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Twenty minutes later, he stepped out of the shower. It felt like he’d run a damn marathon. Trying to shower and not get his bandages wet was harder than he thought. Still wasn’t going to ask for help though. He’d die on that fucking hill before he called out to Vini to help him.
Dressed in a pair of his old gray sweats and a T-shirt, he made his way downstairs. The smell of bacon wafted in the air, and his stomach grumbled in hunger. His Vini was the best cook. He’d never tell that to Big Mama but everyone knew it. His woman knew how to throw down in the kitchen, making mouths water all over the place. Hell, if he hadn’t already loved everything about her, tasting her cooking would have been the closer.
“Smells good,” he called out, stepping into the kitchen area.
“Figured you’d be hungry. I’ve been giving you broth and soup the past few days. Your big ‘ol body can only take so much.” Looking over her shoulder, her gaze raked his form. Her smile stopped him in his tracks. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid. Walking out on his woman like that. It didn’t matter what she’d accused him of, or how angry he’d become. If she didn’t believe him, then he needed to make her believe him. Fight for her to hear the truth.
This home he’d created with Vini was the one place he could just be himself. She was his safe haven. Losing that foundation had thrown him off-kilter. He’d been angry the whole fucking time. Snapping at everyone about little shit and going off half-cocked when he needed to stay in control. Here, with her, the calm overtook everything else. Just her voice soothed him.
“Yeah, I’m so hungry, I could eat a bear. Damn, woman, that smells good.” Walking up to her, he slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his body. As soon as she was within the circle of his arms, he felt her stiffen. “Baby, please don’t do this to me.”
She ignored the elephant in the room, squirming out of his embrace. “Nico, you should sit down. You’re still not fully healed, and I don’t want you to rip your stitches.” Avoiding his gaze, she moved and bustled around the kitchen, pulling plates and silverware out for them.
“This is why we’re not okay. This shit right here is why they were able to fill your head with that bullshit. Babe, we can’t ignore what’s happened between us.” He couldn’t believe he was the one asking to talk about the most devastating situation they’d both been through.
“Not right now, Nico. You’ve just been shot. I can only deal with so much right now. I’m fine.”
Glaring at her, he knew she’d just lied right to his fucking face.
“I promise. I’m okay.” The second lie to leave her lips.
“I’m not letting this slide,” he growled. “I want my wife back. You’re not gonna push me away any longer. We need to talk about what went down.”
“Please. Can you just sit down for me? I don’t want the food to burn, and I need you resting. Actually, let me turn the burners down and I’ll help you.”
Nico was annoyed again. She continued to avoid the conversation. Lying to his face and shit. That wasn’t something they did.
“I can get myself to the couch,” he grumbled. “But what I want to know is, when did you decide lying to me was okay? At what point, did giving me some bullshit answer become something you thought was a good idea? You’re not fine, Vini. Know how I know?” At her silence, he continued, “Because we’re not okay. We haven’t been okay for two fucking years. Yet you stand in front of me and feel lying is the way to go.”
She bit her bottom lip. That was a dead giveaway of her own hurt. He never wanted her to feel this way, but she needed to remove the barrier between them.
“What happened to the Vini that was ready and willing to fight the world? The woman who’d go in guns blazing, ready to take heads at the slightest provocation. You won’t even fight for us. What the fuck happened to the woman I love? Cause you ain’t her.”
Glancing at Vini as he sat down on the soft couch, he knew he’d go through any hell, walk through whatever fire blazed around him, and lay on a bed of a thousand nails, if it got that woman back in his arms where she belonged.
