Page 20 of Don’t You Dare Marry Me (Love in Massachusetts #3)

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“Don’t you have any alcohol in this house?” Nicola rummaged through the kitchen, shooting an exasperated look over her shoulder at Aunt Simone.

“No, sadly, I don’t.” Simone sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her hair. She was leaning against the kitchen counter, her shoulders drawn and her chin dipped to the ground.

Nicola narrowed her eyes at her, trying to keep the happy energy high, but it was next to impossible with Simone moping like that. Then again, she’d been in a mood like that for years now. “Why the hell not?”

“Howie doesn’t like alcohol. Says it impedes…” Simone stopped sharply, “…abilities.”

Nicola snorted and rolled her eyes. “I never liked that man.” She opened the last cabinet that she hadn’t checked yet. “You don’t have a secret stash anywhere?”

“No.” Simone shook her head. “Tea?”

Nicola sighed loudly in an exaggerated manner and then threw her hands up in the air. “Sure. But I’m making it.”

Simone waved toward the cabinet where the tea was and Nicola immediately started to boil the water. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing for things you can’t control.

You know I don’t like it.” Nicola had her back to Simone.

She didn’t want this to turn into a self-deprecating bitch fest where she tried to pick Simone up off the ground and where she didn’t get her actual frustrations out.

Because she was so mad at Abagail. And she was still pissed at Warren.

And she just needed to make sure that if she blew a gasket and someone ended up dead and buried—most likely her—that Simone would have the capacity to take care of Alanna.

Nicola handed Simone the hot tea and raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Simone plastered a smile on her face, but it was fake, and Nicola knew without a doubt that she was one of the few—if not the only one—who would be able to sniff that out. “Let’s go to the family room.”

Simone turned her back and immediately started toward the room with a large couch and large television.

Though she couldn’t remember seeing the television on when Simone was home alone.

When Howie was there, however, it was always on and blasting so loud that Nicola swore it shook the walls.

The man seriously needed to get his hearing checked.

Nicola settled down, but the energy still running through her body from the argument with Abagail wouldn’t stop.

She really wanted to stop that. Abagail was out of her life.

She’d walked out of that house, expecting absolutely nothing, regretting the mistakes she’d made.

She just needed to get her feet under her again.

“How’s Alanna?” Simone asked, her gaze flicking toward the front door of the house.

“She’s good. The seizure was bad, but they got it under control quickly and she doesn’t seem any worse for wear.”

“That’s good.” Simone glanced down at her tea. “I think I’m going to do it this time.”

“Do what?” Nicola frowned. Simone had talked for years about divorcing Howie, but she’d never did anything beyond talk. Nicola had been ten when they’d gotten married. She hadn’t liked the jerk then and she didn’t like him now. She remembered even her mom talking bad about Howie before the wedding.

“Leave him,” Simone whispered the words. “Really, really. I’ve been saving up money.”

She was always saving up money and yet she never had any.

Nicola wanted to rip Simone from this life and give her the new start that she deserved, but unless Simone actually wanted that, it was never going to work.

She had to fight her own battles. But it was so damn hard for Nicola to continually support her through the ups and downs, and through the inaction.

It was the inaction that killed Nicola every time.

“I hope you do leave him.” Nicola took a long sip of her tea, not sure what else to say.

She’d come here to escape and have a warm place to sleep for one night before heading back to the job and home she didn’t actually have.

Maybe she should just move out here. But then the thought of leaving Alanna so far away sickened her.

“I will,” Simone whispered. “I don’t want to say that too loud. He has ears everywhere.” Simone giggled lightly. “I do like my new daughter-in-law, though. She should be moving into the house soon.”

“Garett is moving back in?” Nicola wrinkled her nose. “What, his lazy ass can’t get a job?”

“What job do you have?” Simone fired back. “He has a degree and he can’t find a job, it’s not an easy market out there.”

Nicola squinted. Had Simone just insulted her? “I can get a job.”

“I know you can. You know how to work hard. He doesn’t.”

“Because he’s a pampered baby,” Nicola mumbled under her breath. “So when’s he moving back in?”

“At the end of the month. It’ll be nice to have some people in the house.”

“A buffer, you mean.” Nicola knew exactly what Simone wasn’t saying. Having Garett back in the house, and having Andra there, would add a buffer to the cruelty that Howie dished out on her.

“Yes, a buffer.” Simone cringed, then she spun the mug in her hand. “I know you don’t like Howie.”

“That’s an understatement. I think he’s an abusive prick?—”

“Nicola.” Simone’s warning was clear. “I know you don’t like him. But this is my life.”

“I thought you were leaving it.” Nicola gave her a pointed look.

“I am.” Simone halted. “Just… I swear he hears everything in this house sometimes. It’s not as easy as just picking up and going.”

“I know.” Nicola frowned. She’d put herself in such a similar situation with Warren, and in the end, she hadn’t been the one with the courage to leave.

The whole Chaya drama had taken its toll, and finally, Warren had been the one strong enough to break it off and end the relationship. Still, that stung.

She couldn’t do anything but thank him for ending her misery.

Even if she hated him in the process.

“Where have you been staying?” Simone asked, back to sipping her tea like nothing was amiss between the two of them. How did she manage to do that so well? Those masks she wore were thick.

“With Warren’s aunt.” Nicola swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “She helped fix up my car, only reason I could make it out here today.”

“That was nice of her.”

