#strod college
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Blindsided, Chapter 9
A few days later, Nic had his computer and textbooks spread out in front of him at the kitchen table when he heard Allie’s phone ring. The sound of her ringtone nearly made him jump out of his seat. He glanced at Allie, who was sitting on the couch, listening to cases studies she’d been assigned in class through screen reading software on her computer. He watched as she picked up her iphone and tapped it twice before putting it up to her ear. Was it her aunt? Her doctor? He stopped what he was doing and listened in. At first, her responses consisted of long pauses and a maddeningly short series of yeses and umms. But then, near the end of her conversation, he distinctly heard her say, “I can come in and see Dr. Severin tomorrow morning. 9 a.m.? Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
Nic waited a moment or two after she’d hung up before walking over and plopping himself down next to her. “Who was it?” he asked in as casual a tone as he could muster.
“It was Donna, my eye doctor’s appointment secretary,” Allie replied with a bewildered look. “She said that my ophthalmologist wants me to come in for an evaluation.”
“Why? What’s going on?” he pressed, even though he knew the exact reason why she’d gotten the call.
“She told me that the Eye Institute just received some money from an anonymous donor. That person apparently specified that it be spent on someone it deems qualified to receive retinal implant surgery who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Apparently, Dr. Severin thinks that that person should be me.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I said yes,” Allie replied, her voice quivering. “She asked me to come to his office tomorrow morning for a consultation. She said that he’d give me more details about the surgery itself as well as where and when it would take place.”
“That’s great, isn’t it?” he asked and placed his hand over hers.
Allie nodded. “Oh Nic. Do you know what this means?”
“It’s the chance of a lifetime.” He squeezed her hand.
She scooted closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder. “I can’t believe that this is happening to me.”
“This calls for a celebration. What would you like to do?”
Allie paused a moment to think. “Can we go to Luigi’s? It’s walkable and they’ve got the best coffee and desserts in town.”
“Sounds good to me,” Nic replied as he helped her get to her feet. “My treat.”
“Have you tried their cappuccino or stracciatella gelato yet?” Allie asked as Nic guided her to the front door. “They’re just to die for.”
He smiled and said, “Really? Maybe I will tonight. Just wait for me here. I’ll go and get our coats.”
Nic and Allie snagged the last available outdoor table underneath the café’s awning after purchasing their drinks and desserts at the counter. A nearby heat lamp kept them warm as they clinked their cappuccino mugs together and then dug into their gelatos with gusto. It wasn’t long, however, before their private celebration was interrupted by Conner, who just happened to be walking by them at the time.
Nic saw him first and alerted Allie just as Conner, who was wearing jeans and a Wagner University sweatshirt, strode up to them and said, “Hi Allie, long time no see.”
“Conner?” Allie’s face fell. “Is that you?”
“The one and only,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been awhile. How’ve you been?”
“Good, good,” Allie replied. “What are you doing here?”
“I was just dropping off some clothes at the dry cleaners across the street. I saw you sitting there with your…umm…friend so I thought I’d come over and say hello.”
“Well…that’s great.” After a long and awkward pause, she said, “Don’t let us keep you. I’m sure you’ve probably got a million other things do.”
“That’s all right. I needed a study break. I’ve got a pile of textbooks and class outlines that I have to go over when I get back to my fraternity house. All that can wait as far as I’m concerned.”
“Do you mean to tell me that you and your frat brothers actually study?” Allie asked. It was hard for Nic to tell if she was being serious or not. “That’s not the impression I got from your mom the last time I saw her at my aunt’s house. She seems to think that your fraternity’s motto is “All Play and No Work.”
“Have you been checking up on me?” Conner teased. “I’m flattered. You still going the Joe’s every Wednesday?” Allie nodded. “Maybe I’ll surprise you and stop by while you’re there. It’ll be like old times.”
“Nic and I have been doing a lot of stuff together,” Allie replied.
Conner frowned as he shifted from foot to foot. “Just ‘cause you’re with Nic doesn’t mean you have to forget about everyone else.”
“What are you talking about?” Allie shot back. “I’ve been doing no such thing.”
“Then why didn’t I see you at Father Marcus’ retirement celebration? He told me that you haven’t gone to his Thursday evening bible study class with your aunt in months.”
“I’ve been really busy this semester,” Allie replied defensively. “Between my classes and my internship at the Development Services Department, I barely have time to breathe. I’m usually pretty beat by the end of the day. Just ask Nic, he’ll tell you.”
