard, looking down at me. “I could just stare at you.”

  My heart warms. “You could. I won’t leave your side, even if I’ve got to pee.”

  “Man, that’s real right there. She always has to pee,” Callie teases, and thankfully, finally, he smiles the smile I adore.

  I squeeze his hand. “We’ll have fun.”

  He shrugs. “I don’t know. But just a warning, I don’t know how long I’ll last, and I don’t know how I’ll act. This is a first for me.”

  I’m so confused. “You don’t go to parties?”

  “Not without a lot of alcohol, and my therapist is not letting me drink.”

  I agree with his therapist. “That’s good. You don’t need to drink.”

  “I beg to differ. It’s how I get through shit like this.”

  “We got this,” I say once more, kissing his jaw. “Come on, let’s go.”

  He hesitates, but then he lets out a sigh. “Fine.”

  Well, I wasn’t nervous before, but now I am.

  The gala for the IceCats foundation is in a ritzy hotel ballroom. I’ve never been to this hotel, but from the outside, I can tell it is fancy. Nico didn’t speak one word the whole way here, and I felt he needed a moment, so I didn’t speak either, just listened to the music. But when we come to a stop at the valet and my door opens, I glance over at him. He’s holding the steering wheel with white knuckles, and I don’t know if he’ll get out of the truck. I hold up my finger to the valet. “One second, please.”

  I pull my door shut and then reach out to Nico, covering his hand with mine. “Nico, it’s okay. One thing at a time.”

  He swallows hard. “Just let me be for a second.”

  I pull my hand away and lean back in my seat. Seconds turn into minutes, and when I notice the line behind us, I clear my throat. “Nico—”

  “Just a fucking minute.”

  Okay then. I press my lips together because I really want to snap back at him. I know that he is struggling with this, though, so I will be patient. Finally, and without a word, he throws open his door and gets out.

  “Okay,” I drawl as I pick up my bag, but before I can grab the door handle, it’s open and Nico is standing there.

  He holds out his hand to me, and I take it. He isn’t looking at me, though. He’s looking around us. When my feet hit the ground, he wraps his arms around me, and I can feel him shaking. What in the world is causing this? I did some research, and OCD can trigger this kind of reaction, not being able to control the situation. But I worry it’s more. I want to ask. Man, I want to ask, but I feel that’s something he should tell me.

  As we walk toward the entrance, his body is rock hard, and I see the sweat dripping down his neck. I’m really starting to get nervous. “I’m glad you asked me to come.”

  “Yeah,” he says sharply, and I bite the inside of my cheek. He’s never this abrupt with me, and I don’t like it one bit.

  I try to ignore it though as we head toward the ballroom. When we enter, I’m amazed by how gorgeous everything is. The team’s colors, red and silver, cover every inch of the place. Big white flower arrangements line the tables, and a huge chandelier hangs from the ceiling. It’s stunning in here.

  “Wow.”

  “What?”

  I look up and hate how taut his jaw is and how wild his eyes are. I want my carefree, fun Nico, and it kills me that I can’t fix whatever he is feeling inside. I reach up and press my hand into his chest. “Look how beautiful it is.”

  “All I see is people.”

  It’s a good two hundred people, and I can tell it bothers him. “Hey.”

  He doesn’t look at me. “What?”

  “Nico.”

  Finally, he does, and I smile. “I’m right here.”

  He looks away. “You just don’t understand.”

  “Then help me to. What can I do?”

  “Nothing,” he says but not as sharply as before. “It’s my burden.”

  “Let it be mine. Let me help.”

  He sighs deeply. “Unless you can get into my head and make these fucked-up feelings and the need to run go away, there is nothing you can do,” he bites back, and my heart hurts for him.

  “Hey, bro!” I look up just as Kirby comes toward us.

  Nico slaps hands with him, but it’s not a fluid motion. He’s forcing himself. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Nothing much. This is my girl, Lilly.”

