When I open it, she looks behind me, eyes searching, so I click my fingers in front of her. “Hey, beautiful lady, what’s with all the banging?”
She cocks her head to one side, and like the brilliant best friend she is, she knows something isn’t right. “Move it, we have things to talk about.” She kisses my cheek as she walks past and breezes into the living area before plopping down on the couch with a carrier bag. She pulls out some shitty box wine, and I don’t know why, but I burst into tears as I join her.
“Where did you find this?” Letting the tears fall, I laugh, thankful for my beautiful friend and our tradition of shitty box wine and gossiping.
That’s right, this wine heiress drinks shitty box wine.Fuck the Wallcrofts.
She grabs hold of my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “I’ve given you a year, I’ve let you smile and tell me that you’re fine, and I was hoping you would share more, but you haven’t, but you have to because you can’t keep this inside, and I can’t leave you tomorrow morning knowing that you’re sad.”
“I’m f-” I cut off at the glare she’s giving me.
“I swear to all that is holy, Hayleigh Wallcroft, if you tell me you’re fine one more time, I will not be happy.” She pouts and gives me those cute puppy dog eyes. “And before you tell me thatyou don’t want to put it on me, we’re practically sisters, so go right ahead.”
Jesus, this woman doesn’t half know how to niggle at me. I want to tell her everything, but how can I do that when she was the one my ex-fiancé was stalking? I don’t like that guilt on her shoulders, and so I decide a half-truth is best.
“I’m not fully okay, Emmy, but I’m seeing a therapist,” Lie number one, “and hopefully, she can help me through this whole…Pete, situation. I’m not going to go over the edge, and if I really struggle, then I’ll come and speak to you.”
She considers me for a moment before slowly nodding. “Okay. I know that’s not the full truth–oh, don’t look at me like that, but that will do for now.” Then she stands, gets us two glasses, and comes back over to the couch. “Now it’s time to drink, and you can tell me all about why Nate Peterson gets all googly-eyed around you.”
I bark out a laugh. “Oh my god, put on the spot much? We’re…friendly. That’s all.” I give her a pointed look and hope she doesn’t push it because, honestly, I don’t know what he is anymore.
**********
I shouldn’t have had that last glass of shitty box wine, that serves me right for drinking on an empty stomach. I clamber into the shower, turn it on, and step right in. At first, the cold water hits me, waking me right up, then gently warms and caresses my skin like small, soft kisses.
I pour some shampoo into my brunette locks and massage my scalp, taking my time to clean it before applying conditioner. I remember the early days of being with Pete; he would demand we shower together, and at first, I thought it was sweet. I loved how his hands felt through my hair as he washed it, but then it was always short-lived. I was too sexy for him to stop, and before I knew it, we’d have had sex, and he’d finish over me beforestepping out of the shower. At first, it was exciting, but then after a while, I felt used. I shake my head and finish my shower; it won't do me any good to go over the past.
The outfit I’ve picked out for tonight is an electric-blue, tight-fitting dress with spaghetti straps. When I tried it on in the store with Emmy and Lacey, I felt sexy and beautiful and like my old self. The confident Hayleigh, but now, I feel cheap. I apply my makeup anyway, and I’ve finished putting my hair up in a wavy ponytail when someone starts banging on my door, but I have another hour yet before Emmy and Cas’s farewell meal.
Yanking open the door, Nate stands on the other side of it, and for a moment, his gaze has me holding my breath. I shouldn’t care what he thinks of me. I was engaged a year ago. I shouldn’t want him to be pleased with how I look, but I am, because of that hunger in his eyes. There is no way anyone could miss that.
“Hayleigh. Wow, you look fucking beautiful.” His arms are on either side of the doorframe, and he leans in ever so slightly as he says it.
I stifle a giggle, and the familiar thrill of butterflies bursts to life. “Thanks.” It’s all I can manage.
“You ran off from me earlier. Why?” Straight to the point, that’s Nate all over. You know exactly where you were with him, and it’s something I admired, something I couldn’t be.
I shake my head because I can’t do this, not with him. “Nate, I can’t…”
His eyes narrow, assessing me once more before nodding. He turns on his heel and walks off, and my shoulders sag. Great job, Hayleigh, scare off yet another person. Only he doesn’t leave; instead, he stops dead, reaches into his pocket, pulls out a piece of paper and a pen, then walks back, breezes past me, and into my apartment, smiling as he does.
He plops down on the couch. “Come on, we have work to do.”
“Nate, what are we doing?” My voice sounds tired even to my own ears.
“I’m staying here because we need to hash a few things out.” He shrugs like this is the most normal thing in the world and unbuttons his shirt.
Then I get it. I put my hands on my hips and shake my head. “I amnothaving sex with you, Nate Peterson!” Although my stupid lady parts are singing at that particular imagery, it isnotgoing to happen.
He barks out a laugh. “What? No! This stupid shirt is strangling my adams apple but wow. I’m flattered, thank you, it’s always nice to know when someonedoesn’twant to have sex with you, but that isn’t why I’m here.”
Oh. Cheeks, meet flame.
His eyes zero in on how red I must be. “We’re going to write a list of things you’re‘fine’about so we can work through them and get you over being ‘fine’and back to being sassy.”
“Oh.” Great, I want to cry again. Why the hell does he have to be so sweet? I sit down on the couch next to him.
He leans in and whispers in my ear. “But if we were having sex, I wouldn’t be walking in here like a gentleman, you’d be thrown over my shoulder and taken to my room after I made you come so hard on this couch that you saw stars and couldn’t walk.” With that, he takes the pen and hovers it over the pad while leaving me to squirm and take a deep breath. Then he says. “Come on, Shortcake, get to it, we don’t have all day.”
