Chapter 30
AGAINST THE WALL
NATALIE
Ijust had sex with Will. It felt like a scene from a movie, the kind of passion you think only exists in Hollywood scripts. The way he touched me, the way he made me feel…yet how could something so incredible also feel so wrong?
I drove home in silence with the weight of what I’d done sinking in. Meredith was working on her laptop when I got back. I told her I was going for a walk.
“I’ll join you,” she said.
When we started walking, I couldn’t hold it in. I came right out and told her everything—from the bagels to the orgasms.
“Wow,” she said, wide-eyed. “You really went for it.”
I nodded, feeling shame twist in my stomach. “It has to end. That must be it. This will just have to be a dream, a memory. I’ll die with it.”
“Will it be that easy?” she asked skeptically.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, “but I’m going to tell him it was a one-time thing. I need to fix things with Jason.”
“Jason?” Meredith asked, her tone cutting. “Look, if you’re going to try to fix things, maybe we should find out what exactly you need to fix. You’d feel better knowing the truth.”
“What? No!” I snapped. “I wouldn’t feel better if he’s cheating, too.” That would just make us a mockery of marriage.”
“Really? Shouldn’t you know?” she pressed.
I hesitated. “I guess,” I said quietly, “but I don’t want him to know what I did.”
“Fair enough,” she said with a shrug.
“Look, let’s just put all this aside for now. Let’s go out Friday night. Your neighbor, Camille, was telling me about this place, Bourbon House. Sunsets, cocktails, it’ll be good for you.”
“When did you talk to her?” I asked.
“She dropped off some flowers from her garden, and we decided we needed a girls’ night. And you really need a girls’ night,” Meredith said pointedly. “Call a sitter or see if your baby daddy will be back.”
Surprisingly, he was. Jason came home on Thursday. Meredith let him know about our girl’s night to make sure he was on dad duty.
I’d ignored Will since we slept together. I couldn’t bring myself to face him or the enormity of what I’d done. I even deleted our messages, making sure there was no trace. It felt calculated and wrong, but I couldn’t risk anything coming out.
By the time Friday rolled around, I was ready to drown my guilt in cocktails.
Camille had an Uber pick up Meredith and me first, then we swung by her place.
We headed to Bourbon House, which of course brought back my memories of having my first “business dinner” with Will.
Maybe I should have suggested someplace else.
But once we were seated, drinks and appetizers arrived, and we started to laugh and gossip. For the first time all week, I let myself forget everything I’d done.
Then, out of nowhere, another round of drinks appeared.
“Courtesy of the gentleman at the bar,” the waiter said.
I turned. It was Will. Meredith and Camille followed my gaze, both immediately recognizing him.
“No way,” Camille said, smirking. “Go talk to him.”
“Wait, is he on a date?” Meredith asked, narrowing her eyes. “I’ll kill him.”
I shrugged, trying to act indifferent. “He has every right to date,” I said, though the idea made my heart hurt. Fueled by two drinks, I got up and walked over to him.
“Hello,” I said, my voice steady but my heart racing.
“Hello to you,” he replied, his eyes lighting up.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I could ask you the same,” he said, amused.
“I’m on a girls’ night,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “And you didn’t need to buy us drinks.”
The woman he was with shifted uncomfortably. “I’m going to freshen up,” she said, excusing herself.
The second she was gone, I turned to him, my tone sharper. “Are you on a date?”
“Sort of,” he admitted.
“What’s a ‘sort of’ date?”
He leaned in, his voice low and deliberate. “You didn’t call me after I had you naked in my bed.”
The way he whispered those words made my body tingle.
“If you’d talked to me, I would’ve canceled,” he added. “My mom set this up.”
“Well, your ‘sort of’ date is coming back,” I said, “I’ll see you later.”
Back at the table, I spilled the news to Meredith and Camille.
“Want me to clock him?” Meredith asked.
We laughed, but my eyes kept drifting back to Will. Our gaze met more times than I could count. I hated how jealous I felt, knowing I had no right to be.
His date was stunning, with auburn hair, freckles, and a kind of beauty that was impossible to ignore. I excused myself to the restroom, giving myself a much-needed pep talk in the mirror. When I walked out, Will was waiting for me in the hall.
“Not here,” I said, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a dark ballroom at the end of the hall.
In the shadows, he pressed me against the wall. His lips brushed against my ear.
“I just want you to know how much I would rather be with you.”
I shook my head. “Will, you can date whoever you want.”
“I want you,” he whispered.
My voice barely audible, I asked, “How do you want me?”
His lips brushed against the shell of my ear. His voice dropped low. “I want to fuck you, right now.”
A soft gasp escaped me before I could stop it.
His hands were on me in an instant, gripping my thighs as he lifted me, pressing me tight against the wall. My legs wrapped around his waist, my skirt riding up as his fingers trailed along my bare skin.
He was everywhere, his mouth claiming mine in a kiss, his hands sliding higher, pushing my panties aside, and his fingers slipping in so easily, so easy.
“So fucking wet for me,” he murmured, teasing me, stroking me, his breath ragged as he worked me open.
I moaned into his mouth, gripping his shoulders. I rolled my hips against his hand. Tension coiled inside me, unbearable, intoxicating.
“I need you,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
He groaned, his lips trailing down my throat as he unzipped. “Tell me you want this.”
“I do,” I breathed, digging my nails into his shoulders. “I need you inside me.”
