Tearing Down Walls (Love Under Construction Series Book 2) (37 page)

The corners of Laura’s mouth turned up in an almost imperceptible smile. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

“Good.” He reached for her hand again, and she took his and squeezed it. “I just want you to know, when you said it sounded like I wasn’t going to give this a fighting chance?” Laura nodded. “That’s not true. I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t go to the club anymore because I have something way more important to do and someone way more important to spend my time with. And I want to believe that I have reason to keep looking forward to that.”

In a near whisper, Laura answered, “You do.”

“Good enough.” Vic walked beside her to Bryson’s car. He opened the door for her and simply said, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Laura nodded and said, “Thanks. Night.” Vic closed the car door behind her and Bryson drove away. He stood in the driveway and watched them go over the crest of the hill, and when he turned to go back inside, Tony and Nikki stood in the doorway waiting for him. When the door closed behind him, he turned to them and asked Tony, “Can I speak to your wife privately for a minute?”

Tony looked confused, but he glanced at Nikki, then nodded and left for the great room.

Alone in the foyer, Vic said to Nikki, “I know this was you. And I want to tell you how much I appreciate this. You didn’t have to do it, but you did it, and that means a lot to me.” He held his arms open, and Nikki stepped into them, wrapping hers around his waist and leaning into his chest.

“Above anything else, sweetie, I just want you to be happy. That’s all.” She smiled up at him. “Do you think it went well?”

“As well as can be expected.” Vic pulled her arms away from his waist and held both of her hands in his so he could see her face. “I just . . . thanks for caring about me the way you do. I’m lucky to have you and Tony.”

“We’ll always be here for you.” She raised up on her toes to drop a soft little kiss on his cheek. “Let’s go sit down and talk to that gorgeous cousin of yours.”

Laura looked back at the house and Vic until both disappeared into the darkness. She’d wanted him to kiss her goodbye, and she hadn’t wanted him to kiss her goodbye. Being that conflicted was so, so . . . she’d like to say painful, but she didn’t feel anything. The only thing she’d felt in a long time was fear. And if Vic ever found out her secret, she was afraid any hope she had of having any kind of life would be gone.

“H
ey, stranger! How are you feeling?” Nikki asked her, sunshine in her voice. Laura could see Nikki in her mind, sitting on the sofa cross-legged, jeans and long-sleeved tee, her hair wild and crazy like it usually was in the early part of the day, and Tony coming through the room and bending to kiss her. It made Laura smile just to think about it.

“I’m good, but I’m so bored. And I want out of here.” She’d been at Molly’s for two weeks, and she was going stir crazy.

“Nope. You’re staying right there. Staying safe. And I’d better not find out . . .”

“I know, I know, blah, blah, blah,” Laura said.

“Oh my god, you sound like me!” Nikki laughed.

“Yeah, I do!” Laura stopped for a minute, then decided she’d just dive in. “I need to ask you something. Something personal. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine.”

“Honey, my life is an open book. Ask away. If I don’t want to answer whatever it is, I’ll tell you.”

Laura hesitated again. “What was it like?” She waited.

“What was what like, honey?”

“Being with Vic.”

There was silence for several seconds, and Nikki’s voice was soft. “Laura, I was never with Vic.”

“But everybody says . . .”

“I don’t care what everybody says,” It was a flat, frank response “They don’t know what they’re talking about. Only Vic, Tony, and I know for sure. And I was never with Vic.”

“Oh.” Laura was a little confused; everyone in their circle talked about Vic and Nikki’s relationship like it was a surety. “So what was it?”

“Oh, hon,” Nikki sighed and began, “it’s complicated. Let’s just say Vic and I spent a lot of time together while all of that shit was going on last year. We got close, closer than we should’ve. And while I love Vic for being the man he is, he, well . . .” Nikki stopped; she didn’t want to make it sound like it was all Vic because it wasn’t. “We got a little more attached to each other than we both would’ve liked. Being thrown together like that can make those things happen. I’m Tony’s, always will be, but I wouldn’t have made it through all of that if Vic hadn’t been there for me. So no, there was never any me and Vic. And that’s how it was and is, regardless what anyone else says.”

Laura didn’t quite know what to think. She’d been sure that they’d been together at some point. “Oh. Well, I’m sorry that both of you . . . well, I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, dearie. It is what it is. It’s painful, but we move on,” Nikki said, her voice at a whisper. Laura could tell that just talking about it made Nikki sad.

“So do you think he’s found someone else? I mean, of all of those women at the club, do you think . . .”

Nikki interrupted Laura. “No. Those women at the club mean nothing to him as relationships go. But yes, he’s found someone. I don’t think either of them is willing to admit that yet, though.”

Laura wanted to forge ahead, to get Nikki to say something that would alleviate the discomfort that rushed her at the thought that Vic might’ve found someone. “So you think they’ll get together? Some day?”

Nikki’s voice was low. “Why do you think I went to such lengths to get you out here?”

Laura stifled the urge to gasp. But Nikki didn’t miss a beat and said, “Laura, please, do your best to open up and let Vic in. I love Tony, and for me, he’s the best, but Vic’s got a heart of gold and more love to give to some lucky woman than Fort Knox has gold bars. And he’s been knocked around and smacked around so much in his life, he doesn’t deserve that again. Ever. I know it’s hard, honey, but it’ll be worth it, I promise.” There was no need to pretend with Nikki. She had some kind of intuition that cut right through everything.

