Sequel: Sweet Child O' Mine ›
Mercy
Chapter 25
"I'm sorry that I annoy you." Nikki says, looking up at Duane Lee.
He laughs and shakes his head. "You don't annoy me." he tells her, throwing an arm around her shoulders as they walk across the driveway at Leland's house. The doctor had discharged him the previous day, but due to the snow storm in Colorado, it took two days for the family to get back to Hawaii.
"I know you worry about everything these days, but you never annoy me." he says, pausing at the front door. He glances at Nikki, and knocks lightly on the door; knowing that things could go right today, or they could go very wrong once his brother saw Nikki.
There were a lot of family and friends packed into the house as they entered. Laughter filled the air as Nikki looked around for Leland, if she knew him like she thought she did; he wouldn't be anywhere in this crowd."I'm gonna see if I can find him." she says to Duane. It didn't take long to narrow his whereabouts down to his bedroom.It seemed the crowd had gotten to him as she pushed his door open slowly.
"Nikki." He says, giving her a hug.
"Hey..." she says, quietly. "I'm glad your back."
"Look at you." he says, looking her over.
"I know...but before you say anything, I need to know how you are." Nikki asks,leading him over to sit on the bed.
"Its weird, I guess. I feel like theres a huge blank spot in my life, the doctor said it was normal to feel that way. I missed so many things...Bailee's birthday." he says, looking down at his hands. "I missed you." he says, a sad smile coming over his face.
"So what about you? I take it, you and James are married now?"
"Um...no. Its a complicated story, which I'll have to tell you another day." Nikki says quietly.
Leland sighs, looking into her eyes,"Its Duane Lee. You're pregnant with my brothers baby."
"Six months tomorrow."
Leland looks surprised, as he stands up and starts to pace the small room "Well, he didn't waste any time did he?"
"Leland, theres things you don't know...things that happened between us since your accident. I love Duane Lee. He's been there for me, through everything" she says, reaching out to grab him by the arm.
"Please sit down and let me tell you whats been going on since the night of the accident."
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Seven months ago:
"Duane, can you take me over to the house. I need to get my clothes and whatever else James isn't making claim to." Nikki asks as they leave the hospital. They had spent the better part of the day with Leland, getting him ready to go home.
"Of course I will. I don't want you there alone with James anyway." He says, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "We need to take my mom to the airport first. I think she's going home for a week then coming back for a week...something like that." he says with a laugh.
"Would it be too much, if I asked to stay with you until I can figure out what to do?" Nikki asks, as they waited on LaFonda to say her goodbyes to Bailee.
Duane Lee smirks. "I wouldn't let you stay anywhere else. I just got you back after three years and I'm not letting you go anytime soon."
He laughs and shakes his head. "You don't annoy me." he tells her, throwing an arm around her shoulders as they walk across the driveway at Leland's house. The doctor had discharged him the previous day, but due to the snow storm in Colorado, it took two days for the family to get back to Hawaii.
"I know you worry about everything these days, but you never annoy me." he says, pausing at the front door. He glances at Nikki, and knocks lightly on the door; knowing that things could go right today, or they could go very wrong once his brother saw Nikki.
There were a lot of family and friends packed into the house as they entered. Laughter filled the air as Nikki looked around for Leland, if she knew him like she thought she did; he wouldn't be anywhere in this crowd."I'm gonna see if I can find him." she says to Duane. It didn't take long to narrow his whereabouts down to his bedroom.It seemed the crowd had gotten to him as she pushed his door open slowly.
"Nikki." He says, giving her a hug.
"Hey..." she says, quietly. "I'm glad your back."
"Look at you." he says, looking her over.
"I know...but before you say anything, I need to know how you are." Nikki asks,leading him over to sit on the bed.
"Its weird, I guess. I feel like theres a huge blank spot in my life, the doctor said it was normal to feel that way. I missed so many things...Bailee's birthday." he says, looking down at his hands. "I missed you." he says, a sad smile coming over his face.
"So what about you? I take it, you and James are married now?"
"Um...no. Its a complicated story, which I'll have to tell you another day." Nikki says quietly.
Leland sighs, looking into her eyes,"Its Duane Lee. You're pregnant with my brothers baby."
"Six months tomorrow."
Leland looks surprised, as he stands up and starts to pace the small room "Well, he didn't waste any time did he?"
"Leland, theres things you don't know...things that happened between us since your accident. I love Duane Lee. He's been there for me, through everything" she says, reaching out to grab him by the arm.
"Please sit down and let me tell you whats been going on since the night of the accident."
----------------
Seven months ago:
"Duane, can you take me over to the house. I need to get my clothes and whatever else James isn't making claim to." Nikki asks as they leave the hospital. They had spent the better part of the day with Leland, getting him ready to go home.
"Of course I will. I don't want you there alone with James anyway." He says, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "We need to take my mom to the airport first. I think she's going home for a week then coming back for a week...something like that." he says with a laugh.
"Would it be too much, if I asked to stay with you until I can figure out what to do?" Nikki asks, as they waited on LaFonda to say her goodbyes to Bailee.
Duane Lee smirks. "I wouldn't let you stay anywhere else. I just got you back after three years and I'm not letting you go anytime soon."