When Angels Fall (Fallen Angels) (13 page)

“Okay, last question. Close your eyes. Chloe walks into the room. What is the first thought that comes to your mind?” Kevin asked, knowing that this answer would seal the deal.

 
Nick smiled. “How she moves or the way the stray locks of hair are tucked behind her ears. Her smile when she sees me, and how whenever she sits down, she starts to bite her pencil?” He smiled at the little details that drew him to her. Things they would think was stupid, but he found attractive.

“Wow, all that and I asked you the first thing that comes to mind. I was wrong, you don’t have it bad. You’re like in love with her or something!” Mark gasped aloud.

“I’m not. Mom, come on, tell them to stop,” Nick pleaded with her, hoping she would put a stop to it.

“Oh, Honey, I wish I could. But they’re right. You like her more than a friend,” she honestly answered.

“I do not. She’s just a friend,” Nick continued to protest.

“Okay, then you won’t mind if I ask her out. I mean, I’m not like Josh so it’s fine, right?” Kevin suggested while watching him closely.

“You wouldn’t!” Nick challenged him.

“Well, she’s just your friend, so there’s no harm in me asking. She is really cute and I think we would be a cute couple,” Kevin continued to goad him.

“You can try,” Nick said, knowing he wasn’t kidding and Chloe would turn him down.

“Okay, I will. Unless, you tell me not to and admit you like her,” Kevin taunted him.

“She’ll say no,” he argued.

“You know, Kevin, let’s make a bet on who would ask her first. I mean, I know she’s younger than me, but I’m in college. She may just like to have a guy who she can talk to on her level,” Mark added, joining in the taunt.

Kevin just laughed at Nick. “Wow, now both your brothers are gunning for the girl you are like in love with. And the chances are, she will say yes to one of us.” He just put the icing on the cake.

Nick started to say something smart, but figured that they could be right. She had kidded before about Kevin, but there was an off chance that if he asked her, she would say yes. Nick put his hands to his temples and closed his eyes, bracing himself for what they would do. “Fine, I do like her, okay? So, Kevin, please don’t ask her out. I’m working on it.”

“See? Was that so hard? I’ll give you a couple of weeks, and if you don’t, she’s mine,” Kevin teased and mussed up his hair.

Chapter Four

A few days later, after the hospital Halloween party, Nick took Chloe out to dinner before the party at Dave’s. Chloe had been unusually quiet and seemed to be lost in her thoughts. All she could think about was how sick Millie looked. She had a sick feeling in her stomach that this was it. She only wished it wasn’t happening now. It was too close to what had happened in her mother’s situation. “Hey, you want to cut last period Friday and go see Millie?” she said suddenly, not sure if she should go alone.

“You cut class? I’m shocked. Do you know how much trouble we would get in?” Nick mimicked a severe sounding voice, trying to sound like his dad.

She stared at him. He was trying to be funny, but this wasn’t the time. “Yes or no?” she questioned.

“I’m in. You got that feeling, too, hunh? I almost wished we had moved here sooner, so I could have spent more time with her.”

“Yeah, I just really think we should go up on Friday. I mean, I know she’s going to pull out of this. She always does. I just want to make sure she’s okay.” But she wasn’t so sure this time. Millie had never looked this bad. She’d never talked about angels before, either, but during their last visit that was all the girl had talked about.

“Yeah, I think so, too,” he agreed. He suddenly looked nervous. “So, Chlo, I was thinking, do you want to call this a date? I mean, we’re going to the party together and all, and I’m just wondering if maybe you wanted to.”

“I’m not sure. Is this a date?” she questioned shyly. She could see he was nervous and suddenly she was, too.
Was their relationship changing?

“What if I wanted it to be a date? Would you—say no?” he asked her, stumbling to get the words out.

“We have to get moving.” She smiled as she got up. She was going to make him wait it out.

“So, you’re not going to answer the question?” he accused, as they started to leave.

“Um, not right now… I’m not.” She smiled and went out the door.

“But it isn’t a no, right?”

She just smiled back at him.

 
Later that night they arrived at Dave’s. Everyone from school was at the party. Even Kevin and a few of his friends found their way there.

Dave grabbed Nick and took him out back.

 
Gabbie grabbed Chloe and took her into the kitchen.

*
   
*
   
*
   
*

Dave seemed to disappear when Nick got outside where he ran into Kevin, who handed him a beer.

 
“Not too many though, I don’t want to have to explain to Mom tonight. So, where’s Chloe? I can’t believe you would let her out of your sight,” Kevin said.

Nick smiled when he heard her name. “She’s inside with the girls. I’m going to try and steal her away in a minute. I kinda want to talk to her.”

Kevin smirked. “Will you just do it already? Christ, Nick, you like her and I kind of have the feeling she likes you. Just ask her already!”

“How do you know she likes me? Did she say something?” Nick felt funny now. He’d never had a problem asking a girl to be his girlfriend until now. Why she was different he didn’t know, but she just made him nervous, in a good way.

