The Neighbor Favor(69)

She fell quiet, resting her face in the crook of Nick’s neck while he continued to rub her back. Slowly, her sniffling and tears stopped. He thought she might pull away, but she remained there in his embrace. This feeling of being needed was unfamiliar to him, but it felt good. She’d called him when she could have called anyone. That meant something, right?

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for crying all over your shirt.”

He shook his head. His chin brushed against her hair. “You don’t need to apologize.”

“Thank you for coming with me.”

“Of course.”

After what felt like an eternity, but was really only about twenty minutes, the nurse returned with Tomcat. This time he sat contentedly inside his carrier and meowed as Lily and Nick approached the front desk.

“Our little friend here was so nervous that he pooped as soon as we put him on the exam table and started the X-ray,” the nurse explained. “We found a little gold hoop earring in his feces, and we think that’s what was bothering him. It passed out of his system, so he should be okay now.”

Before walking away, the nurse handed Lily a tiny clear bag that contained the small earring.

“No wonder I couldn’t find this!” Lily said, laughing in relief. She turned her bright smile onto Nick and hugged him. He was surprised for a second, but he hugged her back on instinct. He was relieved that she was relieved. Happy that she was happy.

That is, until the receptionist gave her the bill.

“Five hundred dollars?” Lily said, gaping. “Just for the X-ray?”

“Emergency visits can be costly,” the receptionist said apologetically.

Tomcat, for his part, was still meowing inside of his carrier, obviously pissed and ready to get the hell home.

“I don’t have that kind of money.” Lily searched through her bag for her wallet. “I just put my flights for Violet’s bachelorette party on my credit card and I need to pay my part of the rent.”

“I’ve got it,” Nick said, placing down his credit card.

It was interesting, really. He’d had to force himself to buy furniture for his own apartment and new sneakers without holes in the soles. But when it came to Lily, he offered up his credit card without hesitation.

“Nick,” she said, frowning. “I can’t let you pay for this.”

“It’s okay. I told you I have a lot of money saved. I can cover it.”

She gave him an apprehensive look. But then she glanced down at Tomcat, whose meowing pleas to leave hadn’t stopped. “I’ll pay you back.”

“You don’t have to.” Nick picked up Tomcat’s carrier as the receptionist swiped his card.

“Thank you,” Lily said, squeezing his free hand.

“It’s nothing, honestly.” And that was true. He would do anything for her. She meant so much to him. It was why he was determined not to fuck up her life.



* * *



? ? ?

Back at her apartment, Nick placed Tomcat’s carrier on the ground. Tomcat emerged and threw an annoyed look over his shoulder. Lily refilled his water bowl and he drank loudly like he’d been abandoned in the desert. Lily cooed over him and stroked his back.

Nick stood by the door, unsure if he should leave now. Lily looked up at him and smiled tiredly.

“Come sit with me?” she asked. “If you don’t have other plans, I mean.”

Other plans? He’d cancel a meeting with the Dalai Lama to spend more time with her.

They sat on the couch and Nick glanced back at Tomcat, who was busy grooming himself by his food bowl.

“He’s in a better mood,” he said.

“He despises the vet. It’s the only time he gets out of character.” She was looking at Nick intently. “Thank you for everything tonight. I don’t just mean paying the bill. I mean coming to help Tomcat and holding him. Comforting me when I freaked out. All of it. I am going to pay you back, by the way.”

“You really don’t have to.”

“I will,” she said.

He let it drop. If anyone, he understood the desire to not feel indebted.

Tomcat meandered over and hopped up onto the couch. Nick stilled, then held his breath as Tomcat walked right onto his lap and started making a weird motion with his paws while he purred. It was almost like he was softly digging into the fabric of Nick’s jeans.

“Uh . . . what’s he doing?” Nick asked, afraid to move.

“Oh my God. He’s making biscuits on you.” Lily was beaming. “It means he loves you now.”

“Making biscuits?”

“Yeah, look at his paws. It’s like he’s kneading dough. My little baker.” She raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Still think all cats are evil?”

Hesitantly, Nick patted Tomcat on the head. Tomcat leaned into Nick’s hand, brushing his cheek across Nick’s palm. Then he curled into a ball in Nick’s lap, warm and content.

“No,” he finally said. “This guy’s okay.”

Lily smiled, satisfied. “Told you.”

Nick grinned at her, and then they fell quiet. He wanted to apologize for the way he’d left things at her parents’ house.

“About Saturday—” he said.