“Then maybe you should cut back and stick around an extra semester or two.”
“No way,” Allie cut in. “I can’t afford to do that.”
“What about your aunt and uncle?” Conner replied. “I’m sure they’d help you.”
“I can take care of myself,” she replied, lifting her chin. “Besides, they have their own kids’ college expenses to worry about without me adding to their financial burden.” At that point, she stood up and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the ladies’ room.”
“Do you need me to help you walk over there?” Conner asked.
“God, no,” she snapped. “I mean no thanks. I can find my way there on my own. I’ve been to Luigi’s plenty of times and I have my walking stick right here to help me get to where I need to go.”
Nic stood up and opened the door for Allie. He purposely turned his back on Conner and watched her until she’d reached the back of the café and walked into the restroom. When he turned around, he was dismayed to find that Conner hadn’t moved an inch. He cursed under his breath and braced himself for what he imagined would be a rather unpleasant conversation.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Conner said while Nic sat down and breathed into his cold hands for warmth.
“I think that you made your feelings about me being in Allie’s life quite clear the last time I saw you.”
“And there’s nothing that I’ve seen or heard in the time in between to make me think any differently,” Conner said with a smugness that Nic found irritating to the extreme. “Her aunt says that the two of you are dating now.”
“That’s right,” Nic replied curtly. “What’s it to you?”
“Allie needs someone stable. Someone she can rely on. No offense, but I don’t think you have it in you to be any of those things for her.”
And you think you do? Nic longed to say but bit his tongue. For Allie’s sake, he simply replied, “I’m sorry to hear you say that.”
“My guess is that you’re probably not planning on sticking around after you graduate. Am I right?” Rather than show Conner that he was getting under his skin in any way, Nic simply chose to stare at his nemesis, his face inscrutable, and say nothing. After a moment or two of silence, Conner continued, undeterred. “What happens to her then? I’ll tell you. You’ll leave her heartbroken while you go on your merry way.”
Nic felt blood rush to his face as he clenched his fists and fought the urge to get back at him somehow. What does this slow-witted busybody know about him or what’s best for Allie? Nothing. With great effort, he retained his composure and said, “You give her too little credit. You’ve known her since you were children but she’s not a child anymore. She’s a smart, independent and savvy young woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.”
Conner retorted, “You don’t think I know that? Allie was doing just fine before you came along. She had everything and everyone she needed until you came along and stuck your nose in her business.”
Nic’s patience was wearing thin. And so he simply to cut to the chase and said, “Look, I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your plans but I think she’s made it clear to you on multiple occasions that she has no interest whatsoever in being anything other than your friend.”
“Of course she’s told you that. Why would she say anything else after you weaseled your way into her life and…and corrupted her virtue?”
Nic blinked, open-mouthed. Did he really just say that? What century did he think they were living in? He took a deep breath, then said, “I’ve tried, for Allie’s sake, to be polite to you even though you’ve been nothing but rude to me. For some reason, you’ve got this deluded notion that she’s going to wake up some day and realize that she’s in love with you. Well, here’s a newsflash for you. That’s never going to happen, so stop acting like you’re some kind of white knight that’s going to come in and save the day. She doesn’t want or need you.”
Just then, Nic felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Allie.
“Conner, I think it’s time for you to go.”
Nic froze. How much had she heard? He glanced at Conner, who was glaring at him. In fact, the guy looked like he was ready to punch him out. But instead, he just shoved his hands into his pockets and said, “Would you mind stepping away for minute? I need to speak with Allie alone.”
She replied, “Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of him too.”
“Fine,” Conner said with a disgruntled look. “This guy has trouble written all over him. Why can’t you see that?”
“Because I think you’re wrong, so I guess we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on that,” she replied calmly.
Undaunted, Conner pointed his finger between his eyes and said in a low, menacing voice, “You’re up to something, I can feel it. And when I finally figure out what it is, you’re going to be sorry.”
“Conner, that’s enough.”
“Okay, fine.” Conner raised his hands and backed away. “I’ll see you later.” He then turned on his heel and strode off in a huff.
Allie looked troubled as she slid her hand down Nic’s arm and then gripped his hand. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right? What Conner just did was so not okay. I mean, seriously, where does he get off thinking that he can just come up and bad mouth you in front of me like that?”
“I’m fine. I’ve dealt with worse.”
“I thought he’d leave if I got up and went to the restroom. Guess that didn’t work, did it?” she said with a sigh. “What did he tell you?”
