Across the Pond

Chapter 65

Ever since our last conversation, Nico and I have been spending every single second of every single day together. I don't know what he said to Columbia to let them reconsider his admission, but I haven't been questioning it. I'm just happy that Nico and I will finally be in the same state for an entire year.

I'm not sure if Nico's spoken to his dad, but I do know that his mom is moving through with the divorce in the end. As much as I hate to say it, it's the right thing to do for everyone involved.

Speaking of Gillian Bradford, I ran into her the day after Nico and I decided to give our relationship another go. She was in town picking up a cake for some sort of dinner party that she was hosting, and I was leaving work. She asked me if we could talk over coffee. I was skeptical at first, but I could tell that there was a lot that she wanted to say. So, I agreed. She apologized to me for not being there for Nico. When I told her that I'm the wrong person to be apologizing to, she informed me that she had already spoken to Nico; that they had a long conversation about their relationship; and that she was going to work on regaining the time back that she had lost with her son. She told me that I was the next person on her list because she knows how much Nico loves me. I'm never one to hold grudges, and I know how much she intends to work on her relationship with Nico, which is why I forgave her.

I don't know what she was more appreciative of - my forgiveness or the fact that Nico went to the Summer Dance in the end. Just kidding. She was definitely more appreciative of my forgiveness.

And me? I was Nico's date.

And the whole dress situation?

Well, Brooks ended up blabbing to Nico that the real reason why I didn't want to go to the Summer Dance was because I didn't have a dress. I almost forgot that I had bumped into Brooks that day at Milly's when I told the sales lady that I couldn't afford it.

In true Nico fashion, he bought it for me without telling me.

Yup...the day before the dance, Nico showed up to my house with the dress in one hand, and a pink flower - the same kind that he had given me the first time he asked me to the dance - in the other.

"Isabella Cooper, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Wilmington Summer Dance?" were the first words out of his mouth when I opened the door.

We had so much fun that night. We've been having so much fun since then.

Nico just picked me up in his canoe and brought us to this public beach. We skipped out on going to his private one because his parents were home discussing the divorce with their lawyers. I know Nico, and when he's ready to open up to me about it, he will. But for now, we're enjoying each other and our relationship.

"Check it out," Nico points to the sky and says. I'm currently laying in his lap, a blanket over us. "How beautiful is the sunset tonight?"

"Almost too beautiful to be real," I say, and he dips his head down to kiss me on the cheek.

"Makes you appreciate all the small things, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It does."

I angle my head upwards to look at him. And he plants a soft kiss to my nose. "I feel very lucky, BC. Lucky to be here with you. Holding you."

"Me, too," I whisper.

To think how far we've come...

"I always imagined what having you in my arms would feel like," he says.

"Do you feel like we wasted time?" I can't help but ask.

He looks down at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, all this time - all these years - I wanted you the same way that you wanted me. But we both didn't know how the other one felt. I guess I can't help but wonder how things could've been different between us had we known from sooner on."