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Chapter 25 – Imprudent Intentions

Nicola yawned softly with unawareness as the bright rays of the morning sunshine warmed her creamy face. She smiled sleepily, turning into a warm mass for cuddling. She found herself drifting back to sleep until she heard the sound of a heartbeat. Nicola yelped softly, jerking herself upward in fright. Her eyes fell upon Howie’s slumbering figure. He looked peaceful, curled amongst the soft pillows. Never would one guess that he was filled with such turmoil when glancing upon his sleeping form. His face was warmly flushed, allowing Nicola to remember the lovemaking. She had never felt such an intense passion before. Her whole body burned with wanting when she remembered his mouth caressing her skin with delicate kisses. Each touch last night assured her that he was most definitely her match. Sadly, Nicola knew that she was in love.

“Oh…no!” Nicola wheezed when she realized what her heart was expressing. She loved him and she knew there was no turning back. Intense emotions of love engulfed her body, weakening her strength. She bowed her head, praying for support. She needed to break away.

Quickly, as if a conjured miracle for her sake, she shattered the thoughts of passion She refused to hesitate when she pushed herself out of the bed, watching Howie turn and snuggle against the pillow she had used. Her brain slowly began to reestablish control of her thoughts. Her brain jolted her heart, making her realize the truth behind the flimsy fantasies. She began to feel shame for the previous thoughts of love. She wasn’t allowed to develop feelings for a patient. She reminded herself it was unethical and immoral. Nothing more could happen between her and Howie – for both their sakes.

Hurriedly, Nicola gathered her clothing off the floor. She refused to gaze at Howie, knowing that she might become weak again. She tugged her clothing on in a fevered pace, anxious to get away from the deceit. Nicola reached out for a piece of paper on Howie’s desk, but hesitated in reaching for a pen. What if he awoke in the midst of her writing? She didn’t have the time or the brawny nerves to attempt such a risky adventure. She dropped the pen and paper, hurrying toward the door. Her heart throbbed with guilt over leaving so abruptly without goodbyes, but her brain assured her it was for the best. And hopefully, when Howie awoke, he would believe it had been nothing more than a dream.

*~*~*

“Thank God you all came to your sense before all Hell broke loose with Devil-Darcy!” Pollyanna exclaimed gratefully, pulling the group into Howie’s large living room. AJ shifted his gaze toward Kevin with confusion. Nick just shrugged his shoulders, yawning lazily. Pollyanna had begged AJ, Brian, Nick, and Kevin to meet her at Howie’s house early in the morning. She had also requested that Raegan and Jamila come, because Howie absolutely adored both girls. The boys were completely clueless as they each picked their favorite spot in the room. Nervously, Pollyanna tapped on her knees as they all gathered in comfortable positions.

“What the Hell broke loose?” AJ asked with amusement, liking Darcy’s new nickname from Pollyanna. Although, his smirk was quickly wiped away when Pollyanna glared. It was obvious that Pollyanna was on the verge of hysteria and no one else knew why.

“Darcy somehow found out Howie went to Nicola’s house—”

“Uh-oh,” Raegan interrupted with a groan.

“Uh-oh?” Brian questioned in surprise.

“Double uh-oh,” Jamila agreed.

“What do you mean, Baby?” AJ asked.

“We… Bri-Bear and I went to visit Jamila at one of her shoots with AJ. Bri-Bear wanted me to get some professional shots for whatever. Well, she was with this girl while I was talking to her. And… Somehow Howie came into the conversation. We mentioned how sweet it was about Howie and his physical therapist, and then the boys come up and introduce us to the woman who was before me… Basically, we met Darcy on some idiotic terms,” Raegan explained softly. She bowed her head with disapproval, not wanting to think that she caused Howie’s heartache.

“We’re really sorry. We unfortunately had no idea!” Jamila interjected.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Pollyanna answered, waving her hand to dismiss the entire idea. If anything, it was for the better. Pollyanna knew that Howie would rationalize the dismissal and look at it in the best perspective. She wouldn’t blame Raegan and Jamila for what would have happened eventually.

“Excuse me?” Raegan choked in surprise.

“It’s for the best,” Pollyanna explained.

“How so?” Jamila pondered.

