Mr. Swoony (The Nest #3)

Chapter 19

Nineteen

Eloise

“We’re in, and we’re out,” Jade says, turning onto the street where Tristan’s house is.

“I hope he hasn’t changed the locks.” I grab the key out of my purse.

We finally reach his house and find no vehicles in the driveway. Thank God. I can only imagine if I ran into his mother here.

“Well, your stuff isn’t on the lawn. That’s a good sign.” Kyleigh clasps my shoulder from the back seat.

Jade parks in the driveway, and I stare at the house I thought I’d be returning to as a married woman. There’s a box on the porch steps. I wonder if Tristan’s car is in the garage.

“Let’s get this over with,” I say.

We all climb out of the SUV.

As I walk up to the front door, I wasn’t expecting all these emotions. It’s not exactly sadness I’m feeling. More like disappointment in myself for not speaking up sooner.

“Man, how rich is his family? This is a nice starter home.” Kyleigh stands behind me at the door.

“He’s a Somerset, so this is probably slumming it to them.” Jade rolls her eyes.

I slide my key in the lock, and I’m surprised when it turns over. I thought for sure that if he didn’t, his mother would lock me out.

“This is for you.” Kyleigh picks up the package from the porch.

“Thanks. It’s a sign I ordered to be delivered yesterday because we were supposed to come back here instead of a hotel after the wedding.”

I step inside. In my head, I had envisioned rose petals strewn on the floor, champagne chilling in the fridge with a platter of fruit and cheeses for us to have in bed after we made love for the first time as husband and wife. But there’s no sign of anything like that.

You were delusional. You probably would have been taking care of his drunk ass.

“Can I open it?” Kyleigh asks, holding up the box.

“Ky,” Jade scolds her.

She shrugs. “I just wanted to see it.”

“Go ahead.” I open the fridge and see it still has the ten takeout containers and beer. I grab the bottle of wine. “This is coming with us.”

“Good for you. What else do you want to take?” Kyleigh opens a drawer, making herself at home, and cuts open the package.

“Nothing is mine. It’s all his. Fully stocked thanks to his mommy.”

She pulls out the sign that reads The Somersets.

“Super cute.” Kyleigh holds it up to Jade.

Jade nods and turns to me. “Let’s get your stuff.”

Kyleigh drops the sign on the table and follows us up the stairs. I walk into the primary bedroom, assuming my stuff was put in there.

The movers were running late, and I had to be at the venue to talk over last-minute details, since it was an outside reception and rain was predicted. Tristan said he’d take care of making sure all my stuff got where it was supposed to go.

“Did he unpack you?” Jade asks, staring around the room like I am, trying to figure out where all my boxes are.

Kyleigh goes into the closet. “Just men’s clothes in here.”

The bathroom doesn’t have my stuff either, the drawers on the one side empty except for a few things I left here when I spent the night.

“What the hell?” I rest my hands on my hips and look around.

Leaving the primary bedroom, I turn right into one of the spare bedrooms. Sure enough, all my boxes are here. I open the closet, and my clothes are hung on the rack.

“This is weird,” Kyleigh says. “Why is all your stuff in this bedroom?”

“Because he’s a jackass, that’s why.” Jade picks up a box and walks downstairs.

Kyleigh cringes at me, picking up a box. “Good decision on not marrying him.”

She walks out, and I sit on the edge of the queen bed and close my eyes. The anger inside me rises like flames doused in gasoline. Why did I ever allow him to do shit like this? My fists clench at my sides.

“This isn’t healthy. Let’s just get this done and free you from him forever.” Jade returns and fills her arms with my clothes.

She’s right. Why sit here and feel bad over Tristan doing something insensitive—again? He acted like this our entire relationship, and I just made excuses for him. I’ve called it off, so this is my last step before he’s out of my life. Especially after the pictures I saw him tagged in on socials this morning. I showed the girls on the way over.

They were from Tristan’s bachelor party, and I have to assume that Merrick tagged him in an effort to stick it to me. In one, there’s a topless stripper on his lap, and his face is planted between her breasts. The picture was taken from behind her, so I can only see her naked back and the thong she’s wearing, but there’s no other place for his face to have been. In the next picture, I can see his face because he’s leaning back, and he’s groping her. In the last, she’s on her knees in front of him and undoing the zipper on his pants. I can only imagine what happened next.

Just like when I saw the picture of him on our honeymoon with his arm slung around another woman, I don’t feel any hurt or anger. It only further solidifies my decision. I don’t even care to know what happened the night of his bachelor party or to know if things like that had been happening all throughout our relationship. It helps that I had a physical right after the last time we were intimate, and it came back without any issues.

For the next twenty minutes, the three of us get all my things stuffed into Jade’s SUV.

