Chapter 57
OCTOBER 28 – TUESDAY 4:00 PM
R en
Are you kidding me?
It didn’t matter what time of day I tried calling Lizzy—she always put me straight to voicemail. I was starting to think she had me blocked. I hadn’t even done anything wrong other than be concerned. If it wasn’t for Nash, I wouldn’t even know why she wasn’t speaking to me. Now, I was torn between my concern and being angry as hell with her.
I stomped down the sidewalk outside the athletic building and tried two more times, but it rang once and went to voicemail. With a frustrated growl, I seriously considered throwing my phone for the millionth time.
“If that wasn’t the sexiest little tantrum I’ve ever seen,” Nash said, and I turned around to glare at him.
“I’m not in the mood, Nash.”
He leaned against the wall, looking like a cat lounging in the sun. Nash pushed away and slowly wandered toward me.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s nothing you can do. I’m just frustrated.” I pointed at him. “And I don’t mean sexually before you even go there.”
He smirked and stopped just in front of me, and I glanced around to see if anyone was watching us.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” I said.
“Doing what? I’m just standing here talking to you,” Nash said with the devil dancing in his eyes. “Now, this is me doing something.”
Grabbing me around the waist, he turned us so that my back was against the wall. Not giving me a second to think, Nash dropped his lips to mine, and I shuddered. My head spun, which only added to the mass confusion already swirling around inside of me.
Breaking the kiss, Nash smirked at me.
“See the difference?”
“What I see is an annoying asshole who loves pushing my buttons.”
“That too.” He smiled, showing off his wicked, dimpled smile. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s Lizzy, she won’t speak to me.”
My heart was breaking at the thought of her never talking to me again.
“Have you considered just leaving her alone,” Nash asked, and I crossed my arms and looked away from him.
“Maybe that is what you would do if it was your best friend. But I can’t. She’s going through this life-altering experience, and I’m her person. I’m the one who talks to her into the wee hours of the morning. I’m the one who sits and holds her if she needs to cry and anything else she needs once she decides what to do. I mean…she’s cut me off completely and….” I scrubbed away the stupid tear running down my cheek. “I keep replaying our last talk over and over, and I can’t stop thinking that I pushed her too hard. Maybe I demanded to know too much. I don’t know.”
“I have news for you, Princess. You push, and you tell us what we don’t want to hear. That’s what you do, and if you stop doing that, then you stop being you.”
Staring at my feet, I kicked a little stone. It was a gorgeous, warm day, and I couldn’t even drum up the enthusiasm to enjoy the afternoon sun shining down on us.
“Maybe…I really am a pain in the ass.”
Nash laughed. “You’re just figuring that out?”
“It’s not funny, Nash. My best friend is pregnant, and I’m stuck here, useless. She’s blocked me out of her life.” I held my hands out. “I feel completely helpless. I don’t know what to do. I just….”
He tipped my chin up, silencing me as my heart sputtered all over the place.
“I’ll help you, but under one condition.”
“You love your conditions,” I said, unable to hide the snark in my tone. “Fine, what’s the condition?”
“That you never change who you are.”
I’d been expecting something sexual, and all the gears in my brain skidded to a halt as I tried to process what he said.
“Not for her, me, or anyone else. Promise me that, and I’ll help you get in touch with your friend.”
I licked my lips. “I promise.”
Nodding, Nash pushed away from the wall, and I sucked in a deep breath. He pulled out his phone.
“Do you need her number?”
Nash smirked at me. “Princess, do you really think I don’t have the phone number for every single person you’ve ever encountered? That guy Rylan is a dick and still wants you. I may have to pay him a visit.”
There was no hiding the shock written all over my face.
“Are you a freaking stalker?”
“No, I just take what is mine very seriously. Make no mistake, Princess, you’re mine.”
He held out the phone for me.
“Here you go,” he said as Lizzy’s voice came through the line.
“Hello, is anyone there?”