  I look to the bleach-blonde woman standing beside Kirby. She’s gorgeous, but she’s not Jaylin. She doesn’t look like a mess; she looks like a beauty queen.

  Nico nods to her. “Nice to meet you. This is my girlfriend, Aviva.”

  She grins at me. “What a neat name!”

  “Thanks,” I say with a curt smile.

  “What does it mean?”

  No one has ever asked me that. “It actually means springtime. I was born in the spring, and my mom was all about meanings.”

  “That’s so cool.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You want a drink?” Kirby asks Nico, but he shakes his head.

  “I’m not drinking tonight.”

  Kirby’s brow shoots up. “Really? You always drink when we go out.”

  “I’m good,” he says, and then he looks past Kirby and Lilly. “Excuse us.”

  He takes my hand and guides me away. When I see that we’re heading toward Chandler and Amelia, I pray maybe they can help him calm down. Chandler’s eyes widen a bit when he sees us.

  “Hey, guys,” he calls, and Amelia walks over to me, hugging me tightly. I watch as Chandler pulls Nico to the side. I try to ignore them, but I really want to know what he is saying.

  To distract myself, I gush over Amelia. “How you are so gorgeous and skinny after twins is unfair to us mere mortals who eat cake and blow up.”

  She scoffs. “Please, Aviva, I’d kill for those curves. Your ass is so damn round.”

  I grin. “Thank God for Kim Kardashian.”

  “Right?” she laughs, holding my wrist. “You look beautiful tonight. I love this dress. Where did you get it?”

  “Macy’s. Nico picked it out.”

  She beams. “Of course he did. I’ve never seen him doing that kind of thing before. But with you, it’s different. He is really into you. It’s so sweet.”

  I bite my lip as I search her eyes. “He’s not doing well tonight.”

  Amelia shakes her head. “No, he won’t be. Please
be patient with him. He doesn’t do crowds.”

  I start to ask why, and I know that’s shitty of me, but I need to know. Before I can, though, Nico takes my waist in his hand and pulls me close to him. He kisses my temple and then moves his nose to my ear. He stays like that for a minute, breathing me in, and my heart is pounding. I don’t know what to do. I turn my face to press my lips to his. “You okay?”

  He nods, though I know he’s lying. “Sure.”

  When “River” by Leon Bridges starts to play, I slide my nose along his. “Will you dance with me?”

  Something changes in his eyes, and then he nods. I back away from him, pulling him by his hand to bring him to the dance floor where no one is dancing. I love this song, and when I first heard it, I wanted to dance with Nico to it. I pull him toward me, and he grins as he gathers me in his arms. His hands rest at the small of my back as my hands press into his chest. I lay my chin on my hands, looking up into his beautiful brown eyes, and all my anxieties wash away. He leans his head down, pressing his forehead into mine, and slowly but surely, the cadence of his heart slows down.

  I want to cry in relief. “Feeling better?”

  His eyes fall shut as his nose touches mine. “So much.”

  “What did you talk to Chandler about?”

  Nico opens his eyes, meeting my gaze. “He told me to calm down and do what makes me happy. Ignore everything around me but that one thing that makes me happy.” He kisses my nose. “So, I wrapped my arms around you and kissed my favorite spot.”

  As we sway to the music, I can’t stop staring into his eyes. They’re so beautiful, so perfect. I am falling for this complicated, wild man.

  And I want to believe it’s okay.

  I want to believe it’s for the best.

  But what if it’s not?

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Aviva

  After a weird midafternoon rush and celebrating with Callie about her A in math—thank you, Nico Merryweather—I reach for my laptop. I have a stack of mail I need to look through, but after last night, I’m worried about Nico. Since I like to know what I am walking into, I find myself on WebMD a lot. When I get to the doctor and they tell me it’s only a rash, I’ve already convinced myself it’s cancer, so I’m good. Same thing here. I figure out what I think is ailing Nico, he tells me something that doesn’t even come close, and boom! Things are great. I just need somewhere to start.