15. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
Nate
I slept again. Not as well, or for as long, but I slept. Samantha started on her side of the bed, and I was still awake when she made her way over to me. I opened my arm to reel her in, and she’d settled with a sigh, pressing her warmth along the length of me.
It hadn’t been so bad, lying there, watching the shadows dance on the ceiling, her sleeping peacefully half on top of me. A lot less lonely than my nights usually were.
She slept through me rubbing my feet together and using my phone for a while when I needed a break from the shadows.
She barely moved when I shifted my body, rolling with me instead of protesting.
And when I fell asleep, it was with my fingers in her hair, and our faces so close our noses were grazing.
Something brought me out of a dead sleep. At first, I thought it was my phone’s alarm or Samantha moving against me, but she was still breathing softly on my chest, and my phone was silent.
I heard it then. Someone knocking on our door in light, frantic taps.
It wasn’t even seven in the morning. Not a chance that was housekeeping. Who in the world would come knocking on our door at this hour?
Samantha made a disgruntled sound as I rolled her off me but stayed asleep. I threw on my shirt and tugged on my pajama bottoms on my journey across the room.
The person on the other side was still knocking, louder now. I peered out the peephole, stunned to find Kelly wrapped in a white robe, her dark hair wild around her face.
I threw open the door, and she stumbled in, falling against my chest.
“Where’s Sam?” she gasped. “I-I—”
I caught her around the biceps, holding her upright. “Slow down. Samantha’s sleeping. Do you need something?”
She pushed away from me, running toward the bed. “Samantha! Samantha, wake up!”
Kelly leaped onto the mattress, grabbing Samantha’s shoulders. Samantha jerked awake, pushing herself upright in a hurry.
“What—” Samantha’s stunned gaze found mine. I was standing behind Kelly, seconds away from yanking her off Samantha. “What’s going on?”
“I need you to get me out of here!” Kelly cried. “I have to go right now.”
Samantha rubbed her eyes, her forehead creasing with confusion. “But…it’s your wedding day. You can’t leave.”
“I’m not getting married.” Kelly folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t ever want to see that lying, cheating, rat bastard again.”
“Oh,” Samantha breathed. “Oh, Kelly, I’m so sorry. But…why are you in my room?”
“Because I need you to take me back to Denver. I don’t want to see anyone.” Kelly’s voice cracked, but she didn’t cry. “I have to go, Sam. Mom and Dad won’t understand. They won’t let me…but I can’t be here. Please, just—please.”
Samantha looked up at me. All I could do was nod. Kelly was a real piece of work, but she needed help, and it wasn’t my place to deny her that.
Samantha refocused on her sister. “All right. I need to get dressed and pack.”
Getting Kelly out of the resort was a spy mission. Dressed in Samantha’s sweats and sunglasses, we rushed her through the lobby like bodyguards.
It was a whirlwind of madness until we were on the road, the resort in the rearview. Then Kelly went quiet for a while, staring out the window in the back seat.
Samantha and I exchanged glances. Worry lined her face, and I didn’t like it. I placed my hand on the center console, palm up, and she hesitated for a fraction of a second before sliding hers into it.
She liked when I rubbed along her thumb, so I did that, and some of her tension began leeching from her shoulders in my periphery.
“Easy,” I murmured.
“Thanks,” she replied just as quietly.
From the back seat, Kelly huffed. “Really? Must you? My heart is in a million pieces and you two want to be lovey-dovey in front of me? That’s the last thing I want to see.”
Samantha craned her neck to look at her sister. “We’re holding hands, not making out.”
“I’d rather see that. At least it would be hot.”
Samantha laughed, her hand still in mine. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” Kelly snapped.
Then, a mile down the road, she’d decided yes, she did want to talk about it.
And she talked and talked.
And talked.
Turned out Josh had been cheating on her with her maid of honor, Scarlet, her sorority sister and best friend for life.
This morning, Kelly had uncovered everything.
She hadn’t been able to sleep and couldn’t find her phone, so she’d used Scarlet’s, since they’d been sharing the room.
There, she’d read a devastating chain of texts.
Filthy, dirty texts with references to years of trysts.
“They were laughing at me,” Kelly whispered roughly. “I think that was the worst part. They thought I was so stupid. I guess I was, but…if it was just fucking, I would get it, you know? The cruelty? I don’t know what I did to deserve that.”
Samantha was adamant when she said, “You didn’t deserve it. They’re terrible people. You’re going to see this as the blessing it is one day, Kell. The best thing is you’re not legally bound to him and never have to see her again.”
“I won’t. I won’t see either of them again, no matter what anyone says.”
“Who would say anything?” I asked.
“Josh, obviously,” Kelly replied. “My parents won’t be pleased either.
I can already hear them telling me this isn’t insurmountable, as if they’re a prime example of getting over infidelity.
” Through the mirror, I saw her gesture toward Samantha.
“I mean, look. They couldn’t act normal if their life depended on it. I’m not following in their footsteps.”
My phone rang, interrupting the conversation. I wasn’t sure there was much to say anyway. Except I was surprised at how self-aware Kelly sounded.
Not that I would’ve said that.
Samantha picked up my phone from the charger, checking the screen. “It’s Louise.”
I shook my head. “No.”
The call ended and started up again right away. “Louise again.”
