Demi
The date went well, Chris took me to a restaurant on the pier that was very quiet, so there was no paparazzi. He held my hand across the dinner table and we just talked for hours while we picked at our food. He was so easy to be with, there was no tension or frustration, it was just fluid. When we got in his car to leave, he slipped his hand onto my knee and I bit my lip, looking out the window as he began to drive.
"Is something wrong?" He wondered, glancing over at me, "You seem a little tense, and you've gotten quiet."
I shook my head, "I'm fine, this just feels so foreign. I was with Nicko for so long and now here with you, it's so different. It's new, but in a good way. It's like I don't have to fight to make it work."
He smiled, "I know how you feel. I really want this to work out. I know it's a weird situation but I want to work it out with Nicko and Mia however you want to do it." Chris paused, "Do you think there's a chance of you two getting back together? I know you're not completely over him yet, and he's obviously not over you, but I don't want to look like the fool who falls in love with the girl he can't ever have."
I smiled, "I mean, Mia is still our daughter, so he'll always be in my life, and in hers. So if things between me and you work out, he'll always be there anyway. I just... I honestly don't know. He won't talk about that night or what happened. It's like he wanted us to break up, he just didn't want to do it himself."
Chris sighed, "I know this is our first date but I feel like, since we actually have known each other for so long... I don't know. I mean it's not my place to say anything, never mind.
I cocked my head, "What is it?"
He sighed, "I just... I don't know if Nicko is good to be around you guys so much. I mean, he's a scary dude. I'm sure he's even scarier when he's angry and that happens a lot. He's the kind of guy that snaps and whoever is standing too close gets hurt, I don't want that for you, or for Mia."
I tensed, "He would never hurt Mia."
"I know." He assured me, "At least, not intentionally. Demi, he was in all of the tabloids a while back. He has rage issues. Like, deep rooted issues. I'm just trying to protect you."
I shook my head, "Look, he's a great dad, and he loves that little girl more than anything in the world. He'd never hurt her, or me."
Chris nodded, "I understand it's not my place. I just thought, when you were doing our little venting session, that he seemed a little... I don't know, controlling? It was more than just protectiveness. It was as if you weren't allowed away from him."
I didn't respond as Chris drove the rest of the way home, but what he said had me thinking. Was Nicko controlling of me? When Michael, the yoga instructor had even demonstrated a move on me he was practically shaking with rage. That anger had become such a normal thing for me, but was it normal? Did guys get that way whenever a different guy touched their girlfriend's butt? I furrowed my brow and bit my lip, was Nicko controlling me?
When I got home, Chris walked me to the door of the apartment building, "So I guess if I wanted to kiss you goodnight, this is place to do it, away from the big, bad, scary wolf?"
I chuckled, "I guess so."
He smiled softly and cupped my cheek, leaning in so our lips met. His lips felt completely different from Nicko's, but it was nice to have something different. After a couple seconds, he pulled away, and smiled, "Goodnight."
"Night." I whispered, and then walked into the building, trying to get my huge, face-eating grin off of my expression before I had to see Nicko.
When I walked into my apartment, the sounds of giggling made me smile and I followed the sound to my bedroom, where Mia and Nicko were laying on the bed, playing airplane. I stood in the doorway for a couple seconds, watching them fondly before I cleared my throat, and Mia focused her eyes on me.
