The music changed, and the emcee came on announcing for all single ladies to head to the floor. I watched as Jacqueline smirked near the emcee and had a bad feeling she had something planned. When I felt Loren tense, her panic palpable, I fell into my white knight mode.
Wrapping her up, I pulled her away and off the dance floor. She didn’t need to be out there on the floor, reminded of her marriage, an outcast amongst her family. I stepped out through the ballroom doors, peeking over my shoulder for a brief moment. Sax confirmed with a nod he had them. With a breath, I pulled her along, Loren going with me willingly. I walked far enough away, so we didn’t have to hear and I felt her body begin to relax.
“Thanks, Nicco. I kind of forgot about having to deal with those types of things and didn’t, well, I wasn’t prepared, to say the least.”
“Yeah, no problem. I kinda wanted to get you away anyway.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I wanted to see how you were feeling about everything.” We were stopped against a wall, my thumbs brushing small circles in her palms as I listened.
“Generally? I mean, not bad.” She looked at me quizzically, not sure what I was asking. To be honest, I didn’t know what I was asking either. I just wanted to talk to her when an idea popped into my head. Smiling down at her, I mischievously asked her the thing I’d been dying to know.
“Actually, I have a question for you.”
“Okay.”
“So, Cassandra was telling me this story...”
“Oh, God. No, please.” She groaned, causing me to chuckle.
“So, is it true?”
“Well, I guess it depends on your definition of the truth,” she hedged, dropping her eyes.
“Hmm,” I crowded her against the wall, speaking low as I lifted her chin. “Did it happen, Beautiful?”
“Yeah,” she grumbled, sticking out her lip, and I wanted to nip it between my teeth. Our bodies weren’t pressed together, and I struggled not to lean into her, to show her how she affected me.
“Then it’s the truth. Don’t tell me pretty lies, Beautiful. They’re too dangerous to believe.”
“It’s not so much a lie, as it is wanting to save face, Nicco.” Loren’s face heated at the admittance.
“Your face is beautiful. I don’t know what you need to save it from.” Loren softened, a smile highlighting her face.
“I’ve missed your sweet talk, Nicco.”
“I’ve missed you, Beautiful.” She laid her head on my chest, and I pulled her close. After a while, I smiled into her hair as I prodded her again. “So… did you really come down to the tattoo shop?”
“Yeah, a moment of weakness.”
“I have to say. It kind of gives me hope.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because it meant maybe you still felt something for me. That it was as strong as I remember feeling about you.”
She pushed me back, looking at me this time as she spoke. “That was never in question, Nicco, because I did feel for you strongly, hence why I went down to the shop. Why I was so upset when you left me, it’s not about not missing you or not feeling things for you. It’s about being hurt.”
“I get that, I do. I never meant to cause you pain, Loren. I thought I was making a better choice. It was miserable every day staying away from you, not calling you. Fuck, I even almost punched Atticus once.”
“You did?”
“Uh-huh, it was interesting.”
Laughing, she nodded. “Yeah, I could see how that might be complicated.”
“Complicated. Hmph. That’s a good word for it. There’s just,” I paused, trying to find my words, “so many things you don’t know about our family yet.”