“Dude, when I took her home the other night, all she talked about was you and how cute and funny you are. News flash, little Bro, you’re not even a bit funny and not that cute,” Kevin teased him.

“She thinks so.” He laughed.

“You have until ten to ask her out. If you don’t, I will,” Kevin warned him.

“It will happen before ten,” Nick vowed and went to look for Chloe.

He found her sitting on the counter in the kitchen, talking to the girls. She’d dressed up as a hippy chick and he decided to be a hippy, so they matched. The floppy hat she wore shaded her eyes, but as she spied him coming through the doorway, they seemed to light up just a little.

“Oh, my God, Nicky, we’re trying to talk. I can’t possibly leave to go and spend time with you. And besides, Chloe is right here and it would crush her if I did that,” Tiffany whined, a little grin on her face, acting like he was there for her.

He shook his head and smirked. “It’s okay, Tiff. Chloe, you want to go for a walk?” he asked, putting his hand out to her.

Tiffany’s face turned red. “No, see, you don’t seem to understand. They go nowhere until I find a guy to hang with,” she fumed.

“No, see, you don’t seem to understand. She’s looking really pretty tonight and I want to spend some time with her—alone.” He winked at Chloe..

She giggled. “I think this is the way things are now, Tiff. Sorry,” Chloe replied and followed him outside. She was still laughing when they got outside and over by the fire.

He loved the way her face lit up when she smiled. The music was blaring outside and it was going to be hard to talk, but he needed to tell her how he felt about her. The song changed to ‘Into the Mystic’ by Van Morrison while Nick pulled her up and took her into his arms.

“I think you really pissed her off,” Chloe stated as she gazed into his eyes.

He thought about that for a second. “Maybe I should go back and tell her I’m sorry and then bring
her
out here,” he teased her and started to move away from her like he was going to go back in.

“No!” Chloe laughed and pulled him back.

They started to slow dance to the song and Chloe relaxed into his arm. “Did you mean what you said in there about me being pretty?” she asked him.

He gently touched her face. “I have thought you were pretty since the first day of school. You have to know I’m crazy about you,” he confessed to her finally.

She looked down shyly. “What am I going to do with you, Nicky?”

“Trust me. Chloe, I would never hurt you like Josh did. I’m not going to walk away when I find out your secrets or when the illusion finally fades and I really see the real you.” He lifted her higher, so he could see her eyes. He needed to see if she was feeling the same way.

“What if you don’t like what you learn? The truth isn’t all that great and the real me isn’t what you would expect.” She tried to look away, but for some reason, she couldn’t.

“Funny, I’ve learned some of that stuff and I’m still here. I’ve also seen you at your worst, and yet, I’m standing here, holding you like this and hoping you’re not feeling my heart pounding. I didn’t want to feel this way about you. But the more I get to know you—“

She put her fingers to his lips and she was visibly trembling. “I can’t feel your heartbeat, because mine is pounding just as hard,” she whispered.

He put his hand on hers and slowly moved her fingers away from his lips. Gently, he touched her cheek with the back of his hand, bringing her closer to him. So close that he could feel the warmth of her breath as she sighed softly. He tilted his head slightly and moved in closer, anticipating the feel of her silky, gloss-covered lips on his.

“Hey, they’re going to start telling ghost stories. You guys coming?” Kevin hit Nick on the shoulder, ruining their perfect moment.

“Really— Kevin? Really?!” Nick wanted to punch him in the face.

Chloe had moved away from him quickly and just grinned as she covered her mouth.

Kevin started laughing. “You really didn’t think I would make it that easy for you, did you?”

He just shook his head, and then smiled at Chloe. “No, why would I expect that? Just remember this when I get you back one day. And trust me, Bro, there will come a day!” He looked over at Chloe and took her hand. “Let’s go hear some ghost stories.”

She was laughing as she nodded, following him closer to the fire.

Most of the stories were the ones you would hear all the time, like the hook attached to the door handle and the monsters under the bed. And every time Chloe would jump, Nick would tighten his grip to reassure her.

The one person who watched them closely was Robyn. And as the last story ended, she took the floor. “These stories are all good, but how about a town legend. One that will really make your hair stand up and something that actually happened,” Robyn stood in front of the fire.

Dave laughed. “What? The story of your missing cigarettes? We all know how that one ends.”

“No, I’m talking about the legend of ‘the Corpse Girl.’ She’s a classic in this town,” Robyn stated and watched Chloe’s eyes fill with fear.

“The Corpse Girl? Are you kidding me?” Kevin laughed and took a swig from his beer.

Someone else chimed in that it was, in fact, a true story.

A cold grin appeared on Robyn’s face. “Okay, let’s begin. It happened almost six years ago. A quiet ten-year-old girl was left to care for her sick, dying mother. Day after day, night after night, the girl watched as her mother’s body slowly grew weaker. Her father had left and, in his parting words to his young daughter, he said, ‘“If you kill your mother and end this suffering, I will claim you as my child and give you all you ever wanted. But only after you have truly ended her life.’”