Wild Tendy (IceCats 2)

“I don’t know, but I think you should give her a second before you freak out.”

I think that over. I don’t want to give her time or space; I want to know what is going on. “Or I can go to the shop and see her.”

“Or that,” he says, pointing at me. “But maybe take a day. You were pretty freaked out two seconds ago.”

I shake my head. “I can’t. I need to know now.”

* * *

When I get to the sub shop, I notice that the sign says closed, but I see Aviva at the counter. She’s dancing around, cutting up stuff as she bobs her head. She looks happy. At least one of us does. I get out, slamming my door behind me as the front door to the shop opens.

Callie looks at me with a brow raised. “You look ready to fight.”

“I might be. You leaving?”

“Yup, the gym calls.”

“Good.”

She scoffs. “A little reminder. She’s a fighter too.”

“I know,” I say, pulling the door open.

Aviva doesn’t even look back at me. “Forget something?”

“I didn’t, but it seems you did.”

She turns then, a knife in one hand and a cucumber in the other. “Nico.”

“What the hell?”

“What the hell, what?”

“Way to leave me hanging this morning.”

She seems a little taken aback. “I had to come home. I have this order for the IceCats I have to prepare.” She holds out her arms to indicate where the platters and trimmings for sandwiches are set out, but I’m still not convinced. “I couldn’t lie in bed all day, and I would have if I hadn’t left.”

“Bullshit. You couldn’t leave me a note? A number? Anything? Just leave without even saying goodbye. Pretty fucked up.”

She narrows her eyes a bit as she comes to the counter, leaning into it. “I didn’t want to wake you, and before I could find a pad of paper, my Uber showed up.”

“Likely excuse,” I accuse, leaning my palms into the counter. “You could have woken me up. I would have driven you home.”

“It was six in the morning,” she says sharply. “And I don’t like your tone at all.”

“You don’t like my tone?” I ask, my voice getting a bit higher. “Well, I don’t like when the girl I went to bed with just runs out on me.”

“I didn’t run out on you! I figured you’d come in today and we could talk or whatever.”

“And what if I didn’t?”

“Then it would have been what I thought.”

“Huh?”

“If you didn’t, I would have assumed it was just a one-night stand.”

“You thought it was a one-night stand?” I roar, and her eyes darken as she narrows them into slits.

She holds up a finger. “First of all, Nico, you need to lower your voice—”

“No. I never said it was a one-night stand, and neither did you. So why would you think that?” I ask incredulously. “That’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh, I don’t know, because we didn’t talk about it? I didn’t want to assume anything, and who knows… You’re known for having fun.”

I press my hand to my chest. “I’m known for having fun? What the fuck?”

“Tinder? Stalkers? I mean, shit, Nico, you don’t scream one-woman man.”

“Are you serious? I never said I was, but I also never made you feel like all I wanted was to fuck you!”

“Well, maybe I was just fucking you!”

I press my lips together. “Were you? Was that all it was? A mindless fuck?”

She looks away, placing the knife and then the cucumber on the counter. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know.”

“No! Stop repeating what I’m saying!”

“Then make some fucking sense!”

“What do you want me to say? I was dreaming up our future life? No, I was freaking out because I shared my scars with you, and then I was coming out of my mind. So, no, I wasn’t thinking of anything at the time. My day was going pretty fucking great so far, I was excited about seeing you, but now you’ve pissed me the hell off.”

“And you don’t think I’m pissed? You ran out on me—”

“For the love of God, Nico, suck up your pride. I didn’t walk out on you! I had to work. I told you from the jump I’m one busy bitch and that I don’t have time for this. I told you that.”

“So, that’s that?”

She blinks. “What?”

“I get that you don’t have time. I don’t either. But I wanted to make time for you.”

She takes in a deep breath, her eyes locked on mine. Her eyes are watery, but I know she won’t cry. She’s too strong for that, but I’ve pissed her off real good. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

I nodded slowly. “I wanted you to say that you wanted to try.”

She rolls her eyes. “Nico, be real. I’m hardly your type.”

“Hardly my type. How the fuck do you know my type?”