Page 113 of Love Unwritten
Nico’s response is cut off by his squeal as I toss him in the ocean with an evil laugh.
He surfaces a few seconds later with a death glare. “Not fair.”
“Neither is life, but you’ll get used to it.”
My son shows an impressive amount of strength and speed as he tackles me. I take him down with me as we both fall back, our bodies sinking beneath the surface. The salt water makes my eyes sting, and I screw them shut as I stand.
I’m greeted by a fresh ocean breeze and Nico’s deep belly laughs. I haven’t heard him like this in months, and it fills me with a burst of fatherly pride.
You did that.
And if things go my way, I hope to do it again.
Nico and I spend thirty minutes in the water together before he asks if we can head back to the beach.
“Let’s go.” I turn and give him my back.
He climbs on and wraps his arms around my neck. “Do you think Ellie is okay?”
Before Hawaii, a hot spike of jealousy always stabbed me in the chest whenever Nico brought up Ellie’s name. But now, I’m nothing but neutral as I pull out my phone and send her a text asking if she needs anything, along with a short video of Nico saying he misses her.
If you’re nothing but neutral, then why is your heart skipping a beat?
The betraying organ calls me out on the lie, reminding me exactly how I feel toward Nico’s nanny. A feeling I shouldn’t be having in the first place, for a few different reasons, but most of all for the kid who is the center of my universe.
While I’m not winning any Father of the Year awards, Nico makes me feel like I’m in the running again. He doesn’t seem as tense or withdrawn while we talk during lunch about this afternoon’s plan to head to the North Shore for our ATV tour.
Everything is going great until Nico shocks me with a whispered confession halfway through our meal.
“I had a nightmare last night.”
My world tilts as I try to process this new piece of information. “You did?”
He nods. “I get them sometimes.”
My throat feels tight. “I didn’t know that.”
His eyes drop to the remaining shrimp he has yet to eat. “That’s because I didn’t want to upset you.”
Rather than allow my sadness and self-loathing to take over, I reach for his hand and give it a squeeze. “I’d never get upset about something like that.”
Knowing Nico was struggling with nightmares in silence reminds me so much of myself, and it makes me physically ache.
“I appreciate you telling me.”
He squints at me. “You do?”
“Of course. I’m not sure if I told you before, but I used to have nightmares too.”
“About what?”
Despite feeling like I’m being choked by my T-shirt collar, I plaster on a small, reassuring smile. “Things that scared me from my past.”
His brows knit together behind his glasses. “Really?”
I nod. “What are yours about?”
“I have dreams about not being able to see anything. I can hear everyone. Can smell and touch things too, but my vision is gone.”