Always & Forever (Nick & Bailey #2)

34. Nick

Simon and Olly couldn't stop talking about Bailey the entire ride home, and Nick can't wait to tell her. She'll love it.

When he drops the boys off and they fly through the front door, he gets a glimpse of Ken. The familiar rage returns.

When is Nick going to be able to live his life and not care about that asshole? If anything, it seems to be getting worse. He had become sort of numb when he lived with Ken, but since whenever he sees him now, it's unexpected and sporadic, Nick can't prepare himself. And Bailey keeps being the one to suffer.

He wonders if she's finally had enough, though. She hasn't even tried to talk to him about this time. In fact, she's barely talked to him at all lately. Either her mind is distracted, or she's just done.

He can't blame her. All he saw was his mom and step-dad shopping for clothes, and he can't get the image out of his mind. It's fucking ridiculous.

But then he remembers all the times he asked his mom for new clothes because his were old or too small, and she would act like he was asking for a million dollars. He eventually began buying his own clothes a few sizes too big in order to keep them for a long time and stuck to simple t-shirts so no one would notice if he wore the same one multiple times a week.

Luckily, Ian and he were relatively close in size, so he could always borrow his clothes too if he hadn't had time to do laundry.

While he's happy his brothers don't have the same issues he did growing up, the unfairness of it all still stings.

He runs home to grab his stuff. He's not going to see Bailey again tonight, so there's no reason for him to stay in town.

Picking up his duffel bag in his room, he hears Ian across the hall and an idea hits him. His talk with Bailey today brought up some issues that Nick had been successfully pushing down.

He feels guilty for the distance that's formed between Ian and him. It didn't happen all at once, but so gradually that Nick hadn't even noticed it until they had almost completely fazed out of each other's lives.

He doesn't feel any animosity coming from Ian like he did at the beginning of the summer, but they are not the friends they once were. And that's no one's fault more than Nick's.

He sets his bag down and walks across the hall. "What's going on, man?"

Ian looks up at him. "Nothin. Just looking for my laptop charger. I haven't opened my computer all summer, and I'm trying to start packing."

Ian's room is in it's usual state of complete disarray. "Do you want some help?"

"Nah. I think I'm giving up for today. I've still got a week."

"Okay. Well do you wanna play some X-Box or something?"

Ian's eyebrows furrow. "Is Bailey here?"

"No. She's at work. And I do have a life outside of her."

"If you say so. And I wish I could hang out, but I have a work meeting tonight. I need to leave in..." he looks at his phone, "five fucking minutes."

"That's cool. Bailey had mentioned that. I guess I forgot that it would include you too. Maybe next time."

"For sure."

"Alright, well, hopefully I'll see you before you leave for school." But even as he's speaking, he knows he won't. Nick won't have a chance to come back in the next week, and he's sure Ian won't come to visit him. He doesn't even mention it.

"Sounds good, man. See ya."

Nick walks back to his room, defeated but trying to tell himself that he's fine. People grow up. Friends grow apart. It's fine.

Nick is still telling himself this as he begins his drive. He doesn't have enough gas to get home and barely remembers to stop at the last gas station before hitting the interstate.

He's leaning against the side of his truck as the gas tank fills and sees a car pull in behind him. He glances over and cringes when he sees who's driving.

Derek hops out of the driver's side door. "Robinson? Holy shit, we keep running into each other."

Nick nods and tries to muster up a smile. This guy is Bailey's friend, and he promised he'd try to temper his jealousy. "Yeah. Crazy."

Derek forgoes his gas pump and walks directly to Nick. How is this dude completely oblivious to the 'stay the fuck away from me' vibes Nick is sending out?

"I'm glad I saw you, though, I tried calling Bailey, and she didn't answer."

"She's at work."

"I figured. But you might be able to help me."

Nick doubts it but lets him continue.

"So I'm bringing my couch to school, but I remember Bailey mentioning that her parents offered her the couch they keep in the basement? And the more I think about it, the more I think we could use two couches. I picture us having people over all the time. So do you think she'd be willing to bring it?"

Nick replays the words after Derek finishes speaking, and, nope, they still don't make sense. "Yeah, maybe. But I'm guessing she'll probably want it for herself. Don't you think?"

Derek looks confused. "What? You mean like she won't let other people sit on it? Even her roommates?"

Nick feels the heat in his body rising. Derek can not be saying what the fuck it sounds like he's saying. He can't be. "I'm sure she won't care if Abby and Missy sit on her damn couch. Now what the fuck are you talking about?"

"What the fuck are you talking about? Bailey will let me live with her but not sit on her couch? That makes no sense."

It's not possible. Bailey wouldn't--couldn't--lie to him about this. Not her.

Nick sees the moment Derek gets to the conclusion that Nick is desperately trying to avoid.

"I better go." Derek squeaks out and starts backing away slowly, like he found a bomb about to diffuse.

"No! You're going to tell me what the fuck is going on!"

"You should probably talk to Bai—"

Nick doesn't let him finish. He storms over to him and without thinking, slams Derek into the metal pole between their gas pumps, forearm pressed to his chest. "Youare going to tell me! Now!