Ashley gasped and her face turned beet red. “What!? I… Jeez, Nick, how did you even know?!”
“I didn’t, not until a moment ago,” Nick shrugged, pushing his glasses up on his nose with his forefinger. “You just confirmed some suspicions I’ve had for a while now, since I heard you guys fight about it for the hundredth time, more or less. These thin walls and Josh’s awful habit of bellowing away at you are a very bad combination, as far as keeping things quiet goes.”
Ashley couldn’t help but snicker along with Nick. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s hardly a secret…”
“Are you sure about this, Ash? You don’t look too happy.”
“I don’t know, Nick,” she exhaled, sinking back into the couch. His presence beside her calmed her and got her in the mood to talk. Staring into space, she let the words flow. “I do want to try anal, and god knows Josh does too, he bugs me about it all the time… Plus, things haven’t been exactly great between us lately, so I figured maybe this will help patch it all up again. I just wish we had what you and Mia have. You two always look so happy and relaxed together and you’re not even… I mean the two of you aren’t… Uhm… I’m sorry, Nick, this is really none of my business.”
“It’s okay,” Nick smiled, “but you should know that Mia and I are in love. That’s what makes things work.”
“Wait, what?!” Ashley said, shocked about how casually Nick was revealing his true feelings for Mia. “But… She has girlfriends! I thought you two were just fuck buddies. Well, and friends too, sure, but, I mean… In love?!”
Nick was calm as he replied: “Over the years, Mia has had a single one-night stand, which was technically a threesome since I was there too, and three girlfriends, who were warned that Mia and I would still be doing what we do. Whenever Mia was asked to choose, she always chose to keep having what she has with me and she dumped whoever wanted her to leave me. I’m not sure one hundred percent, of course, but everything tells me that Mia and I are in love. I feel that way at least, and it seems like she does too. Besides, how could this thing we have go so well otherwise?”
Ashley was shocked as she muttered: “Why are you telling me this? Why now?”
“To explain that giving up your ass to someone who doesn’t appreciate you isn’t the solution to your problem. Josh isn’t in love with you, Ash, and he doesn’t love you either,” Nick tersely stated, reaching for her slender fingers and holding them in his warm palm. Pinned to the couch by his unwavering gaze, too stunned to reply, Ashley just stared back in wonder into Nick’s deep brown eyes. “Mia is right. He doesn’t deserve you, but you do deserve better. It’s as simple as that.”
In the long silence that followed, Ashley had to fight back the unbidden tears that were swelling in her eyes. It was indescribably hard for her not to break down completely right there and then. When she found her voice, it was shaky and weak, coming in between short choking breaths: “Why are you telling me all of this, Nick? It’s not fair… I’m trying to make things work and… Just why?!”
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Ash, and I’m really sorry if I did,” he said, squeezing her tiny hand with his long fingers. “But I just had to tell you. And yes, it’s not fair, but almost nothing ever is. The good news is, it’s true. Well, at the very least it’s my subjective perception of what we collectively define as ‘truth’, but, since such perception is the closest approximation to any general supposedly shared concept of verisimilitude that I can ever hope to gather and express…”
“Oh my god, Nick!” Ashley shouted, interrupting his rant before he got even more tangled up in it. She was half exasperated and half glad, mildly irritated and yet deeply relieved to see Nick being Nick. “Come on,” she laughed, “this is really not the time to go all Sheldon Cooper on me!”
Nick smiled as he replied: “Oh yeah, since you mentioned it, I’m afraid you’ll have to catch me up on The Big Bang Theory sometime. I stopped paying attention to that show a couple of seasons ago. It used to be so much fun, but these days I just stare at the screen and try to sleep with my eyes open whenever Mia wants to watch it. Just don’t tell her, please.”
Ashley couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Nick joined her and soon the heavy mood weighing on her lifted. Looking into his bespectacled, handsome face, Ashley felt a surge of emotion for this strange, unique guy that she had met so randomly but on whose opinions and counsel she had come to rely so much. Without thinking, she threw herself at Nick and hugged him tightly, clutching at his tall wiry body. It made her smile to feel him embrace her warmly in kind.
“Now that’s something the real Sheldon wouldn’t do so easily!” Ashley giggled.
“That’s his loss, hugs are the best!” Nick quipped, making them both laugh. “So, are you gonna be okay? I’m sorry you felt bad, but I just had to tell you this. I care too much about you to stay silent.”
“It’s okay, Nick, I actually like your honesty a lot. I always know that, whatever you say, it’s never bullshit. We’re good,” she nodded before squaring her slim shoulders and saying: “I’d better go now.”
“You sure? You can stay here as much as you want, and Mia will be back later too. With pizza!”
“No, it’s fine,” Ashley said, standing up to leave, feeling tingly and fuzzy as she let go of Nick’s hand. “I’m not really in the mood, but thanks. Don’t tell Josh I came by, okay?”
“Of course,” Nick nodded.
As she opened the door, Ashley turned to see Nick sitting on the couch, looking her way and comically waving goodbye. There was a smile on Ashley’s lips as she left the apartment.
*****