Sometimes you really don't realize how much someone means to you until their gone. Love can be blind and sometimes it takes almost losing someone before you realize it. Love is patient. Love is kind. Always understanding, time after time.
Dani laid in her bed crying. This had been the roughest week of her life. She lost her son and the man she loved in the same night. Dani took a leave of absence from her practice and from the team, but she still talked to Terrence once a week over the phone and would see him, but only if he had an emergency. She had been away now for almost a week and the team was needing her. Toes had been causing so many problems with the players and staff. Toes and Matt got into it and since Matt couldn't keep his cool and he ending up punching him. Coach was stressed and finally convinced Nico to come back because Nico never let things happen like this. He always kept things under control and discreet. Nico would be back in town on Friday to stay. The team had a charity event on Friday night as well and Coach needed Nico there. He knew the reason Nico left and he also knew he was going to help get those two together. Yep, it was time for coach to make some arrangements.
All Dani could think about was how she got caught up in the moment and kissed Matt. She knew Nico saw that kiss and that was why he ended up leaving. What upset Dani the most was the fact that Nico didn't even say goodbye. Dani realized as soon as she kissed Matt that she didnt love him and that he was the one she was dangerously attracted too. She knew she needed to tell Matt this wasn't going to work. Nico had been right there all along and it took him leaving for her to realize it. These thoughts only made Dani cry harder. It was already Thursday and Dani had been in bed all week. She was really missing Nico.
The knocking on the door brought Dani out of her thoughts. She rushed down stairs and when she opened the door, it was Matt. She went out on the porch to talk to him because she didn't want him coming in the house. Dani didn't say anything and Matt knew then that it was over between them, but he knew it would be anyways after what he was about to tell her. He decided to start the conversation.
"Look, Dani, I really don't know where to start, but this between us isn't going to work," Matt was starting to say, but Dani wasn't in the mood to listen to his BS.
Dani interrupted Matt and said, "I'm glad you feel that way because I'm in love with someone else and we are just not meant to be, but I hope we can still maintain a professional relationship." When Dani was done admitting that out loud, she felt relieved and she didn't think it would be that easy.
Matt really didn't know what to say. It hurt him hearing her admit that, but he knew the thing between him and Noelle was more than he ever had with Dani and he had to tell her. "Dani, I'm not going to lie it hurts hearing you say that and I also know it will be awkward at work for a while. I'm actually falling for someone and she's pregnant," Matt was glad the cat was out of the bag, so to speak.
"Wow, I really don't know what to say to that," but before Dani could finish, her phone buzzed and she was glad because she had no words. She looked and saw that coach was calling. "Congratulations, Matt. I gotta take this. See you," Dani said as she walked inside.
Dani went and sat at the island in the kitchen to answer the call. Coach needed her at the facility for a meeting in an hour. He said it was an emergency. She knew she would have to face Matt again and she was pretty sure that it was Noelle that Matt got pregnant. Dani also knew that Matt was with her the night Terrence came to Dani's house after he escaped rehab. She decided she would dress up. It was time to get up and get back to work. Yes, it would be hard, but she could do it.
Nico and Coach were laughing and carrying on when Matt walked in. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Nico and heard coach say, "it's good to have you back, Nico."
Nico noticed Matt's face and said, "what's a matter, Donnelly?"
Matt didn't answer, but just walked over and sat down. He knew he was about to pay for his mistake on punching Toes. He also knew the way he treated Dani was on Nico's agenda. Matt finally said, "can we get this over with?"
Nico stepped out of the office. He wanted to have a minute alone with Dani. He heard about Matt and Noelle and he wanted to make sure she was okay. Nico knew Dani was upset with him since she didn't text him back. He just wanted to make things right with her before they got involved in all the drama of everyone else.
Coach gave Matt a look and said, "we are waiting on a few more people." He was hoping that Dani and Nico would get a chance to talk to each other. He knew those two needed to be together.
Dani had chosen a tight fitting spring colored dress. She fixed her hair and was glad to be out of the house with a little bit of confidence. When she walked by the office of the man she was missing so much, she heard, "Dr. Santino," Nico said as he scared Dani like always.
He noticed Dani's expression and knew she had mixed emotions right now. She's so beautiful and perfect for me, Nico thought to himself as he went up and grabbed Dani's arm. He pulled her into his private office and closed the door. He pushed Dani against the door with his body. He got into her face. Nico had one arm on each side of her waist and as he looked into those beautiful brown eyes of hers, he saw the emotions. Before Dani could say anything, Nico said, "Dani, are you okay? I heard about Matt."
Dani had tears running down her face and she said softly, "no, I'm not okay, but it has nothing to do with Matt." She wanted Nico to know how she felt. Yes, she loved him, but it still hurt her that he left without saying goodbye, especially to her.
"You look absouletly breathtaking in that dress," Nico said as he pressed his body into Dani's. He needed the contact from her. He needed to be close to her. He reached up and wiped away her tears and said, "I'm so sorry, Dani. I just couldn't say goodbye to you. It was too painful. That kiss between you and Matt broke my heart. It was unbearable, so I guess me leaving was to get away for a while."
Dani reached up and grasped his shirt and hit his chest. "Do you know how miserable and how much I've cried these past few days because of you. This has been the worst week of my life," Dani said quietly.
"I know you've been miserable and hadn't left the house all week. I have had eyes on you. I just wanted to make sure you were safe, but right now we need to get to this meeting," Nico said. He slowly backed away from Dani and they both fixed themselves so neither Coach or Matt would notice anything between them.
Before, they got into coach's office, Dani grasped Nico's hand and him into a hug. "I've missed you so much. I just needed to feel you close to me for another minute. How about when we get done here, we go somewhere and talk," Dani asked as they held each other tight.
Nico loved the way Dani fit into his arms. "Lets go to my place, okay?" Dani nodded and they finally walked back to coach's office so they could start this meeting and get it over with. They needed to sort out their feelings and tell each other how they felt. It was something that they have avoided for too long now and it was time to talk about it.