Wild Tendy (IceCats 2)

“So, you’re breaking up with me?”

She shrugs as she throws my keys to me. “I don’t know, Nico. I need time to cool off.”

“Because I paid all your debts? Way to treat me when I do that for you.”

She stops mid-step. “And that, right there, is why I didn’t want you to do this. You don’t realize because you don’t think things through, Nico. But you’ve basically made me feel trapped. As if I could never leave you. And that’s why I’m leaving.”

I rush down the stairs, running to her and stopping her before she closes the door. I hold the door in my hand as she looks up at me with tearful eyes, but I shake my head. “Hear me out.” I crouch down and take her hand in mine. She wants to fight me on it, but I hope she doesn’t. “I hear you, and to be honest, I didn’t mean to say that. I don’t want this to be held over your head, which is why I asked my mom to do it with my money. I know that you didn’t want anyone to do it, and I get it. I do. You are a strong woman who can do this all yourself, but I am a man who wants my woman to be happy. I want to care for you. I want to make things easier for you because I love how you wake up with a smile on your face. I love how you just seem lighter—”

“Let me stop you there,” she says, squeezing my hand. “All that wasn’t because of the debt being gone. It was because of you.”

I press my lips together, and soon, tears are in my eyes. “I don’t want to lose you over this. Aviva, I did it because I love you.”

She looks away, inhaling shakily. “I don’t want to lose you, but I don’t know how to forgive you for this. Especially when you feel no remorse whatsoever—”

“I’m sorry I upset you, but I’m not sorry I paid those bills,” I say, and she brings in her brows. “I swear to you, Aviva, I did it because I know I’m going to marry you, and I would have paid them then. So, what’s the problem with doing it now?”

She removes her hand from mine. “Because at least that way, I wouldn’t have been made out to be a charity case.” She starts the car and looks over at me. “I would move if I were you.”

I do as she says because there is no talking to her. I step out of the way. “Please call me tomorrow.”

She shrugs. “I don’t know.”

Then she shuts the door and drives off.

As I watch her drive away, everything is shaking. I don’t want to believe this is over; she’s just mad. But even so, I feel like she’s taken my heart with her.

And hell, she might as well keep it, because it’s hers.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Aviva

I clutch my pillow and rub my face into it, hoping to get rid of the tears. When I’m not working, I’m in bed, and it’s really getting pathetic. It’s been three days since I’ve seen or talked to Nico, and I want to say things are better, but they’re not. I’m still spitting mad at what Nico did, and I still can’t believe he did it. He knew I would be upset. But, as angry as I am, I can believe he would do this. He doesn’t think, he just does, and he does it with his whole heart. When I drove away, it killed me to do so, especially with the tears in his eyes. I know I said I couldn’t be with him because of this, but that was the anger talking.

I’m just so mad.

I’ve worked so hard for what I needed and wanted for Callie. Never taken from anyone. But then Nico comes along and does what Nico does. Whatever the hell he wants. And I encouraged it. Loved it. He made me feel good, made me feel loved, and while I know he did it with purity in his heart, I don’t want him just to save me when he feels I’m drowning. I wanted him to discuss it with me, tell me his plans. I would have told him no, and if he did it anyway, I would have known it was him. Instead, I’ve stressed for months that someone is out there helping me and giving me things when I don’t deserve them. Instead, it was being done by the man I love. And while I still don’t feel I deserve it all, Nico does. His love knows no bounds, and I wish instead of angry, I felt appreciative. He loved me enough to make things easier for me. But the problem is, I don’t understand how.