Chapter 24 NOVA #2
“He’ll probably slam the door in my face.”
“But he might not.”
He might not.
I hugged my sister goodbye and kissed my nephew, then drove home for a quick shower and change of clothes before getting on the interstate.
No trip had ever taken so long. The road stretched on endlessly and the miles passed at a glacial pace, even though I broke every speed limit. But finally, hours later, a familiar green sign welcomed me to Clifton Forge.
Driving through town again was like seeing it with a different pair of eyes.
This had been enemy territory for so long that I hadn’t really let myself appreciate it.
I wanted to go to the diner downtown and sit at one of their booths instead of picking up takeout.
I wanted to swing into the coffee shop for a latte and scone.
I wanted to wander along Central and show my face to this community.
So far, I’d only viewed this town as a temporary guest. As an infiltrator. Now, I simply wanted to belong.
If Emmett would have me.
He was probably at work, which meant, unless I wanted to wait all day, I’d have to find him there. So I made my way along the familiar route toward the garage.
How could I drive into the lot? How did I show my face to his friends and coworkers? How could I look at the rubble that was the former clubhouse?
But I kept driving, swallowing my fear.
The storm had come to Clifton Forge today too, but in the warm early-afternoon sun, the roads were only wet. Patches of brown grass were already poking through the melting snowbanks.
The Clifton Forge Garage came into view and my heart pounded so hard I felt it in my fingertips. I gripped the steering wheel tighter and eased the Nova into the parking lot.
The steel building was bright beneath the afternoon sun. The bay doors were open and as I parked, the sound of an air compressor hummed in the background.
Shit. What was I doing here? I should have waited but it was too late now. I’d have to face them eventually, right? I took one last fortifying breath, mentally bracing for the censure I most certainly deserved.
Don’t look at the clubhouse. Don’t look at the clubhouse. I didn’t need to see its ruins, not today. It was bad enough that as I shoved my door open, I could scent the lingering smell of fire and ash on the breeze.
My heels had barely landed on the pavement when Leo came striding out of the garage. He had a red rag in one hand and a wrench in the other. There was no confusion on his handsome face, just cold scrutiny. He might not have met me before, but he knew exactly who I was.
I steeled my spine as he approached. Here goes.
Leo stopped before me and crossed his arms over his chest, the colorful tattoos on his forearms peeking out from beneath the long sleeves he’d shoved up to his elbows.
“Hi.” By some miracle, my voice didn’t crack. “Is Emmett here?”
He studied me, his pale gray-green eyes giving nothing away.
Another pair of footsteps sounded behind him. Dash Slater walked my way. His face was impassive and his gaze as hard as the ground beneath my feet.
Dash came to stand beside Leo, matching his stance with his legs planted wide and arms crossed over his chest.
A blockade. A barrier. There was no way I’d get to Emmett unless they deemed me worthy to pass.
Maybe the version of me from months ago would have raised her chin. Would have demanded they let me pass or marched around them. Maybe then I would have shot them a glare as lethal as the ones they fired in my direction.
But there was little fight left in my bones, and I’d save it for another Tin King. I let down my guard. I showed them my vulnerability. And I said the words that were long overdue. “I’m sorry. For my actions. And for my father’s.”
Both men narrowed their gazes, their skepticism well earned.
“I don’t think the Warriors will be a threat to you anymore,” I said. “I can’t promise anything, but my dad agreed to let this go.”
“Except he’s a fucking liar,” Leo said.
“Yes, he is.”
Only as I’d thought back on our final conversation, there’d been a truth there. Maybe the only reason I’d noticed was because it was so rare. Only time would tell, but I doubted these men had anything to fear from the Arrowhead Warriors.
Dash and Leo studied me long enough that I was beginning to think they’d never move. But then Dash finally shifted and looked to Leo. They shared a single nod, then Dash turned and walked away.
Leo gave me a devilish grin, like I’d passed some sort of test. “Emmett’s not here. He took today off. I suspect you’ll find him at home.”
“Oh. Um . . . thanks.” Hell. I could have saved myself some stress, but this wasn’t an entirely wasted trip. I waved goodbye, then returned to my car, reversing out of the lot.
In my rearview, Leo stayed rooted in place but that smile on his face never faltered.
My nerves returned tenfold as I drove to Emmett’s. My hands trembled as I parked and shut off the Nova. He would probably slam the door in my face. I deserved that. But maybe not. And that maybe was enough to send me to the door to ring the bell.
My heart was in my throat as his footsteps approached beyond the door. Then there was a long pause, probably as he checked the peephole and saw my face. Then it opened and my fears just . . . melted away.
This was Emmett. My Ace. Even at his angriest, he wouldn’t shut me out. That wasn’t who he was.
He looked as breathtaking as ever. Insanely handsome with his hair up. He had on his jeans and a simple gray T-shirt. He’d trimmed his beard in the past week, the whiskers tight and clean to his strong jaw.
God, I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to sink into his arms and drown. But first, I had to give my truths to the man I loved.
“I hate shrimp.”
He blinked.
“I like simple food too and I’ve made your tacos three times since the last night you made them for me. Your shower is the best shower in the world, and apparently, I can’t sleep if it’s not in your bed. The nights spent talking to you on your deck were the best nights of my life.”
My words seemed to hurt him because he swallowed hard and dropped his gaze to the floor.
“My job is okay but I don’t love it. Being a lawyer was my father’s dream for me, and I’ve spent most of my life trying to prove myself to him. But I’m not going to do that anymore.”
Emmett’s face lifted and his eyes softened.
“I’m in love with a man I don’t deserve.” The lump in my throat began to choke me, but I pressed on. “I lied to you. I used you. And for that, I’m sorry. But I don’t regret falling in love with you. I never will.”
“Nova . . .” He caught himself on the false name.
But it wasn’t false. It was who I was. I was his Nova. He was my Ace. “You said that everything about me was a lie. It wasn’t. Not everything.”
“How can I trust you?”
I didn’t have that answer. I had no idea how he could trust me other than to try.
“I don’t . . .” He ran a hand over his face. “I don’t know. This is too much.”
There it was. The inevitable slam of the door.
At least I could say I tried.
Before my tears could fall, before the break was severed clean, I moved in close, standing on my toes, and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
He dropped his forehead to mine.
I didn’t linger. I dragged in a long inhale of his spicy scent, tucking it away in the corner of my heart, then I stepped back. “Goodbye, Ace.”
He stepped back too. “Goodbye, Nova.”