Page 42 of Until Now
“No! Lina,” I laugh. “No, he’s Michaela’s cousin.”
“This doesn’t make sense, Nina. You seem so great together.”
“Well yeah, that’s kind of the point.” I shrug. “But, things have gotten…complicated.” I look through the window. Nick is sound asleep, but the time on the clock means I needed to wake him soon. The doctor suggested waking him every four hours and monitoring him for concussion symptoms through tomorrow. “I think…I think I have feelings for him.”
“As inrealfeelings?” I nod. “That’s great!” Eileen’s smile fades when I don’t return it. “Isn’t it?”
I play with the hem of the blanket. “I just wanted to get Mom off my back and keep Lee away from me. I didn’t think it would turn into this.” Eileen smiles, a knowing look on her face. “I know that look. What?”
“Did you tell him you love him?”
“What?” I scoff. “Lina, I don’t—”
“Oh yes, you do. It’s young and reckless.” Eileen covers my hand again. “But, it’s love, Nina. Trust me, what you two have going on is more than just a paid arrangement. I guarantee he doesn't even take the money.”
“You’re not mad?” I’m relieved at how well she seems to be taking the news.
“I don’t think it’s your best idea, but I get it,” Eileen says behind her wine glass. “Your mom can be… Well, let’s just say I get it. But, Nin, the two of you have something special. I can see it. He has been so good for you. You need someone normal, someone like him.”
And, I think she might just be right.
§
Teagan skips into the kitchen. “Whatcha doing?” I ignore her. “Oh, come on! What’s a little conversation between friends? I’m just trying to be nice.”
“We see how well that worked out for me last time,” I quip heading for the stairs.
“Nina, wait! I just want to talk.”
“Not now, Teagan.”
“Just two seconds!”
I’m going to regret this, but I turn to face her, “What?”
“I just wanted to…apologize. I never meant for any of it to happen this way.”
I scoff, she cannot be serious.
“You know I would never do anything to hurt you. I mean, aren’t you glad things turned out the way they did? If you had never broken up with Lee, you wouldn’t have found Nick. And, you seem so happy together! I was hoping we could move past what happened before.”
“This isn’t high school, Teagan. You can’t just go around hurting people and think everything is going to be okay because you pretend to feel sorry. The high school popularity contest doesn’t matter in the real world.”
“That why you’ve used Daddy’s name to get everything you want?”
“Used his…” I scoff. “And, what did you do, Teagan?” She doesn’t answer. “Niente. Non hai fatto nulla. You didn’t even graduate college. But, you got what you always wanted, right? You always wanted Lee, always. He never wanted you—”
“That’s not true.”
“Not even when I was fucking JJ did Lee want you. You were just convenient when I was busy. And, if that is the one thing you have over me, I can live with that.”
“Lee loves me!”
“Ti ama? If he loves you, why did he try to sleep with me?”
“You’re lying.” Teagan knows better. I have no reason to lie, but she has to believe Lee loves her, because what else does she have? “You’re just jealous.”
I laugh. “That’s nothing to be jealous of.”