Shortcake*

Chapter 47: Stronger Than This

*Copyright: All Rights Reserved, Stephanie Myrick, 2023. Posted to Wattpad ONLY*

The next morning, Cleo woke up to her alarm going off and groped around to find her phone. Yawning, she stopped it and got out of bed. Nico groaned and rolled over, covering his head and mumbling, "Five more minutes, Mom." Cleo giggled.

"You don't have to get up; I have a spa appointment in thirty minutes."

"Kay." He was snoring again in seconds, and Cleo left him to it while she got ready for her spa day.

They spent the previous afternoon and most of the evening driving around Augusta, shopping at different knick-knack shops, flea markets and locally owned shops. They got dinner at a small diner they found, sitting in the corner and enjoying hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes while they talked about what happened while they were apart.

"Colin and I, I don't know. I thought we had something incredible." Nico sighed and played with his french fries. "It was just this instant connection. We had all the same interests, we could talk for hours, and the sex! Cleo the sex, was just... I don't know, indescribable. It was loving and sweet, dominating and rough, whatever the mood went for. At one point, I said I needed a break, and he filled the tub for me and let me soak, cuddled me after and made sure I was okay and felt safe." He looked down at his plate and Cleo saw a tear drop.

"Then I saw the article, and I knew that you found out about me and Antony. I freaked the fuck out. He calmed me down, assured me you'd forgive me and our friendship would survive and, if anything, would be stronger because there wouldn't be any secrets. He gave me the courage to call you and held my hand while I was talking to you. When I said I would get the next flight, he got upset and gave me an ultimatum: either I stay with him, or I go to you, and we were over. He couldn't have anyone more important than him. I told him you were my family and I would put him first for some things, but there were things I would always put you first for and if he couldn't understand that, then we weren't going to work out. He just left."

"Hearing that he was working for Haven and Jerrica broke me for a bit, but I honestly don't think what we had was fake. You can't fake that connection, that intensity. No one is that good, and if he was faking it, then he deserves all the acting awards. I texted him, asking if it was true, if it was just keeping me out of the way, or if it was real, and he came back with, "It can't be both?" I told him it was real to me, and if he wanted to come and speak to the cops, prove to me it was both, and he wanted to be with me, I'd work things out with him."

Cleo reached out and took his hand. "I'm so sorry, Nico."

"I think I got him killed." He whispered. "I think he was going to do it, and they found out and killed him."

"Nico, it's not your fault." Cleo got up and moved over next to him, putting her arms around him. He buried his head in her shoulder. "You gave him a choice, that's all. You didn't know he was going to take you up on it."

"But if I hadn't..."

"They still might have killed him. They're tying up loose ends."

They went back to Cleo's hotel room and talked until midnight, when they both fell asleep. Cleo wasn't sure how Link would react to Nico sleeping in the bed with her, but she hadn't heard from him at all besides a response to her good night text. She decided this whole thing between them was bordering on ridiculous, and it was time to talk.

Morning! Just wanted to tell you I love you and ask if you can come to my hotel room tonight to talk. I'll be at the spa all day today and won't be able to answer.