I’d deal with Nash, his stalking, and his proclamations later. I put the phone to my ear.
“Lizzy, it’s me, please don’t hang up on me.” The line was silent. “Lizzy?”
“Fuck Boo, you’re….”
“A pain in your ass, I know, but I love you,” I said.
She sighed and then broke down crying. Walking away, I sat at a picnic table, my eyes filling with tears as she bawled in my ear.
“I didn’t want to cry,” she said.
“Lizzy….”
“I’m…I’m pregnant,” she blurted out, and I froze, caught between acting shocked or telling her that I already knew.
My conversation with Liam was fresh in my mind. I closed my eyes and lied by saying nothing. Something I was getting far too good at lately.
“It’s okay…whatever you need from me, I’m here. I’m always here no matter what.”
“I know you are….” The heartbreaking sobs coming through the line were killing me, and I would have given anything to hold her right now. “You must think I’m such a moron. You have three guys, and I’m the one to get knocked up.”
It was five now, but telling her that wouldn’t help anything. That was a conversation for another time.
“I don’t think you’re a moron. I’d never think that. Tell me everything, whatever you want.”
She sniffled. “I’ve moved in with my dad.”
“In Toronto?” I pinched my eyes, hating this.
“Yeah. I just got here a few days ago. I wanted to call you so badly. Every time my phone rings, I want to answer, but then I picture your disappointed face filled with pity and worry, and I can’t do it.”
“Lizzy, I don’t pity you, and I’m not disappointed in you.”
“You were about school.”
“Yes, but I couldn’t wrap my head around why someone with great grades and only a few months left would drop out. I knew you were lying to me and not telling me the real reason.”
She sniffed again. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you right away.”
“It’s okay, just please don’t cut me out again. I…I can’t handle that. I was so freaking scared,” I said. “How far along are you?”
“Ten weeks.”
“I hate to ask this, but did something happen with you and your mum? Why go to your dad’s when you guys don’t really get along.”
“No, we are okay. She’s not happy, but we’re okay. My dad is being surprisingly supportive. We’ve had some of the best conversations ever since I arrived. It’s kind of odd. Oh, and he got rid of that girlfriend I hated.”
“Jess?”
“Yeah, her. God, she was such a bitch.”
“Okay, no changing topics. I know your ways, woman. Why did you move?
Lizzy sighed, and I could tell that she was gearing herself up to blurt out a lot of information at once.
I didn’t want to push her too hard. Distraction was my best course of action. I tapped my fingers on the wood tabletop and picked at some of the weathered parts. Nash sat down beside me and grabbed my hand when I winced. There was a tiny sliver stuck in the tip. I wanted to pull away, but he held me firm and studied the splinter before gripping it and yanking it out. It welled with blood, and I shivered, staring into his clear blue eyes as he brought it to his mouth and sucked.
“Well….” Lizzy said, startling me out of the Nash trance.
“I decided to give the baby up, but I wanted to pick the home. I never thought I’d be interviewing potential families. It was really kind of crazy how many couples applied who couldn’t have children. Anyway, the family I chose is so incredibly sweet. She’s been through so much already, and they were heartbroken when they realized that she couldn’t have any kids. Oh, I’m gonna cry again. These hormones are legit.”
I smiled at that and tried to ignore Nash as he softly ran the tips of his fingers up and down my hand.
“Back to the story…they live like an hour away from my dad. I moved out here so they can come to all the appointments with me. Boo…seriously, if I wasn’t so distraught that I got pregnant in the first place…I would say I was happy that I could do this.”
“You mean that?”
“Yeah. It’s really weird. This huge thing happened, and I thought it ruined my life. I want kids one day, but not now, not like this. I know that sounds so dramatic. People have babies all the time. But the asshole I slept with wanted nothing to do with the baby and blocked me. I really had to think about my options. Did I want to have it and go to court, fighting to prove he was the father? And then fight for child support or have…well, you know…I was a mess. Then I started researching online and found a lawyer close to me who specializes in helping families who can’t conceive connect with someone…in my situation. It just clicked. It kinda made me feel like you.”
