Part 45 (1/2)

”Yep,” Nick said. He nodded. ”I wish I didn't, most of the time. But I do.”

”You-”

”Yes,” said Nick calmly. ”It's a real pain.” He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. ”You are a thorn in my side, Laura.” He bent his head and kissed her. After a few seconds he lifted his head, still holding her tightly. ”An annoying, gorgeous thorn in my side. And I can't seem to get rid of you, of feeling like this. So that's why I'm here. I'm in love with you, and I know whatever you say, I always will be.”

He kissed her again.

”I thought you should know,” he said, his voice a little hoa.r.s.e.

”My G.o.d,” said Laura, struggling to know what to say. ”We're in the kitchen.”

Nick laughed, and held her tighter. He looked down at her and kissed her gently. ”Oh, Laura.”

She lolled against him, pressing her body against his, feeling as if she was coming alive as she touched him. Nick, here, in front of her, holding her.

”Laura, I know you think us together is going to be hard. I know you think we're too different, that it's all too odd. But it's not. There was something my mother said to me when I saw her: If you find someone you love, you have to do something about it. I tried to do something about it before, you know. To help you, to make things better for you. But it wasn't the right thing to do. I should have come down here straight after you left me.”

”Why?” said Laura, intrigued. ”What did you do?”

”It doesn't matter.” Nick kissed her again. ”Does not matter at all.”

She pressed her hands on his chest and stepped back. ”You,” she said, nodding. ”You gave the money. Didn't you? You gave the money to the program at work!”

”No,” said Nick.

”Yes, you did,” said Laura, staring up at him. He grimaced, then inclined his head slightly, looking uncomfortable. ”Oh, Nick. I knew it wasn't Marcus! It was you! Why did you do it?”

”I wanted...” he said, shaking his head. ”Laura, you were so upset, that night in the car. I just wanted everything to be better for you. I thought I couldn't have you, that we were never going to work out, and it really got to me, seeing you like that. You were so mysterious about work and everything-and then when you left, Charles explained what had happened with Marcus. So”-he bent his head-”I thought, Well, if we can't be together, I can still do something to make her life better. And other people's, too,” he added disingenuously. ”But yours most of all.

”This is what my mother said to me,” he went on. ”She said I was a fool if I let you get away. She told me to stop making odd gestures like bailing you out at work anonymously. She told me to get down here and tell you I love you. Myself. In person. Because if you love someone, you have to be brave and tell them. Don't let them go.”

”That's what someone said to me,” said Laura, thinking of Mary and her letter.

”And if you say no, I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to convince you I'm right. I promise. I won't leave you alone. Because it's not about who's what or where or anything. We should be together. The other stuff doesn't matter. That's all.”

”We should,” Laura echoed. She was feeling faint. She never felt faint. Her head was spinning; she felt light-headed, weightless in Nick's arms. She leaned against him again. ”Yes,” she said. ”We should. And you're right, G.o.d! You're right. Who cares about the other stuff?”

”You mean it?” he said.

”I do,” Laura said, looking up into his face. ”You know something?”

”What?”