Sweet Love (NG5)

9 - Spring break

Letting out a deep breath, Nick finally relaxed as he sat 36,000 feet in the air. The past week had been stressful. Trinity added to the normal workload stress.

Somehow rumors got out about the incident with the girl. It was true she was only sixteen. Nick's knowledge didn't include the identity of the accused. Most of campus believed it was Kirk, a senior who had always been a jerk. The guy was handsome and knew it. Nick couldn't imagine why the narcissistic sonofabitch chose the young girl over a willing participant. Oddly, Trinity had fallen into the 'she must have been asking for it' camp.

Nick shut his eyes and didn't want to think about it. Aunt Liz had given him an extra hug to pass along when she dropped him off at the airport. He was almost late to her house because Trinity didn't want to let go of him. She was still pissed at him for not going south with her to party.

When he woke the plane was lowering as it approached Newark. He didn't have long before his flight to Portland. Once on the ground, he grabbed a hot pretzel while he waited. He had already texted his mother that he completed the first leg. She liked to know when he was safe. Trinity texted a picture of a huge drink. He wondered how she got served since she wasn't legal either.

His excitement built as they started boarding the flight to Portland. The plane was small but Nick had traveled in similar ones plenty of times before. Wide awake, he wished it was daylight as they flew up the coast. Once they landed it took forever to taxi and exit the plane. As he stepped outside, the cold air hit him first, but it didn't matter because across the street both Sophie and Abbie were waiting for him. He hugged his twin first before switching to his little sister.

When he pulled back, he took them both in. "Abs, you've grown. Look at you." How did his kid sister have breasts? Sophie smirked like she read his mind. "I expected Dad."

"Surprise!"

"It's great. I missed you. And home."

They piled in the car with Sophie behind the wheel. Talking animatedly Abbie caught him up on the life of a soon to be fourteen-year-old. As the car approached the causeway, Nick rolled down the window.

"It smells like low tide." Abbie pinched her nose.

"It smells like home. I've missed it."

They had hardly parked when a flash came running down the porch steps. Nick readily accepted his mother's embrace. "We've missed you."

"Me too." He didn't let go until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned. "Hi Dad."

"Nicky." The two men hug quickly.

"Come on in. You must be cold." Megan led the way.

In the kitchen, with a plate of food in front of him, the whole family gathered around. He took a bite of his mother's chicken dish. It had always been one of his favorites.

"Thanks Mom."

"So Nick, my sister called to tell me about a girl."

Rolling his eyes, he shrugged. "She's nice, although she's mad at me."

"Why?" Abbie asked.

"Because I wanted to come home instead of going to Fort Lauderdale."

Sophie frowned. "You would hate it."

Megan nodded. "Lots of drinking."

"And wet tee shirt contests. Nicky, you would have been miserable."

"Dad! Stop teasing!"

"He had to come home for his birthday. Sophie can't celebrate alone."

"Abbie, I agree and that's what I told her. Plus, I missed you."