• TOMMASO'S P.O.V. •

"We're moving in together!"

Nicole and I had announced this together, which made both Johnny and Candice's mouths hit the floor beneath them. Nicole was over-the-moon excited about this and so was I, of course, but it wasn't looking like Johnny and Candice were, though.

"What?" Johnny breathed out, blinking frantically in question.

"Yeah," Nicole cheered, smiling from ear to ear. "Well, I'm moving in with Tommaso, actually. But, still, we'll be living together. Isn't that great?"

I was watching both of their reactions, especially Candice, who was just a little more protective of Nicole than Johnny was. She was the one that was always looking out for Nicole over Johnny. I knew that, no matter what, Johnny would be supportive of both myself and Nicole's decisions. Candice was the one to watch, though.

"Great?" Candice finally breathed out, herself. I was a bit skeptical of how she was going to take it from here, but she took a total 360 and smiled. "This is awesome! I am so happy for you two!"

At first, Johnny and I didn't seem to believe her — especially him, who was eyeing his wife before she jumped up and hugged Nicole from across the table. He and I exchanged a quick look between each other before jumping up and hugging it out with everyone.

After Candice looped her arm with Nicole's, she dragged her away while I stood there with Johnny, who was burning a staring hole into me. I looked dead at him and asked: "What?"

Johnny came around the table and whispered to me: "Can I talk to you privately real quick?"

I didn't understand why he felt the need to pull me away, but he did and dragged me all the way into his and Candice's bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind us. I sat down on the edge of their bed and looked up at him, as he was now pacing.

Why is he being so damn dramatic for?

After thinking that he wasn't going say anything, just pace around in front of me, he finally blew up and exclaimed: "You asked her to move in with you?!"

Shit. I nodded and mumbled out, "Y-Yes..."

"What were you thinking?!" Johnny continued, nearly popping a vein out of his head. "This is Nik we're talking 'bout here... S-She's fragile and..."

"Fragile? What?"

He spun around on both heels and explained, "She just lost half of her heart a couple of months ago and, now, she's... Moving? I... It's like losing a child, like our baby is moving out. I don't like it."

I couldn't honestly believe that this is what this was all about. He was being this damn dramatic because he thinks of Nicole as being his child than friend? What the actual fuck?

"Johnny," came my warning tone, but he didn't appear like he was going to stop his rant any time soon.

"I support you two being together — you know that I do, but," he paused and sighed, "Candice and I had to watch her mourn her relationship with Pete for so many weeks. It was hard to see her transition from being this always-cheerful girl to being this depressed mess scattered across the floor. You love her and she loves you. That is obvious, but... I'm still scared to see her dive right into another serious relationship right after another. Y'know?"

I heard Johnny loud and clear, probably being the only guy in her life — apart from Trevor — that hasn't ever let her down. He would be the Best Man at her and my wedding, but — even if he wasn't already my best friend — I'm sure that Nicole would make it possible that he was still our Best Man.

However, after hearing him out and his painful piece, it was hard to argue with him and how he felt. If I did argue, it wouldn't be right. It is how he feels, after all. Though, I did need to add something.

"I understand, Johnny," I stated, right off the bat, with a deep sigh. Then, I stood up and we faced each other, which made it all the more intense. "But, what you do need to understand, though, is that I am not Pete and I will not break Nicole's heart like he did. Unlike Pete, I can actually love another woman like she needs to be loved. I don't have to cheat to feel something again in my relationship. I'm not going to leave her in a crying mess on the floor, unless it's because I popped the question and she's happy about it."

This seemed to hit Johnny like a train, by just reading his facial expression alone. Then, I took one little step forward and concluded: "Johnny, I love Nicole with every fiber of my being and I will never, ever hurt her. If I did, I would never be able to forgive myself and I definitely wouldn't expect her — or anyone else, for that matter — to. At first glance, I was already head over heels in love with her and I didn't even really know her name yet. All I knew was the crazy stories that you and Candice had told me throughout the years. You won't regret letting Nicole go... If that makes sense."

