That's Amore! - Janelle Denison [59]
"This isn't as easy as we thought it was going to be, is it?" he asked, staring at their reflection in the dark television screen.
Efi shook her head. "No, it isn't."
He rubbed his face with his hands. "Do you think this is a matter of cold feet?"
Efi stared down at her stocking feet much as she had earlier when she'd wondered the same thing. "I don't know."
"Me either."
She smiled softly. "Well, that clears things up, doesn't it?"
She felt his gaze on her profile and turned her head to find him studying her.
"You know you always were a smart ass."
"And you always were a mule," she said back.
They'd said the words to each other countless times over the years, but it was usually while they were rolling around on the closest available object, whether it be the back seat of his car or the couch at his parents'—the sentiments were exchanged while in the throes of passion and with affection.
While that affection still existed, it was more serious now somehow. As if they were both realizing the weightiness of the words.
Nick cleared his throat. "About Aphrodite…"
Efi threw her head back and groaned. "No, I don't want to hear it. What's happening now … what's going on…" She held his gaze. "This isn't about Aphrodite, Nick. Sure, I may have been jealous. But deep down I'd like to think I'd known you would never do anything with her."
"I kissed her."
Efi's heart pitched down to rest next to her bare feet.
Nick sighed. "No, actually that's wrong. I didn't kiss her. She kissed me."
"Did you kiss her back?"
"No. But I didn't push her away immediately either."
"Because you thought you might like to kiss her?" He didn't say anything for a long time. "Nick?"
"What?" he blinked at her. "Oh. No. When she cornered me at my parents' house inside the bathroom and kissed me I was thinking that I should probably want to kiss her. But I was surprised that I didn't."
Efi swallowed hard, trying to portray a measure of dignity. "Oh?"
"All week long, the guys have been talking about how hot she is. About how I could have her at the drop of a hat. And how you would never have to know anything about it."
Efi really didn't want to hear this. She'd known her cousin had had designs on Nick, but she hadn't known about the rest. And she didn't want to know either.
"Look, Nick, you don't have to explain anything…"
"Yes, yes, I do. Because it was in that bathroom, facing a very attractive woman who apparently wanted me badly, and having her kiss me, that I realized that you're the only one I want."
Efi's throat tightened with emotion. "And that's why you're having second thoughts about the wedding? Because you want me?"
"Yes."
He wasn't making much sense to her. Then again, her own feelings weren't making much sense to her either, so she figured they were pretty much equal.
Except for the Aphrodite kiss. He was way in the hole when it came to that one.
"So I've explained some of what's been going through my mind. How about you?" he asked.
"Your parents."
He stiffened.
Efi's shoulders slumped.
She knew how she would react if he said anything negative about her parents. They were her family, her rock. They were the two most important people in her life up until now. If he so much as said one negative word about either of them she'd probably freak.
But she needed to say this about his parents.
"What happened tonight … what they said … asked for… Well, it came way out of left field for me."
Nick remained silent.
"Did you know they were going to ask for what they did from my father?"
"No."
"But you were okay with it?"
"Yes." He blew out a long breath. "No."
"Then why did you tell me to butt out?"
"I told you to butt out? I didn't tell you to butt out."
"Yes, you did. You told me that perhaps it would be better if we let the four of them work things out."
"Yes. That I did say."
"That's telling me to butt out."
He looked at her for a long moment. "Yes, maybe you're right." He rested his forearms on his knees and clasped his hands together between his legs. "Look, the truth