“Well, when Darcy found out about Howie going to Nicola’s home – she basically freaked. She bluntly kicked Howie to the curb after admitting she cheated on him throughout the entire relationship. So, Howie called me last night. He was so upset. She really did a number on him. But, in the middle of the conversation, he said he wanted to call Nicola. Point blank, the boy hung up on me. Something told me that with him talking to Nicola…he wouldn’t need us till morning. So, I wanted you guys to come over just in case he doesn’t want to talk to me about the issues. Although, I’m quite positive Nicola might have smoothed the roughest edges,” Pollyanna explained, unable to hide her smile.

Raegan was the first to recognize Pollyanna’s giddy nature. She leaned her lithe figure back against Brian for support, sighing contently when he wrapped his arms around her waist. Raegan’s solid teal eyes studied the older woman very carefully. She understood that Pollyanna wasn’t upset that Darcy left. Somehow, Raegan mistook the smile for something callous. Raegan’s usually sunny face grew to a dark and gloomy frown. Brian was the first to see the transformation in features. He kissed Raegan’s shoulder, “What’s the matter, Sweetie?”

“How can you be so happy about Darcy breaking Howie’s heart?” Raegan chided softly.

“Because it means that Darcy’s gone – THANK GOD!” AJ blurted without thought, causing the guys to chuckle in amusement. They had always been so open about their feelings for Darcy. However, Jamila and Raegan were all but impressed. Without hesitation, Jamila smacked AJ sharply. AJ lurched forward in surprise, almost dropping her on the floor as he gripped his shoulder. He winced at the stinging sensation. “Damn, Baby! What was that for?!”

“How can you joke about Howie’s love like that?” Jamila screeched with disgust.

“Baby! It’s not what it seems!”

“Then you better clarify fast!”

“Baby—”

“Starting whipping out the Windex, Alex!”

“How can I put this… Baby, Darcy is—”

“One of the biggest bitches created by Satan to chew off our limbs, bleed us dry, and torture our souls in fiery Hells for eternity,” Nicola answered quickly, unable to let AJ finish clarifying. Everyone was silent for a few moments, pondering the words that had actually flown from his mouth. The guys couldn’t believe that Nick knew so many diversified words. Yet, Jamila and Raegan were overly appalled by the venomous words. The girls finally squeaked out gasps of horror, causing the others to burst into fits of laughter.

AJ grinned wildly. “Nick! We could use that in a song!” he exclaimed, noticing Jamila’s foul glare. Reading her obvious signals, AJ jumped back before she could strike again. He smacked his hand sharply, scolding himself in a womanly voice. “I know, I know! Bad Alex! Bad!”

“Alex!” Jamila scolded.

“Don’t send me to time out, Jammy,” AJ whined softly, staring at her pleadingly.

“You’re cute, Mr. McLean, but not that cute,” Jamila chided, caving into AJ’s zaniness. She brushed a kiss against his lips before he pulled her back onto the couch. The guys rolled their eyes as the couple acted as if nothing happened.

“So, that’s it? You think she’s a mean person so you just kick her out without a chance? I mean, she might be overbearing, but why not give her a second chance?” Raegan asked once the waters were calmed between the other couple. She was not as easily swayed as Jamila. She wanted a true answer.

“Rae, what was your first impression of Darcy?” Brian questioned, wanting to get the point across. Raegan had a heart of gold, which caused her to easily forgive of others’ heartless mistakes. Yet, even if Raegan’s heart did lead the race, her brain allowed a smart judge of character. She had such a keen way of connecting with people on a different level that absolutely fascinated Brian.

Raegan chewed on her bottom lip as she traced her fingers against Brian’s hand in thought. Her mind quickly shelved each memorable moment of Darcy and assorted them into categories. At the end, she found herself frowning. “She seemed self-centered as she ordered Jamila around the studio. She wasn’t warm or friendly when she found out that I was dating you. She was just cold the entire time. Didn’t smile once. Absolutely nothing like Howie. He was so warm the day he met us, even in his worst time of need.”

“Exactly!” Kevin exclaimed, knowing that the pieces of the puzzle were finally settling into a clear picture. The guys had tried to explain Darcy on so many levels to the girls, but they couldn’t comprehend. It was as if the boys were pulling teeth to be understood.

“She really is a wench,” Nick enthused.

“Completely opposite of Howie,” AJ repeated.

“But Nicola is like him,” Pollyanna murmured.

“His physical therapist?” Nick asked in surprise.

“Yes, his physical therapist,” Pollyanna answered with a funny smile.

