For Auld Lang Syne (Navy Book 1)

Chapter 11

It was much later, after everyone had left and Bree had gone to bed, that Nina and Devon had some time to themselves.  They were putting the final touches on the tree and the room felt decidedly Christmas like, with the fire crackling and the lights low so that they could enjoy the colored lights from the tree. Devon had broken out the good bottle of wine, and she and Nina were sitting back enjoying the tree and the atmosphere with the gentle sounds of Christmas music playing in the background.

"This reminds me of when we had our little apartment not that far from campus," Nina said as she poked the fire and leaned back against a chair.

"But now we're adults." Devon raised her glass with a grin. "Here's to being an adult."

Nina groaned around a sip of wine. "It really sucks, doesn't it?" she said as she raised her glass then drained it.

Devon had been watching Nina all evening, and she had seemed sad and reserved. She knew her friend well and knew that there was something on her mind. "Are things bad with the bar?"

"No." Nina looked at the tree for a moment, as if gathering her courage before she turned her attention towards Devon. "How long have you been in love with Josh?" she asked softly.

"Ever since I can remember. He was my best friend growing up." Devon was glad to be able to finally talk to someone about it. "But he was always out of my reach, he was two years older, a friend of the family, and nothing like he is now." She smiled as she thought of his newly acquired standoffish nature.

"What was he like?" Nina asked.

Devon frowned, she had wanted to talk to Nina about her problem, not about herself.

"Please Devon, I want to know, it might help," her friend pleaded.

Devon met her friend's eyes, wondering how knowing about her relationship with Josh might help. "You're not in love with Josh too, are you?" Devon would be devastated if that were the case.

Nina gave a soft laugh, shaking her head as she poured the rest of the wine into their glasses. "No, but I want to make sure you are."

"Josh was a flirt in school, the girls liked him and he liked them, and he never tried to hide it. He always treated me like a kid sister." Devon shrugged.

"But?" Nina encouraged.

"He had, has, this nickname for me and when he says it...I don't know, it doesn't sound sisterly." Devon fought the blush the crept to her cheeks.

"I've never heard him call you by a nickname." Nina frowned as she tried to remember a time she might have heard him call her anything other than Devon.

"He only says it when we're alone or when no one else can hear." She couldn't fight the blush any longer as her cheeks turned bright red at the admission.

"Is it dirty?" Nina teased.

"No!" Devon threw a pillow at Nina. "It's sweet."

"But you and he... you've never..." Nina was watching her closely.

"No, we kissed once," she whispered, barely daring to say the words aloud.

"And how was that?" Nina asked with a grin.

"Shut-up! I don't have any more pillows to throw at you."

"How about you and Grant?" Nina tried to sound casual, but Devon caught the edge to her voice as the realization dawned that Nina had a thing for Grant.

"It's Grant, isn't it?" Devon asked softly. Nina and Grant had always been subtle with each other, but she knew that there was more there than Nina or Grant had ever said. Devon had felt like a third wheel on more than one occasion.

Nina nodded while averting her eyes and remaining silent.

"Nina, what is it? We're best friends, you know you tell me anything, ask me anything, say anything to me." Devon softly insisted.

"I...Grant has... I know he's interested in me, and we've gone out a few times, but you're always there." Nina shrugged.

"How am I always there?" Devon asked confused.

Nina rolled her eyes. "Your memory is always there."

"No, I don't think so Nina. It was easy for him to leave me for Bree. He wasn't that attached to me." Devon watched Nina as she flushed. "No, not that but you and he..."

"He and I?"

"Your physical relationship, I never wanted to be compared to you in that department." Nina said it so softly that Devon barely heard her.

"Nina, Grant and I never had a physical relationship. We only ever exchanged a few heated kisses which, I will tell you honestly were not very heated on my end, and since he left me for Bree, I doubt that they were very heated on his end." Devon shook her head at the memory.

Nina looked at her, her eyes opening wide in disbelief.

"Cross my heart and pinky swear." Devon held up her pinky.

Nina fell across the small space between them and pulled Devon into a tight hug.

"You only ever had to ask Nina," Devon said, hugging her back. Nina jumped up suddenly, "I have to go!"

Devon smiled as she watched Nina's grin grow while she gathered her things. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Nina raced across the room and hugged her again. "Yes!" she said and then was gone.

Devon sat there hugging her knees and looking at the tree, enjoying the silence around her. Maybe Nina and Grant could finally work out their differences. It had only been ten years, it was about time.

The thought made her think of Josh across the hall and Bree in the next room. It reminded her that she would have to sleep on the couch, it reminded her that her stuff was still at Josh's. She sat there for a moment debating about if she could just leave it or not, but she had to work tomorrow and her glasses were there. She would have to go and get it.

She made her way across the hall and gently knocked on the door. After a moment it was opened by a sleepy-looking Kellan. Devon smiled, if she wasn't already in love with Josh it wouldn't be hard to fall for Kellan.

"I left my stuff in the bathroom," she whispered.

He opened the door wider and after she was in he closed it, falling back onto the couch, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Devon shook her head in disbelief at the ease with which he fell asleep as she moved to the bathroom.  The apartment was just like hers, the bathroom had two doors one that opened into the main room of the apartment and a second door that opened into the bedroom, she would have to be quiet if she didn't want to wake Josh.

There was enough light from the window for her to see her things and she gathered them as quietly as she could, but her glasses were on the nightstand by Josh's bed, so she turned to look in the bedroom.  It was too dark for her to make out anything, so she slowly crept into the room. When she got to the nightstand she reached for her glasses and the book they were sitting on but no sooner had her hand closed around them then Josh's hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist.

"Josh." She jumped, startled.

He gave her a tug and she fell off balance landing on the bed next to him.

"Just lay here with me Devon," he whispered.

Devon released her grip on her stuff and relaxed into the bed, and as she pulled her legs up Josh's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close. She could feel his breath on her neck as he buried his face there. She let herself curl into him and let out the breath that she had been holding.

"The bed smelled like you, and a pillow is a poor substitute for the real thing Firefly." His husky voice whispered into her ear. "Just stay for a little while, until I fall asleep."

Devon swallowed hard. "O.K." She relaxed as best she could and just enjoyed the feel of his warm body next to hers. It was thrilling and comforting all at the same time. She focused on his breathing, feeling it when he finally fell asleep, and it wasn't long before she too was lulled into sleep by his steady heartbeat.