Chapter Nine
CHAPTER NINE
TOBIAS
I shut my phone off after about the hundredth text notification.
In my mind, it’s either the guys texting me about the party or one of them caved under Natalie’s pressure and told her what happened, where I am, and she’s madder than hell at me.
What’s more than madder than hell?
I don’t know.
Right now, both sound like options I don't want.
I let out a sigh, leaning back in the chair beside Grandma Betty’s hospital bed and glancing up at the clock.
It’s almost ten, and chances are, Grandma isn’t going to wake up again until morning. I knew that as soon as she fell asleep a couple of hours ago, but still, I wanted to sit here just in case.
All in all, no broken bones, but she’s pretty banged up, so they decided to keep her overnight at the hospital. She bruises worse than she used to, and although she says she’s okay, I worry. I don’t want her staying home alone right now.
I knew as soon as her neighbor and I hung up that I’d be staying with her until I could figure something out.
I should go to her house and get her things moved down to the main floor guest room. Her right leg is going to be sore for a while, and stairs clearly aren’t her thing right now. I should probably start looking for a house here without them. No more taking chances.
I don’t care how much she argues—she needs something smaller.
I stand, kiss her forehead, and then head out for the parking garage.
I let out a breath as I drive the short distance to my grandma’s house.
Everywhere in Lovers takes less than ten minutes to reach. It’s the perfect small town for her. The only time it’s busy is when there’s an event at Lovers Lodge about twenty minutes outside of town and during the touristy summer season. There was a time when I thought I'd move here after college, but then I met my friends and, well, things changed.
Now, I’m right back to the moving mindset.
Hell, I can't stay in Wind Valley now and watch Griffin and Natalie live happily ever after, knowing I lost her to him.
Just like he said I would.
I slowly pull into the driveway, glancing at the house next door.
Mike. Mikey, as Grandma called him.
I’m not a violent person, but when he came in and kissed her cheek, I wanted to slug him. I was half out of my chair, too, but Grandma shot me a look like she knew what I was thinking.
He’d brought her a few things from her house and stopped at the small store where they have her favorite cookies.
It’s hard to dislike someone who only wants to see her smile.
I’ll owe him an apology tomorrow for snapping at him on the phone.
I get out of my truck, basically dragging myself inside to get some rest. I really didn't do much, but hell, worry takes a lot out of you.
Worry for my grandma and for Natalie. How mad is she?
Fuck.
I really don’t want to lose her over a stupid fight. I might have fucked up by giving her space. Did that make me look guilty? I know I didn't do anything wrong, but Griffin clearly made it seem like I did.
I change the sheets on my grandma's bed to fresh ones. I’ll move her things in the morning before I go back to the hospital.
I shower and then grab my computer, making a spot in bed to get some work done. I intend to clear my mind of this day by writing, but my mind keeps going back to the fact that somehow, in a short period of time, I’ve managed to lose my career and my best friend.
Grandma Betty would be so disappointed if she knew.
I rub the spot between my eyes and sigh.
I need to call my sister, Quinn, and see where she’s at these days and whether her schedule will allow her to come here while I take care of things in Wind Valley. Moving here makes the most sense for me, but I’ll need to get some things in order first.
Starting with sleep.
I close my computer and settle into bed.
Tomorrow is going to be crazy.
My eyes are just closed when pounding on the door startles me upright.
What the hell?
The noise resumes, so I jog down the stairs and into the living room.
Who the hell would be beating on the door like this right now?
If it’s Mike, he’s in for rude awakening. No one comes to my grandma’s house like this. Ever.
Instead of peeking out the window, I swing the door open, ready to lay into whoever thinks they can show up this rudely, but nothing comes out.
I swear, my jaw drops as I suck in a breath.
“Holy fuck.”
“Is she okay?” Natalie steps through the doorway and wraps her arms around me.
I don’t reply right away. I’m too shocked that she’s here right now.
I return the hug and then step back and hold her at arm's length.
“Shit, Nat, look at you.” I whistle to drive my point home, taking in her off-white skintight dress, the way her makeup and hair make her eyes pop. Nothing about her says she just drove for the last two hours. “You’re undeniably stunning. I … I have no other words for you right now. Just let me look at you.”
I’m not sure what I expected her to say in reply to that, but I sure as hell didn’t expect her to slap my arm.
“Tobias Banks, how dare you not call me before you left town? How dare you keep something that involves Grandma Betty from me? This is not okay.”
Tears she had clearly been holding in start to fall, so I pull her to me, cupping the back of her head.
“She’s fine, Nat. I can bring her home tomorrow. She’s going to be fine. Wait.” I crouch and hold her face between my hands to look her in the eyes. “You shouldn't be here. Tonight is your engagement party. You should be there. Not here.”
Fuck. Maybe if I hadn't turned my phone off, I could have told her to stay.
“No. This is where I’m supposed to be. I want to go see her in the morning, and I want to be here when you bring her home. I want to help.”
“Natalie, you?—”
“It’s the least you can do after keeping me in the dark. Friends don’t do that to each other.”
She blows out a breath and then tosses her purse onto the couch and drops to sit next to it.
“You should have called me,” she says softly, looking over the back of the couch at me.
I close the door and then take a seat by her.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” she says. “I’m so, so sorry.”
She scoots closer to me and leans her head onto my shoulder.
She doesn’t say anything more, and neither do I.
I have so many questions. Too many, but right now, I feel like I can breathe better than I have in months.
It’s just me and Natalie.
If there’s anything else we have to talk about, it can wait until the morning.
For now, I just want as much time as she will give me.