A light || Ricky and Nini

Chapter 87

Nini POV

I hold Ricky's hand as we walk down the streets of Chicago, heading closer to the hotel for the reception. "Are you doing alright?" I ask, looking at him with a soft smile. He looks down at me and stops walking. I look concerned but he just shakes his head. "The light is coming through at the perfect angle babe, can I take a picture of you?" He asks and I blush, nodding. I let him completely ignore my question, the smile on his face too beautiful to disrupt. He lets go of my hand to grab his phone and when he takes my picture I see him heart it in his photo library which makes my heart swell. As we continue to walk, he switches from holding my hand to holding my waist. "To answer your earlier question, I'm just fine." He mumbles into my ear and I breathe out, completely relieved. "You'd tell me if you weren't, right?" I ask and he smiles. "I promise." I nod and rub my thumb against the small of his back. A few moments pass and Ricky's fallen silent so I look at him to make sure he's okay. He turns and makes eye contact with me, granting me a small smile. "You good?" I ask again nervously and he nods. "I think I'll talk to my mom before. That way we can just leave after." He tells me and I nod. Leaving Chicago can't come soon enough. 

When we walk into the hotel ballroom, I see Ricky's eyes go wide. The entire place is decked out in beautiful (and probably very expensive) decor and Lynne and Todd's names are written everywhere in the room. We're given our table number and as we make our way over, we notice that the table is directly in the center of the room and that the other people at the table are Lynne, Todd and Jason. "Nini this might be harder than I thought it'd be." Ricky mumbles in my ear and I grip his hand because truthfully, I don't know how else to answer. When we make it to the table Lynne stands to hug Ricky and she smiles, pulling him into a huge hug. When the two pull away, Ricky holds out his hand for Todd to shake but Todd stands up and pulls him into a hug as well. When we sit, Ricky reaches for my hand under the table and I hold onto it tightly, rubbing my thumb gently across his skin. "Congratulations" I smile at the two and they beam back at us. "Mom, you wanted to talk to me?" Ricky speaks up and she nods, getting up. "How about we walk outside really quick, we have time, people are still arriving." Ricky looks at me, his eyes are pleading and seeming to say "why did I just do this." He squeezes my hand though and then drops back onto my lap. "Sure that sounds fine." He says and he leans down to my ear. "If I'm not back in five minutes come get me." He whispers and I smile, kissing his jaw before he walks away to follow his mom. 

"So dad, how does it feel to be married again?" Jason asks Todd and Todd smiles. "Pretty damn amazing, son. How does it feel to have a present mom?" He asks Jason. "I'm hyped." Jason says with a laugh and I smile but my heart breaks a little. Where Jason gets a present mom, Ricky gets an absentee one. It just didn't seem fair. "Nini, did you want to do a toast? I heard you were close with Lynne growing up." My head shoots up to Todd and I take a deep breath. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not really up for it, plus I didn't prepare at all." I say with a little smile and Todd nods. "That's okay, Lynne's asking Ricky so maybe he'll do one." My eyes widen. "Wait she's asking him now? I thought they were going to talk... DAMNIT." I say and Todd looks confused. "Yeah she wanted to talk about asking him to do a little speech." I close my eyes in defeat and get up from the table. "I'll be back." I say and I look to see Lynne entering the ballroom again. Ricky isn't behind her and as I pass by her eyes meet mine. I ignore her though, determined to make sure Ricky's okay before I take down the woman that just keeps causing him pain. 

I roam around the hotel for a minute or so and I can't find Ricky in the obvious places. I was hoping that Lynne asking him to toast to her new marriage wouldn't upset him too much but my anxiety continues to rise as minutes go by without a sign from him. I then notice a fancy hallway that leads to a single bathroom and I run carefully down the hallway, tapping on the door lightly. I hear shuffling from the inside. "Someone's in here." The voice says, holding emotion and sadness. I try the handle and I'm surprised that it opens up. I scoot through the door and close it behind me. Ricky's leaning against the low counter, looking in the mirror and pushing back his hair. When he looks over at me he looks shocked. "The door wasn't locked." I explain and he smiles a little. "There was no lock." He says, gesturing to the door while I walk towards him slowly. "Convenient" I tell him as I rub my hands up and down his arms. I move them to his chest and he takes a deep breath. For the second time that day I don't know what to say, so I search for the first thing that comes to my mind. "That's a low ass counter." I say and he laughs looking into my eyes, seeing right past my conversation filler. "I just needed a little escape, Nins. She wanted me to do this whole speech and I just can't do that. I can't even talk to her that much without-" I nod and cut him off by pulling his neck down so that our foreheads are together. "That's okay" I whisper and I feel his hands find my waist. His eyes close as I run my fingers through his hair and he pulls back sighing. "We can't stay in here much longer." He says and I turn my head. "Why not babe?" He smiles a little and runs his thumbs across my sides. " Being alone with you is tempting. I just want to get lost in you right now." He admits and I feel the butterflies in my stomach start. He smiles and I get that feeling down there and he connects our lips which only further intensifies it. "Okay time to head." He says with a sigh and I look up at him. "I mean we don't have to." I say and his eyes sparkle. "Yes we do. I want to see that gorgeous body of yours in my arms on the dance floor." He says against my temple and I feel like I'm melting. "Okay" I say, clearing my throat and trying to make it back to reality. He smiles, leading me out of the bathroom.