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Part II Chapter 54

Twenty minutes away Win stood on the front step of Nick and Howie’s duplex. It looked as though there was a party going on upstairs and it took a few minutes before someone answered the door.
“Win! What are you doing here?” Nick asked surprised, inviting her in.
“Can we go some place quiet?” Win asked as the music blared around them.
“Yeah sure, here, give me your bag.” Nick said taking her backpack. He took her upstairs and led her to his bedroom and closed the door. The music was deadened to a dull thumping on the walls, but at least now Win could hear herself think.
“What happened?” Nick asked worried. Win was crying, something she avoided at all costs.
“We had a fight. A really big one.” Win replied.
“What about?”
“Edith.” That’s all Win had to say. Nick nodded in understanding.
“He didn’t tell you about her, did he?”
“Nope.”
“And he’s over there, playing house with her and Latecia, his surrogate daughter, and expects you to not notice.”
“How did you?” Win asked confused.
“How do you think his last girlfriend reacted? She lasted a lot less time than you did. He still doesn’t get it.” Nick replied.
“What I don’t get is why he can talk to her, but he can’t talk to me. He told me, that he doesn’t trust me.” Nick shook his head.
“What he needs to do, is get his head, out of his ass, and stop this playing around. Win, it’s not you that’s messed up. It’s AJ. You did nothing wrong, and don’t think that you did.”
“I did though, if I didn’t say anything,”
“If you hadn’t said anything, AJ wouldn’t know that what he is doing in wrong. It is possible to have a girlfriend and girls who are friends, I’ve done it before. He just doesn’t get the boundaries he has to draw. He should have told you about her, he should make it very clear that she is the friend, and you the girlfriend.” Nick explained.
“I love him so much. I really do. I’ve never had a reason not to trust him, until now. And if he doesn’t trust me, what’s the point?” Win asked.
“I don’t know Win.” Nick replied sitting down next to her, he hated seeing her cry.
“He said, they were close because he spent a lot of time with her, when he came right out of rehab, you know, taking care of Latecia and everything. Said she took his minds off his problems.” Win said. Nick nodded.
“Yeah, that was a vulnerable time for him for sure, and it’s no doubt that they did get close.” Nick replied.
“I don’t know what to do now.” Win said. There was a knock at the door. Nick answered it.
“Hey man, look, AJ just called looking for Win, he said they had a fight and she, oh hey Win,” Howie said once he saw Win sitting on the bed beside Nick.
“Hang on a second, I’ll talk to him, just keep her company.” Nick said taking the phone and going down the hall to the bathroom.
“Hello?”
“Hey Nick, is Win there, I’m really worried about her, I tried Brian, and he hasn’t seen her, and the hotel, she’s not there.”
“She’s here AJ.”
“Oh thank god, I’ll be right over to talk to her.”
“I don’t think so AJ.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t you get it yet man?”
“Get what?”
“You’re too busy playing house again to notice you have a girlfriend.”
“I am not!”
“Yeah, then why did Win show up on my doorstep a few minutes ago?”
“Because she’s mad at me, I said I didn’t trust her and,”
“Why can’t you trust her?”
“Because, I can’t not yet.”
“What, does she have to spell her entire life story out for you? And if you’re screwing around with that woman again!”
“I never screwed around with Edith!”
“What happened tonight AJ? Did Edith come and comfort you, as usual?” the line was quiet.
“AJ, if you weren’t sure about Win, why did you rush into it with her?”
“I love Winifred! Don’t you dare say that I don’t!”
“If you loved her, you wouldn’t have done this to her. Now if you don’t tell her tomorrow, I’ll tell her for you, and it’s going to sound a whole lot worse coming from me!” Nick shut off the phone and slammed it down on the counter.
“How can he be so stupid!” he said aloud to himself.