With one swift motion, he pushed inside me, stretching me, filling me completely. His hand covered my mouth as I fought back a scream. The intensity of it all overwhelmed me, and we both came hard and fast, clinging to each other as we caught our breath.
For a moment, we stayed together. His forehead rested against mine. The heat between us slowly gave way to something quieter, something deeper.
His hands skimmed down my thighs as he slid me back to the floor, but he didn't step away completely. His fingers lingered at my waist. His lips brushed against my temple like he wasn’t ready to let go just yet.
I smoothed my skirt back into place. My hands were slightly unsteady. He watched me for a moment, then touched my nose tenderly.
“I’m going to take that woman home now,” he said softly, brushing a kiss against my cheek.
I swallowed, with my heart still pounding as I met his gaze.
“Please call me and let me know if I can meet you,” he said.
I nodded, watching as he walked away, leaving me breathless and hollow.
When I returned to the table, after a stop in the bathroom to freshen up, Meredith raised an eyebrow. “You were gone for a while,” Meredith’s voice was low and loaded. “Will’s date looks like someone who just got bumped from first class to 32B.”
Camille burst out laughing. “Quelle tragédie,” she said grinning. I felt a flicker of guilt about Will’s date. She was just an innocent woman caught in the crossfire.
I didn’t let on what had happened. I just threw myself into the girl’s night energy.
All the same, we paid the bill not long after, the vibe at the table shifting as quickly as the check landed.
It was time for a change of scenery; we decided on a nightcap at the Marine Room in Laguna.
So off we went, giggling our whole way there.
While we were in the Uber, my phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Will: Where are you? I’m coming to meet you.
I didn’t fight it. I gave him our location. He was there within fifteen minutes.
We were laughing at the bar, Meredith and Camille arguing over who had the worst hangover story when Will walked in. My breath caught the moment I saw him.
He didn’t make a big entrance, just strolled in casually, scanning the room until his eyes landed on me.
“Look who decided to join us,” Meredith said as Will approached.
He greeted Camille with a polite nod and then turned to Meredith, who gave him a long, appraising look.
“You must be Will,” she said. Her voice was teasing but sharp.
“And you must be Meredith,” he replied, unfazed.
“Damn right. So, are you just here to see Nat or do you play pool?”
“I play,” Will said with a grin.
“Perfect.” She gestured toward the pool table in the back. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
We grabbed another round and headed to the table. Will racked the balls while Meredith picked a cue, twirling it like a baton.
“Nat, you’re with me,” she said, already sizing up her opponent. “Will and Camille can lose together.”
Will laughed. “Confident, huh?”
“Always,” Meredith shot back.
The game started lightheartedly, but Meredith couldn’t resist digging into Will.
“So, Will,” she said as she lined up her shot, “What do you do when you’re not sending drinks across the room or stealing married women for ballroom escapades?”
I choked on my drink, glaring at her. Will smiled, unflappable.
“I’m in commercial real estate,” he said, leaning on his cue stick. “Keeps me busy.”
“Interesting. So, do you always mix business with pleasure?”
“Meredith!” I snapped.
“What? I’m just getting to know him,” she said, feigning innocence.
Will met her gaze evenly. “Not always, but sometimes things happen when you least expect them to.”
Meredith raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with his answer. “Are you just staying busy now, too? I mean, what are your intentions with my sister?”
“Meredith!” My cheeks burned.
Will didn’t flinch. He glanced at me, then back at her. “Honestly? I just want to spend time with her. Because…she makes me feel alive.”
The sincerity in his voice silenced her, and for a moment, I thought she might relent.
But then she gave a smile that was half a scowl. “Well, if you’re feeling so alive, let’s see if you can keep up in this game.”
The game went on, and while Meredith kept up the banter, the tension between Will and me simmered just below the surface. Every stolen glance, every brush of his hand as he passed by, felt electric.
When the game ended, Meredith and I somehow lost, and Meredith finally backed down enough that Camille suggested we dance, “This is a girls night out isn’t it?” she asked.
She and Meredith took off immediately, but I stayed behind with Will.
“You held your own at the table,” he said, leaning closer. “But now your sister probably hates me even more.”
“She’s impossible to impress,” I replied, laughing softly.
“I’m not here to impress her,” he murmured, with his eyes locked on mine.
The heat between us was undeniable, but Meredith’s voice snapped me out of it.
“Nat! Get over here! We’re dancing!”
Reluctantly, I joined them. Will stayed by the pool table, and I could feel him watching me.
After dancing for a few songs, the heat of the bar felt stifling.
“I need some air,” I said, and I stepped off the dance floor.
Will’s gaze followed me as I made my way to the door.
I could feel his presence next to me before I heard him whisper “I’ll come with you.”
“I had the best night,” he said, as we slipped out into the cool night air. His eyes locked on mine.
“Me too,” I admitted, surprising myself.
“I wish I could go home with you,” I murmured, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
“Me, too,” he said. “I’d love to wake up next to you.”
I didn’t answer, not because I didn’t feel the same, but because saying it out loud made it too real. Instead, I kissed him, slow and deliberate, like a confession I wasn’t ready to speak.
Through the window, I saw Camille and Meredith dancing like no one was watching. I grabbed Will’s hand and went inside to join them, holding onto the high of the evening for as long as I could.
By the end of the night, we were all fading fast. Will called a car for us, and as I got into the car with my sister and Camille, he gave me the softest smile, filled with longing.
I glanced back at him as we pulled away. He was standing alone on the curb under the glow of the streetlights and I wished I was standing there with him.