You're not the Nick I used to know

The next day…

Amelia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the soft hum of Nick's private jet doing nothing to ease the tension she felt. The kids were fast asleep in the adjoining cabin, leaving her alone with Nick. She watched him as he worked on his laptop, his focus intense, the glow from the screen highlighting the sharp lines of his face. He looked different, harder, like the Nick she once knew had been replaced by someone else entirely.

Nick must have felt her gaze because he looked up, meeting her eyes. "What's up?"

Caught off guard, Amelia quickly looked away, pretending to be engrossed in the research paper on her own laptop. "Nothing," she muttered, but her cheeks betrayed her, warming with a blush.

Nick wasn't fooled. He leaned back in his seat, a smirk playing on his lips. "You were staring at me. What, reminiscing about the good old days? We've got some time to kill while your kids are asleep."

Amelia felt her face flush deeper. "Damn you," she spat, more at herself for getting flustered than at him. "Pervert!"

Nick's smirk widened into a grin. "Playing innocent, huh? But you had no problem having fun with a man back then—fun that led to kids."

"Hey!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. "I was looking at you because you've changed. You're not the same Nick I used to know."

Nick's smile faded, replaced by a shadow of something darker. "And whose fault is that?"

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of their shared history. Amelia swallowed hard, memories of the past flooding her mind. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "That's not what I meant. I just… I just remember how you used to be. You were the guy who would never waste money on luxury like this. You knew that money could be better spent on research that's always underfunded."

Nick's expression tightened as he closed his laptop and pushed it aside. His eyes bored into hers, filled with frustration. "If you're looking for that old Nick in me, you're wasting your time. He's gone, Amelia. So stop trying to find him, and don't bother reminding me about it in the future."

Amelia bit her lip, resisting the urge to snap back. Instead, she let out a frustrated huff and turned her attention back to her paper. But it was no use; her mind was all over the place. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, her thoughts kept drifting, pulling her back to the man sitting just a few feet away. Eventually, the exhaustion of it all caught up with her, and she drifted off to sleep.

Nick noticed when her breathing changed, becoming softer, more even. He glanced over, watching her sleep, something in his chest tightening. It was a feeling he hadn't let himself acknowledge in a long time, something he had buried deep down. But now, seeing her like this, those old emotions started to resurface, creeping in despite his best efforts to keep them at bay.

He called for the flight attendant, asking for a blanket. When she came over to drape it over Amelia, Nick held up a hand to stop her. "I'll do it," he said, his voice softer than usual.

The attendant nodded and handed him the blanket. Nick gently placed it over Amelia, his hand lingering as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. She looked peaceful, a stark contrast to the tension that always seemed to be there when she was awake.

"The old Nick disappeared when you left six years ago."

For a moment, he found himself leaning in, his face close to hers, as if he was about to— kiss her?

"I'm thirsty," a small voice broke through the silence.

Nick froze, pulling back immediately. Sean stood in the doorway of the cabin, rubbing his eyes, his hair sticking up in every direction. He looked up at Nick, then over at his mother, his little face scrunching up in confusion.