I go back inside to grab the wine bottle and see the sign on the table. I pick it up and stomp out of the kitchen into the backyard with it.

“Eloise, what are you doing?” Jade asks, following me.

At the edge of the pool, I fling the sign into the water and watch it sink to the bottom.

“You go, girl!” Kyleigh cheers, flipping off the water. “Fuck you, Tristan Somerset.” She raises her middle finger in the air to any cameras that might be around.

I’m sure he has them. Plus, the house will probably go on the market now, and he’ll move back to the city.

Jade puts her arm around my shoulders. “You deserve better, and you’re going to find it.”

I nod, and she squeezes me to her side.

Kyleigh comes to my other side. “He’s an asshole who has no idea what he just lost, but he will one day. You made the right decision. Not like you need my permission.”

“Thank you.”

We stare into the pool for a bit before returning to the kitchen. I like this girl power thing we have going on.

“I’d burn the house down if I wouldn’t get arrested for arson.” Kyleigh laughs, picking up the box on the table. “But…” She takes all the food containers from the fridge and opens them on the counter. “How long was your honeymoon?”

“Ten days.”

“This should be nice and ripe by then.”

Jade shakes her head and laughs. “Does Rowan know this side of you?”

“It’s what makes him fall in line.” She laughs. “Kidding.”

“Wait.” I hold up my left hand, slide off my engagement ring, and admire it one last time.

“You should keep it,” Jade says with a shrug.

“I don’t want it.” I place it on the counter. “Now he’s really behind me.”

We walk out of the house, and I lock up behind us.

Right before Jade pulls away, I take one last look, happy it’s in my rearview mirror. Tristan wants a Stepford wife, not one with her own opinions and desires. And I want more for myself than being a yes person.

Ruby lets us park in the alley outside Peeper’s Alley, and Rowan and Tweetie help us bring my stuff up, letting us finish in only one trip.

“Where the hell is my brother?” Kyleigh asks, hanging up the last of my clothes in the closet.

“I’m not sure.”

Jade runs her hand over the walls, looking as though she’s lost in some memories. “I loved this condo. Bodhi will be so happy you’re in his room.”

“Well, if he wants to see it like this, he better come soon because I’m redoing it this week.” I slide my boxes into the corner to go through later. “Where are Rowan and Tweetie?”

“Down at the bar.” Kyleigh rolls her eyes.

I hear the front door open, and we all step out of the bedroom.

“Oh, look who shows up right after all the heavy lifting is done. How convenient,” Kyleigh says.

Conor looks beyond his sister at me. “How did it go?”

He’d asked to go with me, said he could help with the moving, but I don’t want to become dependent on him while I’m here. Besides, if anyone from Tristan’s side was at the house when I arrived, that would have been a real mess.

“The locks hadn’t been changed,” I say.

“And no one was there?”

“I had her back if someone was. Relax on the bodyguard thing.” Kyleigh peeks into the bags he brought home.

Conor shuts them. “Mind your own business.”

“Flour? Sugar? My birthday already passed, remember? But sweet of you to want to make me a cake.” She slides onto a stool. “The boys are down at Peeper’s.”

“Shouldn’t your alarm be beeping that you’re too far away from Rowan then?” He arches an eyebrow.

I enjoy watching their dynamic with one another.

“Well, he fucked me so good last night, I’m sore, so I should probably keep my distance.”

He scowls and points at her. “That’s going too far.”

She slides off the stool. “You make it too easy.” She comes over and hugs me. “I’m upstairs if you ever need me. I can’t wait to tell Rowan about the sign.”

“Thanks, Kyleigh.”

She winks just like Conor does and waves. “Bye, guys.”

“Wait, I’m coming with you.” Jade quickly hugs me. “I’m only a short Uber ride away.” She points at Conor. “Behave yourself. You think Henry is scary, remember how good I am at darts.” Her eyes fall to his crotch.

Conor covers his package.

She smiles. “Now you two behave and have fun.” Her voice is so sugary sweet, you’d never guess she just threatened Conor.

The door shuts after them, and I peek inside the bags. “What’s all this?”

“We’re going to bake a cake from scratch.” He unpacks the grocery bags, taking out all the ingredients. “What’s this about a sign?”

I watch him for a second, not looking at me but pulling out each item just so we can bake a cake. My emotions bubble up and pour over until I wrap my arms around his neck and breathe him in.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

His arms move around my back, but he doesn’t pull me closer. “It’s just cake supplies.”

“It’s so much more, and you know it.” I tighten my hold before falling back down on my heels.

His cheeks are pink when I pull away, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

“So you don’t mind me helping you?” he asks. “You’ll bake a cake with me?”

“I’d love to.”

He pulls out a recipe. “I found this online.”

This will be a lot harder than I thought. We’re only on day one.