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She sipped her fluffy duck. “I thought maybe Ella and Mia could find a new and exciting venue. They’ve always had it at the same venue. The problem is that the venue is about as dated as the company is. Ella and Mia work well together.” She smiled at me then at Ella. “It’s remarkable.” She grinned at him and said without thinking, “Sort of like how we work together.”
Nicholas immediately stiffened. The booth went silent and he downed his beer in one long gulp. “Goodnight all. Thanks for the nightcap.”
He stood and walked toward the exit. Addison lowered her head and hissed quietly, “Shit.” Then she stood and followed him out, leaving her drink at the table and the rest of us watching her back as she walked away, completely perplexed.
I took in the expressions of the rest of the guys. “Well,” I started. “That was fun.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Addison
“Nick,” I called as I followed him. “Nick, wait.”
He turned to me, avoiding my eyes, scratching at the sexy scruff at his neck. “Yes, Addison? Something you need?” His cold eyes met mine. “Maybe my family home? More alimony? Perhaps the car I just bought to replace the ones you claimed you needed?”
Yikes. I probably deserved that.
When Nicholas had told me he’d cheated on me, I was more than hurt. I was completely heartbroken. The only thing I wanted for a long while was for him to feel how I had felt when he told me about it. I wanted to watch him suffer, because I was suffering.
I still was.
My throat thickened. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He eyed me hard and smirked. Lifting a hand, he uttered a bored, “Goodnight Addison,” then started to walk away. Again.
I needed to talk to him. There was no time like the present. Taking a deep breath, I rushed out, “I want to sell my half of the company.”
He stopped walking and his back went rigid. It took a few minutes for what I’d said to sink in, and then he turned to face me, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t know what you’re playing at…”
I shook my head slowly. “No games. I want out. I want to sell it to you. Cheap.”
He took a single step closer. “Why?”
I looked to the ground. “We had a great idea when we started this business, Nick. I loved this company. It was my baby.” I paused a moment before I admitted my weakness. My voice faltered. “But it changed me, and I don’t like the person I’ve become.”
The harsh angles of his face softened. “Addison…”
My eyes closed tightly and I begged, “No, don’t say anything. Please. Let me finish.” I held my eyes shut as I confessed my truth. My heart raced. “I love this business, and it’ll be hard to let go.” Here goes nothing. “But it couldn’t be harder than losing the person I love the most.”
I opened my eyes in time to take in the stunned disbelief on his face. He moved to step closer. I raised my hand. “Just let me talk. Let me get this out. It’s been a long time coming.” I puffed out a breath, not really knowing where to start. “I sabotaged our marriage.”
Confusion marred his face. “What?”
I shook my head. “Not intentionally, but I did sabotage it.” I wrung my hands together nervously. “I’ll regret that most of all, and I’m sorry.”
He blinked. Then he looked at me in a way I’d always loved. In a way that made my insides flutter, still, to this day. “Addie…”
I laughed humorlessly, pushing my hair behind my ear. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”
Nick stepped forward, inching closer. His eyes never leaving mine, he uttered softly, “You haven’t been Addie in a long time.”
My smile was sad. I was suddenly tired. “No, I suppose not.”
Finally, he stood right in front of me. He hesitated a moment before he asked, “Why did you keep my name?”
The emotions hit me so hard that I felt my knees almost give way. My eyes stung from unshed tears. I blinked them away and swallowed past the thickness in my throat. My lip trembled and I uttered my quiet but hoarse response. “It was all I had left of you.”
His eyes flashed then burned. He reached for me, the tips of his fingers brushing mine. “Do you still love me?”
Tears fell from my eyes. I tried my hardest to not break down. “Always.”
He stared at me, blinking in shock. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Then he asked, “Do you know why I kissed Amber?”
My nose bunched. “Kissed? I think you mean—”
But I was cut off. He shook his head. “I never slept with her, Addie.”
My heart raced. I felt the blood rush up my neck in a hot flush. I whispered, “What? You said you cheated on me.”
His face became shadowed. “I did. I kissed her, and she wasn’t you.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. “I don’t—”
Nick smiled sadly. “I did it to see if you even gave a shit. And rather than being upset, you lifted your nose and told me I’d hear from your lawyer. Not once did you ask why or even shed a tear.” He leveled me with a sad look. “You didn’t care.”
I scoffed hard. “I didn’t care?” I rolled my eyes. “I cried for weeks. I still do on occasion. You know why I acted that way? Because you were done with me. I didn’t want you to have the satisfaction of seeing how hurt I was.” I looked down at my shoes. “You made me feel disposable. How was a meant to react?”
His large hands gripped my shoulders and he got in my face. “Like a normal person. Cry. Get angry. Throw a vase. Shit. Hit me! Show some goddamn emotion, Addie.”
My body tingled at the feeling of his hands on my naked skin. “What you did hurt, Nick. I went into the mode that felt the most comfortable. Self-preservation.”
His hands came off my shoulders. He lifted them and gently cupped my cheeks. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
I smiled tiredly. “And I’m sorry I turned into a raging bitch.” He held me still and I paused momentarily. “Now what?”
He smiled then, one of the smiles I used to see on a daily basis, when we would cuddle on the sofa
and watch TV while eating pizza. It was a comforting smile, and something told me things could only get better from here.
Nick held my cheeks and looked at me a moment. Really looked at me. Searching for the old Addison he knew. The person I was going to be from this day on. His smile faltered. He leaned down and brought his lips to mine, kissing me hard and deep.
He tasted like mint and beer. He tasted like home.
Reaching up, I gripped his forearms and kissed him back with everything I had. If this was to be our last kiss, I wanted it to be so good that it hurt. After a minute, we both pulled back, eyes wide, panting.
“Oh,” I whispered.
Nick lowered his forehead to mine and chuckled. “‘Oh’ indeed.”
It took a moment, but I smiled. My smile turned into a chuckle. And then we were both laughing.
And it was better than good.
It was amazing.
Chapter Forty
Mia
The Desperate and Dateless Ball was in full swing. The deejay played music from the eighties and early nighties, one hit wonders and power ballads—all the hits I would love to have danced to myself.
I managed to talk Ella into attending as my guest. I had my reasons for doing this, but she was yet to find out why. I was completely surprised when she agreed. Honestly, I thought she’d about given up on men all together after what that asshole Rick had done to her.
I watched from the sidelines as men and women, dressed to the nines, eyed each other nervously from across the room. Most of the women came with friends, but the majority of the men came alone. Perhaps it was a pride thing.
The doors opened at eight p.m., and close to nine, the dance floor was packed. Mostly with women. The odd brave man would come along and speak to a woman he liked the look of. It made me smile seeing the very first newly acquainted couple share their first dance.
“Go dance,” I called over the music to a pouting Ella.
