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“For what?”
“For letting me come here.” I’ve been wanting a chance to talk to her face to face but have always chickened out, scared of her rejection.
If it were Kingsley, he would’ve snatched that chance. In fact, I heard him talking to her on the phone the other day as if nothing had happened.
But the truth remains, he’s been her father, mother, and best friend all these years. She can’t really be mad at him for long. I’m an entirely different equation.
Nate pours a glass of water and takes a sip. “Inviting you was her idea.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Besides, she needs you as much as you need her, Aspen. But she has both your and King’s stubbornness, so it may take her a little while to admit it out loud.”
“It’s fine. I can wait. I waited for twenty years to find some balance after losing her, so this is nothing.”
“While you’re waiting…” He slides his elbows on the table and interlinks his fingers. “Shouldn’t you sort out whatever you have with King first?”
My stomach contracts at the mention of his name and I drink a whole glass of water. That’s what I’ve been doing lately whenever I have the urge to drink. “It’s nothing.”
“I’ll be ready to believe your warped sense of nothing if you stop disappearing in each other’s offices in plain sight or if he stops suddenly kicking out anyone who’s in the room with him when he gets a text. Or when you stop looking at each other with the full intention of tearing one another’s clothes off.”
My neck heats and I pour more water, the glass almost overflowing. Are we that obvious?
More like, is Kingsley? He doesn’t miss a chance to drag me into a dark corner so he can have his way with me. Ravage me.
Leave me completely spent.
“Honestly, I don’t care what two adults do with their sex lives and I’m not even going to think about how you get bruises all over your neck and even your wrists.”
I splutter on my water. “You…you saw?”
“Yeah, your makeup game is sloppy sometimes. Not to mention, he puts his mark on places you can’t see.” He motions at me. “Like your nape.”
I slap a hand over it, surprised the glass doesn’t splinter into pieces in my other hand. “That fucking asshole.”
“I take it there’s no forcing involved?”
My cheeks burn further. “I would kill him before he forces me into anything.”
“That’s what I thought. Just wanted to check, because he’s a cold human being who doesn’t like to be defied.”
“He’s not cold…he’s just not warm, but he does care. I mean, look at him with Gwen, even when they have their differences, they send each other good morning and good night texts, and he makes sure I eat and he’s one of the reasons I stopped drinking and…” I trail off when a slow smile spreads across Nate’s lips. “What?”
“Is it me or did you just defend King?”
“I did not.”Shit. I did.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“Right,” he says in a mocking way. “Whatever it is you’re doing, can you make sure it’s clear? It’s confusing Gwyneth, and I’m undoubtedly on her side, not yours or King’s.”
The sound of footsteps kills any response I had. My thoughts are scattered when I see what Gwen is wearing.
It’s the same dress I had sent to her house right before she came back from her honeymoon.
“You look stunning, wife,” Nate says, his voice deepening.
“Thank you, husband.” She quickly kisses his lips, then sits down. “Aspen bought it for me.”