“Hmm.” Nicola wasn’t exactly sure that’s what she’d call it, but it had been a roof over her head instead of her cramped car. “Did she feel bad because of Warren?”

“What?” Nicola scrunched her face up. “No, actually. I think she was happy about it?” Nicola said it like a question, but she thought back over all the interactions from the moment she’d shown up at that stupid engagement party to when she’d stormed out of the house.

“No, I don’t think she felt bad about it. ”

“She didn’t? Not even a little guilty?”

Nicola shook her head. “No.” And if there was any guilt, they’d breezed right through that the first night that they’d fucked.

They hadn’t even dipped a toe into the emotional realm.

It was purely a business arrangement. One that Nicola was never going to get paid for now, because like hell would she talk to Abagail again. Not unless she had to.

The phone buzzing in her pocket distracted her. Nicola slipped it out and stared at the number. “It’s the rehabilitation center.”

She showed the screen to Simone before answering. She would tell Simone whatever it was later anyway—wouldn’t she? So it didn’t matter if Simone was there to listen in on this.

“H-hello?” Were they coming after her for the money that she definitely didn’t have now? Not only that, but she’d missed her damn interview because she was so jittered from the argument and when she’d called to reschedule, they told her it wasn’t even worth the try.

“Ms. Bolsinger, this is Freya.”

Nicola’s stomach churned. “What’s wrong? Did she have another seizure?”

“No, no. Nothing like that.”

Nicola eased instantly. “What’s wrong then?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Freya chuckled nervously. “I just wanted to call and let you know that you don’t need to worry about that payment.”

“What?” Nicola frowned and she flicked her gaze to Simone. She hadn’t heard that, had she? Standing sharply, Nicola left the family room and went straight to the kitchen. She wanted privacy for this. “What are you talking about?”

“The amount you owed has been paid in full. We just need you to pay for the next month, but don’t worry about the back payments.”

“I’m not understanding.” Nicola shook her head again, her stomach twisting into knots. “What are you talking about?”

“Someone paid the debt. You only have future payments to make from now on.”

“What do you mean someone? Who?”

“A … donor.”

“A donor?” Nicola nearly screeched out the word. “Like you have a program for this?”

“Uh… not exactly.”

“Then who paid it?” Nicola’s voice rose, the sound reverberating through the kitchen.

“I can’t?—”

“Yes, you can.” Nicola clenched her jaw tightly. “This isn’t anything I applied for. No one knows about it except you people. So who paid for it.”

“Abagail Kerrbox.”

Nicola’s heart stuttered. The wind rushed from her lungs. Blood drained from her face. “Oh my God,” she whispered.

“Do you know her?” Freya asked.

“Uh. Yes. I’ll take care of this. I’ll uh…

thank you.” Nicola ended the call without saying anything else.

She leaned against the kitchen counter and closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.

But it wasn’t working. Her chest hurt so damn much.

She pressed her fist against her ribs and worked hard to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible.

“Nicola?” Simone said, stepping into the room. “Is Alanna okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. That was…” What the hell was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to tell Simone everything now? “That was the facility about my next payment.”

“Payment?” Simone frowned. “I thought you said her SSI covered it all.”

“Not all of it.” Nicola winced. “And I fell behind a bit in the payments, but Abagail—” She stopped short.

She couldn’t say Warren’s Aunt because Abagail was so much more than that now, wasn’t she?

And this was way more than what they’d agreed on.

Where did Abagail get off thinking she could just buy her way back into Nicola’s good graces?

Fuck, was she even all that different from Warren?

“Abagail what?”

“She paid it off.” Nicola bit the inside of her cheek. “You know how rich that family is. Insanely rich. And Abagail, she holds the purse strings for everything. So I guess she found out and maybe she did feel bad about Warren.”

“So you think she paid off the bill to alleviate her guilt?” Simone’s face scrunched in confusion.

“M-maybe.” That wasn’t what Nicola thought. But she really didn’t want to explain to Simone what the actual arrangement had been, or that she’d stormed out of there when Abagail had thrown her weight around and tried to be too controlling, or whatever the hell that had been in her kitchen.

“Does that sound like her?” Simone asked.

“It could. I don’t honestly know her that well.” Nicola’s panic began to subside. But it was replaced with the burning anger that she’d shown up with. Fuck, she’d really wanted to get away from that, not just run face first into it again. “I think I need to go talk to her.”

“Might not be a bad idea.” Simone brushed her fingers down Nicola’s arm. “Now?”

“Yeah. Now.” Nicola stood up straight. “Sorry to cut this short. I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

“Are you ever going to tell me the whole story?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Nicola leaned in and hugged Simone tightly. “I’ll tell you when you leave the abusive bastard,” she whispered it into Simone’s ear. “A deal’s a deal.”

Simone hummed and nodded. “Fine. But you do realize I can just call and find out, right?”

“Yeah, but you won’t.” Nicola squeezed her again in a tight hug. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Nicola gave her one last hug and then raced to the car. She hadn’t prepared for this. She’d never thought she was going to see Abagail again when she’d walked out of that house, but the entire drive she couldn’t stop thinking about her. And now?

Well, now, Nicola needed to take care of something.

She needed to put Abagail in her place.

Nicola didn’t need her.

She didn’t need to be told again that she would never measure up. That she could barely keep her head above water. That she wasn’t good for anything other than her body and a good laugh. Fuck, she needed Abagail to understand there was no reason to do that. Nicola didn’t deserve it.

She wasn’t good enough for this.

And she never would be.