“Me? I don’t understand.”
“Boo…girl…seriously. I have known you since we were six and I can’t remember a time when you haven’t found a way to help me, your mum, someone struggling at school, or volunteering for underprivileged kids. Even when you should be worried about yourself, you focus on finding a silver lining and helping. You’re my hero.”
Okay, that did it. I burst into tears, and we both cried into the phone. Despite being a blubbering mess, Nash scooted closer and turned so he could pull me into him. Credit where credit is due . He held me while I sobbed and rode it out, not saying a word or copping a feel. Last year, I would’ve said he didn’t have a kind bone in his body.
“I…I—” I started, but Lizzy cut me off.
“Nope…don’t say you aren’t one. Heroes don’t need to wear capes to inspire someone.”
I bit my lip, trying to hold back the rest of the tears with little success.
“Okay, I won’t.”
“And don’t think I don’t know you don’t think that it’s true, but it is,” she said, making me laugh.
“That was a complicated sentence. I hope this works out. You’ve always been a great judge of character when they don’t have a dick,” I said, and she gasped.
“Bitch…it’s so true.”
We both laughed then. I didn’t move away from Nash and didn’t care who saw.
“I swear, I have a radar for the worst. But they are always soooo fucking hot. Anyway, I promise I won’t keep you in the dark anymore. I just didn’t know how you’d take it,” Lizzy said.
“You know me better than that. I’m sorry I pressed about school,” I said.
“Don’t be. I did drop out. But…I signed up for an online course and test on Zoom with the teachers.”
That made me so happy.
“Good, I’m glad. I miss you, Lizzy. I wish I could squeeze you.”
“I miss you, Boo. I’ll send pictures soon. Oh…and how did you make your phone show up as my doctor calling?”
I looked over my shoulder at Nash, and he smirked.
“I don’t know. That wasn’t me. Maybe they were trying to call in at the same time. Technology these days,” I said, shaking my head.
Only Nash would find a way to spoof a number for me. Unbelievable…and yet…I sorta loved it. Jerk.
“Oh, in that case, I better call them and make sure everything is okay,” Lizzy said.
Unbelievable.
“Okay, let me know. I want to see you.”
“I know, but…don’t take this the wrong way, but not until after the baby is born and I’m back home. I know this is going to sound strange. But I need to do this on my own, and I’ll crumble if I see you in person, Boo. If you let me, I’ll lean into you, and this is important to me.”
The idea of not seeing Lizzy at all while she was going through this gutted me. But I would do what she wanted.
“I get it. But if you change your mind, you know I’m here. No matter what it is or time of day, just call me.”
“I will. Love you, Boo.”
“I love you too, Lizzy.”
The call ended, and I just sat there, staring at the dark screen for a minute before handing it back to Nash.
“Thank you,” I said. “I needed that.”
“You’re welcome, Princess,” he whispered in my ear, and I shivered. “Come on, I should watch the rest of practice.”
“You mean to yell at the guys for being slow and pathetic.”
Nash laughed as he stood and held out his hand.
“Same thing,” he said, making me chuckle. I accepted his offer and he helped me stand. “Oh, and I have a gift for you.”
“It’s not another box of thongs, is it?”
“Oooh, no, but a good idea.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “You really are impossible. You know that, right?”
“I do,” he said as we reached the athletic building, and he pulled a door open for me.
“So, what’s the gift?”
“Like I’m going to tell you when I can keep you in suspense.”
Nash laughed as I glared at him.
“One of these days, Collier, I swear, one of these days.”
He nudged me. “You better stop while you’re ahead. You know that threatening me only turns me on, and then you’ll have to suffer the consequences of your actions.”
I shook my head at him but couldn’t stop the laugh.
“Jerk.”