Nick & Bailey

67. Bailey

As I'm reluctantly packing my clothes, I try to focus on the fact that Nick said he had something special planned tonight. That keeps me moving. He won't tell me what we're doing, and, when I tried to grill Pete and Candace about it, they feigned ignorance.

It's my last chance to talk to him before I leave tomorrow morning. We still have not discussed what's coming after this. I know we need to, but I just haven't found the courage yet. It has to be tonight. I can't leave tomorrow not knowing where we stand.

It's around seven o'clock, and his shift should be ending any minute now. I sit on the edge of the bed, unable to relax. Candace attempts to make small talk, but I can't engage. She doesn't seem to mind though, going off on her own tangents while Pete and I just listen. When Nick finally gets to the room, he asks if I mind if he takes a shower before we leave.

"Of course, but, will you at least tell me what I should wear?" Currently, I'm wearing a pair of joggers and a hoodie on top of a plain white tank top. I was waiting until he got here to change.

He looks me up and down. "You look fine." And walks out of the room.

I turn to Candace. "Well, that doesn't help."

She shrugs. "What did you expect?"

That's true. No one is less into clothes and fashion than Nick. Just to prove a point, though, I'm going to stay in these clothes.

Candace walks over to me before pulling me into a hug. "I don't know if I'll see you again before you leave, but just know that I have really enjoyed meeting you."

"I have, too. You and Pete have both been so nice and welcoming."

She whispers into my ear. "Hopefully Nick will get his head out of his ass soon and tell you how he feels. I think you'd like what he has to say."

Nick bursts into the room then, freshly showered and ready to go. It's not fair how little time it takes him to look so handsome.

"Ready?" He smiles and holds his hand out to me.

"Yep." I turn back to Pete. "Bye. Thank you for everything this week."

He stops typing on his keyboard to look at me. "No problem. Until next time."

I look at Nick to see his reaction. Will there be a next time? Is it reasonable to assume that I will never these two people again? But I can't read his face.

He holds my hand as we walk to his truck, and once we are inside, he leans over the bench seat to kiss me. It's so unexpected that I don't react at first. He laughs. "Sorry. I won't do it again."

I scoot over the seat until I can swing my leg around to straddle him. Then I bring my mouth to his, kissing him deeply, relishing in the humming noise escaping him. I can smell his soap, which is my new favorite scent. I pull back, and Nick leans into me for an inch or two with his eyes closed until he finally realizes that the kiss is over. I giggle, "Was that better?"

"Much."

I return to my seat, but hold his hand the entire drive. I sit in silence as Nick takes us through green light after green light, until we head out of town. There are no cars out here, and it reminds me of home. Driving in the country with my friends are some of my favorite memories of high school. I remember telling Abby that, and her appropriate response. "Wow, you really did grow up in a hick town." I laugh to myself.

"What's so funny?" Nick asks and rubs his thumb along the back of my hand.

I debate telling him, but then decide he'll think it's funny, too.