“Do you want to long or short version?”
Allie covered her face with her hands and said, “Whichever you prefer.”
“He basically told me that he thinks I’m a jerk who’s going to use you and then leave after I graduate.”
She groaned in dismay. “What did you say?”
“I told him to buzz off and get a life.”
“Good. I owe you one,” she replied, giggling with relief. She then shook her head, adding, “He’s something else.”
“You can say that again,” Nic replied as he let go of her hand. He leaned forward and picked up the still steaming cup of cappuccino, raising it to his lips. After taking a sip, he placed it back on the saucer and said, “This is pretty good.”
Allie nodded. She looked pensive. He wondered why as he watched her scoop up a mouthful of her increasingly soupy looking gelato.
He patted her on the knee and said, “Talk to me.”
“I was just thinking of how good we are together,” Allie replied while twiddling her thumbs. “On paper, you wouldn’t think we’d have that much in common. On the one hand, there’s you, a worldly ex-footballer from a wealthy Spanish family whose spent his life hobnobbing with celebrities and sports stars. And then there’s me. A working-class girl who’s spent most of her life with people who live paycheck to paycheck and have to scrimp and save so that they’ll have the money to pay a plumber when the water heater goes out or to buy a new appliance when the old one stops working.”
“I like your family. They’re honest, hardworking individuals. Having money doesn’t make you a better person. A lot of those rich and famous people I used to hang out with were actually rather shallow and self-centered. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t that much different from them at the time. I talked a good game and said the right things in public, but it was mostly an act. I was happy to go with the flow and I rarely stopped to think about the consequences of my actions.”
Allie seemed to shudder at the thought, “That’s hard to imagine. The guy you’re describing sounds nothing like the one I fell in love with. You’re conscientious, loyal and don’t seem at all like the kind of person that would go and do something behind my back.”
Nic flinched. He was glad that she couldn’t see him. He knew he looked and felt guilty. But weren’t his intentions good? In the end, wasn’t that what really mattered? He replied, “Please don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m far from perfect. You of all people should know that by now.”
“Your faults make you human. Just like me,” she said, smiling warmly. “I appreciate the fact that you’ve always treated me like you’d treat anybody else and not like a disabled girl who needs special treatment. It’s also nice to know that I can count on you to have my back.”
“And you have mine,” Nic replied. “It’s not every day that someone can say that they live with a person who’s their best friend, lover and closest confidant all rolled into one.”
Allie blushed as she paused to take a sip of her cappuccino. “I liked you from the start, but, believe me, I had no idea that our relationship would turn out the way it has. It’s been great. Fabulous. But…”
“But what?”
“I think it’s also important to be realistic about things, you know what I mean?”
Her words caught him off guard. Where exactly was she going with this? Alarmed, he asked, “Please tell me that you don’t actually think that anything Conner said was true. Do you honestly believe that I’m just going to go back to Spain and forget all about you once I get my degree?” Knowing that Allie was not one to mince her words or to refrain from speaking her mind, her silence spoke volumes. He said, “Don’t you know what you mean to me? You’ve changed me for the better and helped me to turn my life around. Do you really think I would just walk away from you after all that we’ve been through?”
Allie’s mouth began to quiver as an errant tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away and said, “I love you, Niki, so so much. These last few months with you have meant the world to me but I know full well that you had a life before you got here and that you’re most likely going to go back to it. And when that time comes, I want you to know that I’ll be okay.”
“Te quiero, mi amor,” Nic replied in earnest. “I have no intention of going anywhere now or in the future without you.”
“You say that now but what about the rest of your family? I’m as blind as a bat and haven’t got a penny to my name, and I can count the number of Spanish phrases I can say in one hand,” Allie stammered. “What would they think of me?”
Given the lengthy conversations that he’d recently had with this padre about her, Nic confidently replied, “They’d welcome you with open arms and grow to love you just as I have.”
“Do you really think so?”
“They’re big hearted people who are well aware of the physical and emotional pain that I’ve had to endure these last two years. I came out of that car accident a broken man. The doctors both here and in Spain put me back together as best as they could but you’re the one who brought me back to life.”
Allie nodded and then was quiet for a moment. “Then I guess you’re going to be stuck with me for a while.”
“Is that a threat?” Nic asked playfully.
“No,” Allie replied with a tearful smile. “It’s a promise.”
#hailee steinfeld#ricardo gomez#romance#love story#contemporary fiction#fan fiction#soulmates#bffs#blind#guide dog#burn victim
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