I took the phone from her, declined the call, and placed it back on the charger, silenced this time.
Kelly leaned forward, poking her head between our seats. “Who’s Louise?”
“My mother,” I replied.
“You don’t want to talk to her?” she asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
Samantha shook her head. “That’s Nate’s business.”
Kelly blew out a heavy breath. “Of course it is. But since I’d rather not think about my fiancé fucking my best friend, I’m sticking my nose in Nate’s business.” She tapped my shoulder. “What’s up with your relationship with your mom?”
Feeling it would be easier to answer her than be badgered for the next two hours, I gave her the most succinct reply I could.
“She walked out and never looked back after being pretty volatile most of my childhood. A month ago, she showed up in Denver to tell us she’s dying and wants to reconnect with my brothers and me as her last wish. I’m not interested.”
“Huh.” Kelly sank back in her seat. “I see where you’re coming from. That would be a hard pill to swallow.”
“Exactly,” Samantha said. “There’s no reason for Nate or his brothers to put themselves through—”
“Except what if this Louise woman wants to give you and your brothers the chance to tell her off before she dies?” Kelly interrupted before Samantha could finish her thought. “You have to have things you’d like to say to her, right?”
I shrugged. I hadn’t put any thought into what I’d say to Louise given the chance. For the most part, I’d done my best to put her presence out of my mind.
Kelly had more to say. “It sounds like you don’t have a lot of time.
You don’t have to make amends. You could just tell her to her face what a shitty, god-awful person she is, and how you’ve become the man you are despite her, not because of her.
I know I’m petty, but if Josh were on his deathbed, I’d flounce in there and really let him have it. ”
Kelly wasn’t wrong, but I also wasn’t petty. I had no desire to tell Louise off. I didn’t want anything from her. There was no forgiveness to be had. What she’d done was unforgivable.
Kelly also wasn’t right. Part of the man I’d become was directly due to my mother. Every day, I swallowed down my pills so I didn’t end up like her. Then I had to look at myself in the mirror and wonder if it was the day the medicine stopped working and the time bomb in my head went off.
My hand tightened on the steering wheel, and Samantha’s fingers flexed around the one she was holding.
“I’ll take that into consideration,” I said.
We were nearing Denver when I asked Kelly where I should take her.
“Where do you live?” she countered.
“Uh…”
Samantha jumped in. “Nate’s asking for your address.”
Kelly groaned impatiently. “No kidding. Obviously, I’m not going there. That’s the first place Josh and our parents will look. I’m going home with you guys. Wait—do you live together?”
Samantha’s eyes were wide and panicked. Then she schooled her expression so quickly, I almost thought I’d imagined it.
“We don’t live together yet.” Samantha hesitated. “I guess you could stay with me for the night?”
“Great. I really doubt anyone would think to look for me at your place.” Kelly huffed a laugh. “Even I’m surprised by it, and it was my idea.”
It seemed Samantha and I were keeping up the ruse of being a couple. The problem was, I didn’t know where she lived, and asking my girlfriend for her address wasn’t the smoothest move. Luckily, Samantha was a step ahead of me. Without saying a word, she punched her address into my GPS.
I pulled up to her townhouse without any drama, easily finding a spot on the street to park. Grabbing her bags, I followed her and Kelly inside, careful not to be obvious as I took the place in.
Samantha lived in a renovated townhouse with modern fixtures and bright, open spaces.
The front door opened into a hallway leading to the stairs.
Off to the left was the living room, sparsely furnished with a comfortable-looking sofa, small TV, and coffee table.
The living room led into a sleek kitchen with gray cabinets and white countertops, with a vase full of pink roses on the island.
Kelly fingered a petal. “Let me guess, these are from Nate.”
Samantha grinned at me, her eyebrows lifting. “You’re right. My boyfriend’s a sweetheart.”
I chuckled, shuffling my feet on the tile. “Only because my girlfriend is the best.”
Kelly sighed then announced she was going upstairs to find her bedroom. Samantha told her she’d be right up to help.
Once we were alone, she shook her head and whispered, “God, I’m so sorry.”
“For what?”
“This.” She tipped her head toward the stairs. “This isn’t what you signed up for.”
“Well, if anything, my job ended early.”
“Except she’s still under the impression we’re a couple.”
“It doesn’t bother me if she thinks that. Are you going to be okay with her?”
“I don’t know.” She shoved her hair off her face. “This is really weird, but I feel like I have to help her if I can.”
“I understand wanting to help her. Just don’t let her mistreat you.” I nudged the underside of her chin, bringing her eyes to mine. “Hear me? She’s upset, but you’ve done nothing to deserve her wrath. Don’t take it.”
She swallowed hard. Then her mouth slid into a smile. “You’re bossy when you want to be, aren’t you?”
“When I need to be,” I corrected, taking her chin between my fingers and giving it a light shake. “Be good, Samantha. Let me know if you need help.”
“I think I can handle my sister.”
“I mean with anything.” I let go of her and carded my fingers through the side of my hair. “After all that, we’re friends now, aren’t we?”
“Sure, Nate.” She patted my chest. “We can be friends.”
I didn’t feel great about leaving Samantha alone with Kelly, but that was what I did.
My phone was waiting for me, glowing with notifications. I swiped them away and drove home.
This weekend had been fun. A nice time-out from life. But now, it was time to get back to what was real.