Frozen Heart

Chapter 44 ~ "I Know You Love Her"

Nik

I think I'm going to pass out from fear tonight. Should I just tell Grace to spread my ashes at the hockey rink now? I'm supposed to meet her father this afternoon and I'm shitting bricks. I couldn't be the thing that ruined her relationship with her father and I didn't know what I'd do if he hated me.

Thankfully, we'd made the plan to do this before my practice so her mom would be there. Denise liked me at least and I hoped that would keep me from harm.

"Nik." Grace whispers from my bed. I was trying to tie my tie in front of the mirror, but failing miserably. She had a dress on, waiting for me to be done with my fussing so we could leave, but I'd been way off in my own world. "Baby, please calm down." She whispers and I take a deep breath.

I couldn't let her know I was terrified of her father. I shouldn't be, I knew that. But I couldn't get what she'd said to her mom over the phone out of my head.

You're really going to pick some guy over me?

"I'm calm." I tell her and she rolls her eyes, tossing her phone away in my covers. She stands up and stands behind me in the mirror, her hands coming around my waist to rest on my chest.

"I know you, honey." She whispers to me. "I know when you're not." She stands up on her tiptoes and kisses the back of my neck, making a shiver run down my spine.

"I'm cool, I'm just trying to tie this." I explain, trying to make an excuse and she smiles.

"I can do it." She says and I raise my eyebrows. "Turn around and I'll help you." I turn around, watching her face disappear in the mirror and I face her. "You probably don't need this, you know." She insists and I watch her small fingers take both ends of my tie, pulling it down a bit more on one side.

"I did it when I met your mom." I tell her and she nods. "I should do it for your dad too." She ties it quickly and I smile watching her do it. 

"Two parents in the military.....I learned how to do it ages ago." She says softly, tightening it up to my neck and folding down my collar. "There, now you're perfect." She whispers, leaning in and giving me a kiss.

I knew that I was perfect to her, but I was worried if her dad would really like me at all. I knew that at best I'd get a stern tolerance, not anywhere near how much her mom liked me or my mom liked Grace.

"I know you think this is going to be a disaster, but don't sell my father short. He's changed his mind." She whispers, kissing my cheek. "It means the world to me that you're willing to do this." She adds and I smile, leaning in to give her a kiss now too. 

This was what I really had to remember, I was doing this for her. I did everything for her and I knew no matter what that I wouldn't stop loving her. Eventually her dad would have to accept that.

"Alright, let's go. I need to pick up the flowers for your mom." I whisper and she smiles. 

"See? It'll be fine, you're so chivalrous." She teases and I laugh.

She gets her things together and we walk downstairs through my house. "Nikita." Mom says, walking over with a box. "Take this with you and tell your mother I say hello, Grace." She smiles and Grace nods.

"Of course." Graces says and she smiles.

"Have fun tonight." Mom says and waves, heading back towards the kitchen.

We get our coats together and we walk back outside to my car. I was trying to stay calm, if she knew I was already freaking out then she didn't want to see me when I wasn't hiding it.