Then followed her to her car.
Then followed her straight to her apartment.
When I got to her front door, I tried the handle, and was surprised to feel it unlocked.
So she wasn’t too mad at me, otherwise she would’ve locked the door.
Right?
Wrong.
When I pushed the door open to her apartment, I was startled by what I saw.
She was on her knees in the middle of the living room.
She was facing away from me, her chest up tight to the coffee table as she looked at something with such focus that I wasn’t sure what to think.
“Nikki?” I called, walking up behind her slowly.
She looked over her shoulder at me, and I read the determination there.
The understanding.
The resignation.
“Come look at this, Michael,” she said softly.
As I made my way up to her side, I looked down, and my knees went weak at what I saw.
“Are you kidding me?” I asked softly, dropping down to my knees beside her.
My knees sank down into the plush carpet.
The pretty purple carpet that Nikki just ‘had to have’ when we were at Lowe’s one weekend looking for paint thinner.
And I thought to myself, ‘this’ll look good in the baby’s room.’
“You need to choose, Michael. The killer and your duties, or me. Because I can’t do this anymore. I can’t put my life on hold, wondering how long it’ll be before you come back. Wonder if you’ll make it to the birth of our little girl. Wondering if this killer will take you from us. I just can’t Michael. So choose. Them, or us.”
I closed my eyes, and made the easiest decision of my life.
“I gotta go.”Chapter 17Run like Dean just saw you crash the Impala.
-T-shirt
Nikki
My emotions were swirling around me like a black funnel cloud of doom.
I’d given him my ultimatum, and he’d chosen.
It hadn’t been what I thought he’d choose, but he’d chosen, nonetheless.
I walked up to the elevator from the parking garage, and depressed the button that would take me down to the ground level, allowing me to the cross the breezeway to my destination.
Another doctor’s appointment.
This would be my four month checkup, and the gender reveal.
Even though I’d technically had that two weeks ago when I’d gone to Georgia who’d insisted on doing an ultrasound.
See, it turned out, that we saw each other quite a bit, working in the same hospital.
I’d started my job on the labor and delivery floor a little over a month ago, and I’d had a freakin’ blast doing it.
So far, I’d delivered twelve babies.
All of them happy and healthy.
The elevator dinged when the doors open, but I was in my own little world thinking about my job, which meant I didn’t see the man standing in the elevator until he spoke.
“Going down?” An amused male voice asked.
I looked up, and my heart started to race.
“Michael,” I breathed, tears starting to form in my eyes.
He smiled, and held out his hand.
“Come on, or we’ll be late,” he said laughingly.
I blinked, but took his hand and made my way into the elevator.
“How’d you know where I would be?” I asked softly.
My eyes stayed firmly planted on the floor, though.
Because I didn’t want to believe he was here, and look up to see that I’d imagined it all.
That would be cruel, but life was a bitch like that.
“Your best friend,” he said.
I could hear the smile in his voice, and if Georgia had been in the room with me right then, I’d have punched her for not telling me.
We rode the elevator in silence.
Me not saying anything because I just didn’t know what to say.
Him not saying anything because I was sure he was waiting for me to flip out on him.
Something I wouldn’t do at my place of business.
When the elevator doors opened, I made my way out with Michael directly at my back.
I could feel his warmth from the top of my shoulders to the backs of my thighs.
“Nikki, wait,” he said softly.
The pain in his voice had me turning sharply, looking at him in worry.
“What?” I asked.
He closed his eyes, and I realized just how tired he looked.
“I told them I couldn’t do it. And I’m sorry. I knew if I stayed there with you last night, I’d put it off, and I needed to get it done,” he answered.
“Michael, I wouldn’t say what you did didn’t hurt, but I understand. I gave you the night to think it over, and I meant it. I knew you’d make the right decision,” I told him.
He nodded, his eyes shifting from my eyes to my lips where I was currently worrying the bottom one with my teeth.
“I love you,” he said again.
My heart melted at those words.
The same ones that had come out of his mouth last night.
The ones I hadn’t returned because I couldn’t.
Today, though, knowing he would be staying with us. Giving us a chance.
I said it back to him.
Meaning it with all my heart.
“I love you more,” I said simply.
His rumbled laugh warmed my insides when he pulled me into his arms.
“I’m gonna fuck up,” he promised.
I snorted.
“You and me both, big boy,” I shot back.
“I don’t know anything about kids.” He informed me.
I looked up into his eyes and said, “Really? You’re pulling that card?”
I turned on my heel and started walking inside, very aware of the man at my back.
“Yeah, that card. I don’t, though. I really don’t,” he said.
I rolled my eyes.
“Michael, you make it your mission in life to save kids. Trust me, you know how to handle kids even if you think you don’t,” I told him gently.
Michael smiled.
“Whatever. So tell me about your doctor. I feel like I’ve missed a lot,” he changed the subject.
I smiled. “Dr. Mead is my doctor, but we’ll be seeing the PA, Joanie Dooley, today. I have to see them all just in case my doctor is out of town or at a birth or something when I go into labor.”
Michael nodded, but his eyes had clouded like he did when he was concentrating on something.
“What?” I asked.