She Drives Me Crazy // Fine Young Cannibals

3 years later...

I think I'm going to throw up. Drumming my fingers on the steering wheel and just about bouncing out of the driver's seat is doing nothing to calm me down. I breathe deeply through my nose and blow it out of my mouth slowly.

Nope. Not working. April will be coming down the stairs of Gladys' house any second and then...show time. I'm a mess of thoughts and emotions, but I guess that's to be expected.

I'm about to propose to the love of my life. It's appropriate to have every emotion associated with a major life decision, right?

Right. And this is a good one. The best. It's been a long time coming, but April didn't want any of her jokes about being a single mom cosmetologist coming true, so I've been patient. Letting her start a personal stylist business, bankrolled by a very willing Gladys who was her very first client. Watching as my girl, my goddess of sunshine, became successful in her business venture. Proud as shit at every milestone she pulled together. I've watched her blossom into the most beautiful, compassionate, and thoughtful woman I know.

"Hey, bitch! You're early."

Yeah, that's my girl. I laugh as April hops in the car with me. She still has that edge I fell for on day one.

"I've got something to show you." I lean over and give her a kiss. The second I heard her voice, all the nerves I felt vanished. I'm ready for this.

"Oh yeah? Let's see it." She smirks at me. She probably thinks it's a burger.

I nod to the dashboard. "Open the glove box."

April gives me a doubtful look. "Parking tickets? Have you been hiding them from me?"

I roll my eyes. "Just look." She can drive me nuts sometimes, but damn do I love her.

April pulls the handle and opens the glove box. A key tied with a red satin ribbon falls out. "What's this? Another car?"

"April, look at that key. That is not a car key."

She brings it closer for a better inspection. "Whose key is this?"

"It's yours now. I'll show you what it opens." I put the car in drive and pull out of Gladys' driveway. The drive will take us to the other side of town and now I'm rethinking my entire plan. I should have driven her there first then given her the key. Now she's tense with silence because she's trying to figure out what it is.

"Nico."

"Yeah?"

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see."

"I don't want to see. I want to know."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Yes. Trust has nothing to do with this.

"Oh but I disagree. Trust me when I say you will see very soon. In fact," I pull around a corner and onto the street where our destination is then stop right in front. "Here we are."

"This is Brax and Savanna's house." April is staring out the window at their front porch when I hop out and round the hood. I open her door and reach out a hand to pull her up.

"Come on." I take her by the hand and lead her down the side path toward the back of the house.

"Are we having dinner with them?"

"Nope."

"Are they even home?"

"I don't know."

We get to the back staircase and I pull her up the steps. We make it to the top landing when April pulls back on my hand.

"Nico..."

I think she may have figured it out, but I don't say anything. I just take the key out of her other hand and slide it into the lock. Then I open the door to our new home. I turn to face April and find her staring into the doorway with her jaw on the floor.

"Did you move?" She's looking at the furniture inside and I'm sure she recognizes some of it from my room at home. I bought a few new things as well but I'm trying to save up for something big in the future, so I went cheap.

I'm buying this girl a house one day. But first, I have something bigger to do.

"Come on in." We step over the threshold and into the living area.

"I forgot Brax and Savanna had these apartments over their house." April is walking around, checking everything out. She steps into the kitchen and it couldn't be better timing.

"You got an apartment without telling me?"

Or not. Shit. I never thought she'd be upset that I kept her in the dark but it was for a really good reason.

"I'm telling you now. And I wanted to surprise you because..." I rub the back of my neck. The nerves are back full blast. "I want you to live here with me." I look up again to find April blankly staring at me. "What?"

She takes three huge steps over to me and throws her arms around my neck. "Oh, baby."

I melt. This girl never calls me baby and damn it sounds good coming from her lips. I decide I need a taste of those lips, so I take one. Then another. And another. And before I drag her to the bedroom and show her how I really feel, I stop and lean away. I have more to say first.

"Does that mean you want to live here?" My voice sounds far away, almost not part of my own body anymore. That's how this feels, like an out of body experience.

"Yes. I want to live here." April starts to kiss me, but I stop her.

"Wait. Let's celebrate first."

"That's what I'm trying to do." Her eyes are hooded and so fucking tempting. But no. Not yet.

"Open the fridge. I have something waiting for us in case you said yes." Holy shit. That last part gave my stomach some serious nervous energy. I still have a bigger question I need her to say yes to.

"Okay, whatever you say." April saunters over to the fridge and pulls the door open. She laughs when she finds a two-liter bottle of Coke. "What in the heck? Who celebrates with Coke? I thought there'd be a bottle of champagne or something."

"I don't think champagne goes with ice."

She turns around to find me on one knee. Her hands cover her mouth as soon as the scene registers. Thank goodness I got a plastic bottle of soda and not a glass bottle of fizzy wine. I'm pretty sure she would have dropped it.

"Yup, this is what it looks like, baby." I pull the black velvet box out of my pocket and pop it open. The sparkling one carat diamond is my version of ice for the occasion.

"April, it's you. It's been you from the second I saw you. And I can't wait another day to be more than just your boyfriend, more than your mechanic," April laughs at that one even as the tears start to fall. "More than the guy waiting to start a future with you. Will you start that future with me now?" I pull the ring out of the box and take her left hand. She's already nodding so I'm gonna go ahead and assume she's saying yes. "Will you marry me, April Elizabeth Reed?"

"Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Nicholas Michael Evans." The ring firmly on her finger, a perfect fit, I stand and take her in my arms absolutely ready to show her the bedroom. But April has other ideas. Her eyes are glued to the ring and firing off every question that comes to her mind.

"Who knows about this? Did you talk to my mom? Does Ko know? Have you told Garrett? How did you know I'd love this ring, Nico? It's so perfect. Oh my gosh, I'm getting married!"

She looks up at me again. "We're getting married!" April throws her arms around my neck again.

I pick her up and spin her around. "Yeah we are. I can't wait to call you Mrs. Evans, baby."

"And I can't wait to call you Mr. Bitch." She nuzzles into me.

"Um, babe? You already call me that."

"Nope. I call you bitch. But once we're married, you'll graduate to Mr."

I shake my head. "I sincerely hope you curb the bitch thing once we have kids."

"Kids? Who said I wanted kids?"

What? "April, we've talked about this! We said two kids, right?"

She kisses my cheek. "Just messing with you. I couldn't resist after I spent a thirty-minute car ride trying to figure out what the mystery key was for."

"That was totally different!"

"Did I make you mad?" She pouts.

"Kind of." I pout right back.

She kisses me. A deep, dirty kiss. "Then let's go make up."

Holy shit. Yeah, I'm cool with that. I scoop her up and carry her squealing into the bedroom.

The future Mr. and Mrs. Bitch got some making up to do.

That's it!! The end! Ok, ok, I know...what about the wedding???? Well, that little gem was written way before this story was even a twinkle in my eye and can be found in the second epilogue of More Than This. Be aware that while writing this I changed some of April's backstory, so in the original scene for April and Nico's wedding her dad walks her down the aisle. That will change in revisions but I'm not sure who will have the honors...maybe Edgar? or Brax (gah wouldn't that be sweet!!) I'm not sure. MTT needs a ton of revisions and its making me exhausted just thinking about them, lol!!

But not to fear! Because I have started Matt's story!!!!!! I'm including a sneak peek below but don't worry, if you haven't read MTT, this scene doesn't give any spoilers. It's Matt being Matt when Hannah first meets him, a scene that is talked about in MTT but wasn't written.

In the next few days I will post my Behind The Scenes look at how this story happened, and there's some juicy secrets to spill haha!!

Here is the musical offering for the week, because April certainly drives Nico crazy! 😉💕

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Sneak Peek of All There Is (Matt and Hannah's story)

Hannah

A few heated voices are audible as the music dies down between songs. Jeff and I look over to see a couple of his friends in an angry stare off. Pete, I recognize from hanging out at Jeff's house. He's on the football team with my cousin. He's cute with his messy black hair and dimples, but he's kind of a jerk. The other guy is not someone I know. He's tall, sandy blonde hair, and totally wasted.

"Oh shit," Jeff mutters. "I need to check on him."

He takes a few steps over to the guys and I follow. More morbid curiosity, I guess. As we get closer, I remember seeing the mystery guy when Jeff and I arrived. The girl he showed up with turned around and left him here almost immediately. I have no idea why, but I remember feeling sorry for the guy for getting dumped publicly. I'm sure that's why he's trashed now.

"Matt, what the fuck are you doing? Stop spilling your beer all over my paint job!" Pete is shouting at the guy--Matt. Matt just smiles and slurs something about having a good time. Jeff and I stop a couple of feet from them. Pete has his arm around a girl who keeps running her hand up under his shirt. Matt is leaning on Pete's car.

"Dude give him some space. Amber just took off on him. You know how he feels about her."

Pete rolls his eyes. "Sure do. No one can go five minutes without this ass reminding us who she belongs to." Pete shoves Matt away from his car. "Looks like you forgot to tell Amber. She wants nothing to do with you." Once Matt is away from his car, Pete turns his attention to the girl trying to climb him. They start making out right in front of us. Jeff groans, rubbing his face with his free hand. He starts to hand me his beer, for what reason I couldn't say, when a girl with most of her skin showing through her tiny little outfit slides up to him.

The girl whispers something in Jeff's ear. He nods, takes a swig of beer, then dumps the can. He gives me a half eye and says, "Wait here. I'll be right back."

I stand there watching Jeff go off with the girl. Pete is focused on his girl and Matt is once again leaning against Pete's car. That's when we make eye contact. Matt gives me an over exaggerated wink looking like a cartoon character. Then he points at me and mumbles something I don't understand but he must think is hilarious based on the way he laughs afterward. Matt takes a series of stumbling steps over to me and leans into my ear. He puts his arm around my shoulder. The music has died down again so his attempt to whisper over the noise ends up just being a shout.

"You're fucking hot. Take me to your place."

I laugh because what else am I supposed to do? Shaking my head, I remove his arm from my shoulder and look at him. My breath catches as I look into his eyes up close. So close. So blue, like that blue from the famous jewelry store, Tiffany's. Robin's egg blue. My stomach dips at how absolutely gorgeous his eyes are. I know in an instant that those eyes get what they want. All Matt would have to do is grace someone with those beautiful eyes and his every request would be granted.

I'm going to have to stay very far away from those eyes.

***

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