“Oh! Now I see! I should have caught onto that! You’re glad that Darcy’s gone, because now Nicola has a chance with Howie!” Jamila laughed, finally understanding. Her dark eyes twinkled with glee as she solved the puzzle. AJ resisted the urge to call his girlfriend ditzy, knowing that her hand was quite quick with backlashes.

“Am I that transparent?”

“Yes!” everyone called loudly.

“What makes you think he’s even interested in her?” Kevin pondered curiously.

“You can see it in his eyes every time she arrives for physical therapy. If it hadn’t been for their heads butting with stubborn streaks or Darcy’s interference, they would be together. She’s perfect for him. They’re absolutely perfect for one another. You should see them together, they just have such a connection. She’s funny, compassionate, truthful, loving—”

“Fiery!” AJ recalled, interrupting Pollyanna’s list. Pollyanna offered him a confused look, causing the other boys to smile sheepishly. “That day at the mall when we met her, Polly, that woman was like a tiger defending her pack! I honestly believed she would kick all our asses while still holding her shopping bags. Just staring at her made me feel guilty about what happened with Howie. Those dark green eyes of hers had a way of reflecting everything that Howie felt. Then when she spoke. It was as if we had hurt her, too. She just had a way of capturing us and holding our attention! It was amazing to say the least.”

“That’s exactly how she is here. Mom loves her, too. Thinks that she the absolutely sweetest thing since the cinnamon bun,” Pollyanna confided with excitement.

“She’s pretty, too,” Nick confessed shyly with a knowing smile.

“She cared more about Howie in a few months that Darcy had cared in years,” Brian admitted thoughtfully.

“You guys sound like you’re in love and you don’t even know her!” Jamila scolded lightly, unable to hide her own smile. She found it quite sweet that the group was willing to invite her in so suddenly. They all wanted what was best for Howie. And it seemed as if all signs were pointing toward Nicola.

“She’d be a nice addition to the family, nonetheless,” Kevin finally announced after listening to the others. He smiled at Pollyanna. He was relieved that Darcy was gone. He knew that Howie had been hurt, but it would be better in the long run. For, Kevin had seen the same glitter in Howie’s eyes when he spoke of Nicola. Something was definitely lying inside his heart, waiting to be released upon Nicola’s command.

“I just hope Howie takes the plunge and tells her,” Pollyanna sighed.

“We don’t call him the Latin Lover and Sweet D for nothing, Poll,” Brian teased.

“Brian! Too much information! Lord, that was too much!” Pollyanna moaned, covering her ears.

“Do you think she came over last night?” Nick asked, completely throwing the conversation in a new direction. Everyone stopped talking at once, immediately focusing on Nick. They seemed to ponder the question, none knowing the answer. The silence was deafening as each one exchanged a curious look with another. No one knew what to expect, because Howie had been so unpredictable lately.

“Do you think he would be that slick?” AJ asked with a laugh.

No one said anything as the answer was revealed with the slamming of a door. Everyone jumped in surprise at the sudden burst of noise. They turned quickly to see Nicola rushing forward. She didn’t seem to notice them as she pulled her strawberry blonde curls into a ponytail. She spoke softly to herself as she shoved something deep inside her pocket, not bothering to look about the room. She looked highly flustered as she ran out of the house in deep thought. Everyone grew silent again as a cool breeze filtered about them.

“That dog,” AJ murmured with laughter, breaking the silence.

“You don’t think they…” Brian couldn’t even finish his words.

“Sex, man, that was a definite sex face!” AJ announced proudly.

“What the Hell are you talking about?” Kevin asked.

“Can’t you read between the lines?” AJ asked.

“Alex!” Jamila scolded. “You know nothing.”

“But I will!” AJ declared, hurrying back to the bedroom.

“He’s such a trouble-maker!” Jamila huffed.

“You didn’t expect this from him?” Raegan asked curiously.

“No, never!” Brian whistled.

“Wow, I mean, Rae, this is D we’re talking about. I never thought he’d be so…James Bond-ish,” Nick murmured.

“The man’s got definite style,” Kevin laughed.

“I still can’t believe…” Pollyanna trailed.

“Well, you saw her walking to the door,” Brian assured.

“That’s about all the proof you need!” Kevin agreed.

“Nicola - live and in color,” Nick announced.

“And Nick’s right - she’s pretty,” Raegan interjected.