"That's not fair at all. You’re being ridiculous."
"You're not fucking him anymore, Nikki," he said lowly, and I knew he was serious.
I sighed, kind of wishing I had never told that lie. "If I didn't know better, I might think you cared," I remarked.
The line fell silent for a couple seconds, then he said, "I don't, it's just the principle."
I frowned at his hesitation, but decided I shouldn't make too much of it.
Since guilt wasn't working on him, I decided to use a new angle. "You can't expect me to be faithful to you when you're sleeping with someone else, Derek. It doesn't work that way."
He fell silent again, and I thought it was the quietest he had ever been. I did finally pull the phone away and look at it to make sure I hadn't lost the call.
Then, I got an idea.
"I think I have an offer," I said slowly, trying to decide if it was worth it.
"An offer? I'm the one making the rules, Nikki," he stated.
"I know, I know, just hear me out, okay?" I responded, rolling my eyes. He stayed quiet, so I assumed he was listening. "I will break up with Andy –my own way—and not see anybody else on one condition."
"What condition is that?" he asked.
"That you provide the same courtesy for me. No more Kayla, no other girls at all. Now, before you say no," I went on, not even giving him the chance to answer, "I want to tell you something. You're probably going to think I'm crazy, maybe I am, but still, is it really worth the risk? What if I'm right?"
"Right about what?" he asked.
I sighed, warning him again, "This is going to sound crazy, but I had a dream about you other night."
"Really?" he asked, sounding a little too interested.
"Not that kind of dream," I replied, rolling my eyes. "At the time, I just thought the dream was really jumbled, just a blend of my mother's life and my life with really bright shoe laces, but now I'm wondering if it was something more. Derek, I dreamed several nights ago, before you even had yellow shoe laces, you were apologizing to me, telling me you didn't mean to do it, but you got Kayla pregnant. You were wearing bright yellow shoe laces, Derek. How common are bright yellow shoe laces? And before you say that I'm crazy, I feel the need to tell you that my mother had the same kind of instinct with your father, but she didn't listen to it. There was no reason for her to think that, but she did in September, and again in October, but she ignored both warnings, and you were conceived in November. If she would have said something, maybe he would have thought twice, but she didn't. I'm not keeping my mouth shut. If you get someone knocked up, it's going to be on your conscience, not mine."
He let me finish my big ramble, then said simply, "Okay."
I frowned. "What?"
"I do think you're crazy, but I agree to your terms. No more Andy, no more Kayla. Just you and me."
Just like that? That was too easy.
"I'm serious," I added, thinking maybe he didn't understand.
"I gathered as much, 'cause it wouldn't make a very funny joke."
"Then... just like that, no argument, no complaints, you'll just break up with your girlfriend?"
"I really don't like her very much anyway, so it's a pretty small sacrifice." Barely missing a beat, he went on to ask, "What are you doing tonight? Is your dad home?"
I rolled my eyes, thinking he was such a guy. "Derek, do you have nothing else to say about that big long speech?"
"I already told you I think you're crazy, what else do you want me to say?"
"I don't know. That you'll get new shoe laces?" I offered, not really knowing what else I wanted him to say.
He chuckled. "Fine, I'll get new shoe laces."
I couldn't believe how easy that was, but I decided not to argue, and for some reason, I instantly felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I told myself it had absolutely nothing to do with knowing he wouldn't be snuggling with Kayla anymore, that it was simply—