Johnny took a deep breath through his nose and let it settle in his body, and finally nodded. "You're right," he agreed and sighed. "You're absolutely right. She's just... one of my closest gal-friends, y'know? I care about her like she is my little sister and I just don't want another dirtbag like Pete to come and ruin her all over again — but I know you, Tommaso, and I know what a good man that you are, too. So, uh... Thank you. Thank you for loving Nicole, even if you couldn't love yourself first."

With that said, we both nodded after finally understanding each other's pain and concern. Without saying a word, we just spread our arms out and hugged it out in a warm and tight embrace. We did need to talk this out, man to man. From Nicole's man to her best man. It was now or never, and we chose now.

After hugging, we both took a deep breath and Johnny said: "Now, let's get out there before they start wondering what we're doing in here." I laughed and, so, I followed him out of the bedroom until we were in the living room.

Candice was in there alone and I automatically wanted to know where Nicole had ran off to, so — before I could even question Candice — she told me that Nicole had wondered outside because she had to take a phone call.

I nodded and headed outside onto their balcony, having a pretty great view of Orlando, Florida, from up here. Nevertheless, I wasn't really interested in the view of Orlando, just my girlfriend.

"Hey," I croaked out an awkward approach, just as she placed the phone in her hands and placed her head down. I came up behind her, placed my arm over her shoulders, and looked at her face from standing beside her now. "You alright, baby?"

"Yeah," she sighed out, but I knew that it was a lie as soon as it left her lips. "Just got a pretty crazy phone call."

"Oh, yeah?" I squeaked out before I could help myself. "From who? What was it about?"

Suddenly, she stepped out from being under my arm, walked over to the edge of the balcony, and looked down. Well, then. I slowly walked up behind her and whispered out her name, "Nicole..."

"Tommaso, you know almost everything about me, except for one," she began to confess, little by little. Yet, I wasn't going to pressure her to say more than she wanted to, even if I was eager to learn the whole truth. She spun around and our eyes met. "I was a foster child and that is why you never hear about my parents because, in all honesty, I don't know who they are. The reason that Bianca and I were always so close was because she was a foster child, too, but she got the happy ending and I didn't, y'know? She got to be adopted by two wonderful people that loved one another and loved her, too, more than anything in the world. I never stayed in one place — or one family — for more than three months at a time."

I couldn't believe that she had confessed this all to me. It was heartbreaking and it hurt me just to see the pain spread across her face, plus the pain that she once and always will feel, too.

"Bianca was on the other side of that phone call," she finally began to confess the phone call part of it. "I wasn't going to answer, but... Something just told me to, y'know? So, I did and she said that her dad passed away earlier this morning. He was..."

Her voice trailed off as she threw her left hand to under her nose, trying to catch the tears from her eyes before they fell. My heart was breaking and I practically ran to her before she held her hand up, obviously not wanting to be touched at the moment.

She gulped, but she still couldn't keep the tears away. "He was the closest person that I had to a father. After Pete proposed to me, I almost immediately called Pop and asked if he would be the one to walk me down the aisle. He said yes and, then, when I told him about what Pete did to me with... his own daughter, he felt sick and betrayed — like he understood my pain. I loved him like a father, but my pain isn't anything compared to Bianca's right now."

I held my breath when Nicole cried out: "This is the last thing that she needed!"

Then, just like that, she nearly fell to the ground, but not before I caught her as she cried in my embrace. She was mourning a man that was like a father to her, who brought her closer to Bianca, who became like a sister to her. I knew, deep down, that Nicole still cared and loved Bianca like a sister — even if Bianca did the unforgettable to her.

Time would heal all wounds, even those that we will never discuss again.

• AWE 😭 So, we got some insight to how Johnny is feeling — like he is letting a little sister go. I really loved that this was ALL in Tommaso's POV, btw 😍 Then, we learned more about Nik's past and how she grew up. Reminds me of how Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane Mortenson) grew up, minus all the awful and unforgettable rape that she endured. ANYWAYS. . . I hope that you guys enjoy because my phone will be cut off at midnight (most likely) because I have no money to add on to my service 😭 I might actually DIE (JK, but still) AND my cable is out, too, because — y'know — I'm broke and can't afford ANYTHING anymore. FML 😑 Well, I hope that you guys enjoyed! Until next time... All the love .xx 💋 •