Reflection

Chapter 4

My mind was in a freefall as Nick drove through the streets of D.C. I tried not to eavesdrop on his conversation with his roommate, but it was hard in the close proximity of the car. There was a loving familiarity in the conversation. It was a mix of starts, stops, and half-sentences that only came from a close connection. 

"All set," he proudly announced as he set his phone back into the cupholder of the center console. "It actually works out well. My roommate got caught up with some work things, so she won't be home for a few nights."

"Oh." Thoughts tried to form, but were held prisoner by the haunting of my day.

"Hey, it's okay," he reassured me. "I'll keep you safe from whoever may come after you." He smiled in a way that felt full of understanding as though he had more profound knowledge than he could possibly have.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I sputtered.

"I'm just doing what I would want someone to do if my sister were in a jam," Nick shrugged.

"You have a sister?" I'm not sure why my mind clung to the fact, but Nick having a sister set me at ease.

"Yeah, two actually," he nodded.

"Are they older or younger?"

"Both younger. I find one is quite the handful; the other is a bit more mysterious."

"Mysterious," I smiled. "I always wanted to be mysterious." It had been true, but at that moment, I realized I was mysterious, and it was not all it was cracked up to be.

"Oh, I doubt that. You seem very mysterious to me."

I let out a sigh. "Are you close with your parents as well?"

"I am tight with my father. My mom left when I was young." There was just a hint of sadness in the statement. The wound must have long since scabbed over from the passing years, but still felt raw in his tone. "I consider my grandmother more of a mother figure. She helped my dad a lot while we were growing up," he shrugged. "You know, when he had to go away for business and such."

"What does your dad do?" I politely smiled, realizing that I had been quite the selfish conversationalist on the bus.

"He's in banking as well, like I said... family business." A mischievous smile spread across his face. "Lucky for you, I have dinner plans with my family tonight so you can meet the entire crew."

"Oh, I couldn't intrude," I protested.

"Nonsense, my grandma is a more the merrier type. I know she will love meeting you."

"No, really," I continued.

"You have to come. I know you and my grandma will be fast friends. You'll be treated like a granddaughter in mere moments," he laughed.

"You laugh; is that a good thing?"

Another laugh slipped from his lips before he added, "I'm not sure yet."

Nick pulled into a garage beneath a tidy line of row houses and parked before turning his full attention to me. "Home sweet home," he smiled.

His place was exactly as I expected: modern and sleek.

"So, the roommate is away, and a she?" I asked as I glanced around the space.

"Yes, and yes. To clarify in the least creepy what possible, she is my sister," he added.

"Oh." I tried to smile, but it came more like a wince.

"That wasn't a pickup line," he noted.

"No, I didn't think it was." But my words came too fast to sound truthful. "I should mention that I have a boyfriend." At least, I think I did.

"Oh," Nick nodded. "And he isn't the reason..."

"No, he isn't the reason I am here," I finished.

"Oh, great. Well, now that's all settled..." Nick sucked in a heavy breath. "Let me show you to the guest room."

The guestroom was truly beautiful and nearly the size of my entire apartment in New York. It had a wall of three floor-to-ceiling windows that let the soft late afternoon June sun beam in and looked over a quaint little courtyard.

"Wow, this is gorgeous. You must be really good at banking," I teased.

"My family certainly has had a string of successes," he confessed. "I'll let you get settled," he smiled as he departed, shutting the door behind him.

I flopped down on the bed as I tried to collect my thoughts. In a single afternoon, I had gone from worrying about being late to work to my face robbing a bank, skipping town, being haunted by my own wink, and meeting Nick. I let my mind linger on Nick, the most tangible of the thoughts.

He was handsome, but there was something different about him. I felt both on edge and completely connected to him, but not in a romantic way. A piece of me felt like he was always there, even though we had just met. It was a confusing mixture of emotions that contradicted the facts of our relationship. I was relieved when he was unfazed by my boyfriend; it reduced a layer of awkwardness. Still, his connection to his family intrigued me.

Family had always been my mom and me. I had asked a few times about my father, but it was apparent that she did not want to speak of him. Her entire body would tense at his mere mention. The same was true when I asked about her family. In twenty-six years, all I could glean from her was that they were dead. I envied Nick's large family and even felt a tinge of excitement at the family dinner.

A soft knock came on the door, followed by, "Antonia?"

"Yeah," I answered.

Nick opened the door with his arms full. "I thought you may need some provisions. You look to be about the same size as my sister." He released his haul on the bed.

"You didn't have to," I began as my eyes fell on a toothbrush and my desperate desire to shower off the bus.

"I know I didn't have to, but I want you to feel at home. There are a couple of changes of clothes, some pajamas, and toiletries. The bathroom is just next door if you want to freshen up before dinner. We don't have to leave for about an hour," he explained.

I opened my mouth to resist, but the truth came out instead. "Thank you. The bus made me feel so grimy." I left out the detail of hurling in an alleyway. He didn't need to know that part.

"Okay. Well, I will get out of your way again. Let me know if you need anything," he added with a parting smile.