“But I don’t know how, how to open up, how to feel. I lost all of that.”

“No, honey, you didn’t. You just need help to dig it all back out and give it some fresh air. And if anyone could be trusted to help you with that, it’s Vic Cabrizzi. You hear me? I’m not kidding, Laura. Open up and make your life a better place to live in,” Nikki told her, and hoped Laura couldn’t pick up on the catch in her voice or the tears rolling down her face. “We only get one shot, but you’ve cheated death three times. Don’t let it go for a fourth try without someone as strong as Vic by your side.”

Laura didn’t know what to say. It was like Nikki was looking inside her, seeing everything she was thinking and feeling. All she could think to say was, “Thanks. Thanks for talking to me and being honest with me, and thanks for being there for Vic.”

“I’ll always be here for Vic; Tony will too. That’s what family’s all about,” Nikki said. “And you should know that if I can do anything to help you, I will. That’s a promise.”

“I appreciate that,” Laura said.

“Guess I’d better go and start dinner. So I’ll talk to you in a day or two, okay? Love you, hon.”

“Yeah, talk to you soon. Bye.” Laura hit END and kicked herself; she couldn’t even tell Nikki that she loved her or how glad she was that Nikki would consider her a friend. She decided she wouldn’t wait for Vic to call her; she called him.

“Hey!” He sounded surprised to hear from her. “What’s up with you? Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Laura said. She hesitated.

Vic was alarmed at the dead air. “Laura? You there? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she tried again, almost choking. “Vic?”

He started getting a little concerned. “Yeah, babe?” he answered her, wondering what was going on.

“I need help. I don’t want to go around like this anymore, not feeling or caring. I don’t know what to do. Will you help me, please? Please?”

Vic’s heart set up a pounding that he could see under his shirt. “Angel, I don’t know how we’ll work it out with everything that’s going on, but yes, I absolutely will. You have my word. Let’s see if we can get rid of Wagner so you’re free to do what you need to do. And Laura?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be there. Always. I’ll walk it right beside you. It’ll never get too hard or scary for me to hang in there with you. You won’t be alone in this – ever. Got it?” Vic said, his voice strong and clear.

“Yeah. Thanks. I . . . appreciate you. Okay?” Laura said. She wished she could say what she was thinking, but there wasn’t enough bravery in the world to let that out.

Vic smiled into the phone. “Yeah. Everything’s okay. I get it. Hang in there, buttercup. It’s gonna get better. I’ll call you later, after work,” he told her.

“Okay. Talk to you in a bit. Bye.” Laura hit END, her hands shaking so hard that it was difficult to hold the phone. But for the first time in a long time, she felt like everything might turn out okay.

Vic looked at his phone – Nikki. He took a deep breath and answered, “Hi, sweetie.”

“Hi, hon. I thought I’d better call you. Laura called me just a little while ago,” Nikki told him. “She was asking a lot of questions.” She took a deep breath. “About you and me.”

“Oh.” Vic’s mind raced. “And what did you tell her?”

“The truth.”

“You and I are alike in that regard. We don’t like secrets.” He smiled just thinking about her blue-green eyes and soft touch. Vic squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. He didn’t want to, but he had to ask. “Can I count on you to support me in this? It would mean everything to me.”

Nikki hoped her smile made it through the phone. “Of course, hon. Always. I’ve got your back just like I know you have mine.”

“Thanks. You know I . . .” he trailed off.

“Yeah. Me too. Always. Forever. Bye.” Nikki didn’t think she could stay on the phone for another second.

“Bye, angel.” Vic hit END and leaned against his truck, an almost blinding pain rising in his chest. That was it. She’d handed him off to someone else. He climbed into the cab of the truck, lay down where no one could see him, and just let the pain in his chest take over until he could breathe again. When it let up, he started the truck and headed back to the office.

Nikki felt like the walls were closing in on her. She ran out onto the patio in the mid-March sunlight and stared at the sky. The last thing she’d ever wanted to do was to hurt Vic.
I love Tony,
she told herself.
But why does this hurt so damn much?

Laura’s text notification tone pinged: Vic.
In a few hours, the doorbell is going to ring. Don’t be afraid. Just look through. Should be a lady named Marla, Nikki’s former boss. She has something for you.

A few minutes later, he got a
K.
Before he could get his phone plugged back in to charge, his burner phone rang. “Vic.”

“Um, hey, Vic?” It was a soft female voice, vaguely familiar.

“Yes? Who is this?”

“Hey, it’s Miranda.” Only one sub had ever called because she was feeling sad and tired the day after their scene. “I was wondering if you’d be at the club tonight.”

“I don’t know. I’ve got some things going on that take priority, so I’ll have to see.” What was she trying to do? He wondered if she was having a hard time since their scene. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just wondered . . . So you have my number now. Would you call me when you know you’re going there? I’d like to be first in line.”

Uh-oh
, Vic thought.
This could be bad.
He scrambled. “I don’t usually know enough ahead of time. Let’s just see if we run into each other, okay?” That sounded good.

There was silence on the other end. When she broke the silence, all she said was, “Good. I’ll see you there,” and hung up.

I need to watch this
, Vic thought. He saved her number so if she called back he’d know it was her. And maybe he just wouldn’t answer.