When Nick’s alarm went off he groaned not wanting to get up. He had stayed up far too late into the night. Cheyenne curled up beside him, “call in,” she mumbled.
Nick laughed, “don’t you think it would be suspicious if we both called in?”
Cheyenne shook her head, “maybe but who cares.”
“Your dad,” Nick said kissing Cheyenne’s neck.
Cheyenne rolled her eyes, “ugh why do you always have to be a buzz kill.”
Nick sighed sitting up, “cause one of us has to be logical.”
“And just what are you implying Cheyenne looked up at Nick as he stood up and headed to the bathroom.
Nick shrugged not looking back at her, “nothing.”
Letting out a sigh Cheyenne pulled the covers over her head. “Nick,” she whined.
Nick stuck his head out the bathroom door with a toothbrush in hand shaking his head when he saw Cheyenne tucked
Cheyenne laid her head on the kitchen counter covering it up with her hands. “Mom, omg please give me a break.”Rachel had been harping on her ever since she had walked in the front door. With Tate at Nick’s again this weekend she was trying to show her mom she wasn’t out doing stupid things. Well, not the stupid things she assumed Cheyenne was doing. They were supposed to be having a girls' night. Movies, popcorn, way too much Dr. Pepper but instead they were in the kitchen arguing.Rachel sighed, “Cheyenne, I’m really not trying to be mean. I love you and I worry about you. Your dad tells me to stop hovering but I’m so afraid I’m going to get a call in the middle of the night that you are dead in a ditch somewhere.”Cheyenne looked up frowning, “mom I’ve not even had a thing to drink all day.” She wanted to add but Jesus you are making me regret that decision. After her last drunken night
Sunday night Cheyenne sat at Nick's bar kicking her feet as they dangled trying to figure out how to bring up her college. She didn't really want to talk about it tonight but she needed to make up her mind about where she was going and what she was going to do. Nick was leaned on the other side of the counter on the phone taking notes from her dad of all people.She watched as Nick wrote down measurements on the paper in front of them. She didn't understand any of it or his abbreviations. A new appreciation grew for him as she listened to him and her dad talk. Whatever he was scribbling on his paper was going to turn out to be some kind of structure. Looking up she saw Nick's eyes on her and she had a feeling her dad had brought her up in conversation.He reached out grabbing her hand, "No she's been a big help this summer."Cheyenne rolled her eyes wanting to comment but kept her mouth closed. Her dad would pick up on her voice in a minute then they would both
Things were never the same after their conversation. Nick could practically see Cheyenne pulling away from him. It was what he wanted and at the same time the last thing he wanted. She still stayed with him every night. Still clung to him at night but it wasn't the Cheyenne he had fallen for. This Cheyenne was more reserved, quiet, a shell of the girl she once was.Nick stood in the doorway of his office watching as she sat at her desk typing something up on her computer. He had offered to go get her something to eat before he had to step out for a bit but she insisted she was fine. Sighing he closed his eyes, had he successfully pushed her away?He had never expected her to walk into his life. Walk was definitely not the word for what she had done. She had broken down some walls he had put up that he didn't even know was breakable. This little girl, for that's all she really was, managed to turn his life upside down and shake it up enough that no matter how hard he tr
With alibies taken care of Nick and Cheyenne, both agreed to leave that night. It was only a two-hour drive to Lake Hamilton and Cheyenne hadn’t been too excited about their original plan to leave around 6. It didn’t take long to pack her bags and by the time she had made it to Nick’s he already had the truck packed. Gage and Drake’s kennels were loaded in the back of the truck and they were both super hyper knowing they were about to take a trip.Nick had the garage pulled up for her so Cheyenne parked her car inside the safety of its walls. Getting out she grabbed her bags and made her way to Nick’s truck. He was waiting for her and took her bags placing them in the back seat. When he turned back around Cheyenne wrapped her arms around him laying her head on his chest, “how long will it take to get there?”Kissing her forehead Nick shrugged, “a little over two hours. Have you ate?”Cheyenne shook her head,
Cheyenne woke up the next morning smiling as she saw Nick stretched out beside her. He wasn’t asleep but propped up on his pillows watching tv. As she moved to lay her head on his chest he wrapped his arm around her. Stretching she snuggled up closer to him not wanting to get up.She couldn’t help but think this would never happen again after this weekend. Sure she would have a few more nights with him but not nights like this. Not peaceful ones. Waking up beside him felt good, it felt comfortable, it felt right. Closing her eyes Cheyenne listened to his heart, learning its rhythm. It made her peaceful.Nick’s hand ran up and down her back making small circles. He would never admit it but when he first woke up he had just watched her sleep. Cheyenne was peaceful when she slept and he found himself fascinated by her. Not that he wasn’t always but there was just something relaxing in watching her sleep.This weekend could go either way. The
Nick woke up finding the bed beside him empty. Cheyenne wasn’t a morning person so he knew there was a reason she was up out of bed before 7. Probably the same reason he didn’t get much sleep last night.Cheyenne had been unusually quiet last night. He had eventually gotten her to lighten up but she still wasn’t her normal self. She was still there but it was like the light inside her had burned out. Part of him had even considered asking her if she wanted a drink but he knew nothing good would come from that so he took her edge off the only other way he knew how.As he walked downstairs he smiled seeing her on the couch with a cup of coffee and the two dogs sitting on the couch beside her. Pausing her watched them, he watched her. Even this morning she had a note of sadness to her. He had racked his brain last night trying to come up with a solution but there wasn’t one.True enough there could be options but he didn’t want to thin
When the sun rose Sunday morning it found Nick and Cheyenne up playing board games laughing. Neither was ready for the weekend to come to an end. They had already decided that they would wait until later to leave. They left in the dark, they would come back home in the dark. It only made sense. Besides they wanted to squeeze in as much time alone together as they could.They didn’t focus on any one conversation. Instead, their talks were random. Cheyenne told Nick things he had never known about her. She had opened up about her drinking and he began to understand her more than he had ever thought possible.Nick talked about what had lead up to his divorce, he took most of the blame but he admitted to her that it was a marriage that had been doomed from the start. He told her about the struggle of leaving his son behind and why he kept putting up with her crap.They discussed favorite foods, colors, movies, music, and so much more. They talked about everything. Well
She left on a Friday morning. Her car loaded down with her belongings headed back to Austin. The only thing she had left behind was her heart. Pulling out of town had been the hardest thing Cheyenne had ever had to do. She wished she still drank, she would have downed a shot of whiskey for the road.Things had been different after she and Nick had returned from his cabin on the lake. Both tried to prepare themselves for what was to come but there wasn't enough preparation in the world to help either of them.Cheyenne had spent every night but Thursday at Nick’s house. He had ended up at the cabin with her Thursday after they had already said their goodbyes at work. One call from her and he had forgotten all about getting caught and went to her.Nick hadn't been able to handle her tears, he was horrible with tears. He usually just didn't care and lacked the correct response expected but with Cheyenne, he just wanted to stop them. He didn't want to be responsible for