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“He what?” Nate’s gaze jumps from me to the boys. Then those dark eyes turn bright with anger. “You lads let her go up there alone? Are you mental?”
“Right, mate.” Jack steps between us. “Thanks for coming. It’s sorted. Piss off.”
“Hey, wait.” I try to interject but Jamie pulls me back.
“I’d rather hear that from her,” Nate says. He doesn’t shrink from Jack’s challenge, holding his ground. “Abbey?”
“We’ve got her,” Jack retorts. “You’ve no part to play here.”
“That’s not your decision.”
“You’re embarrassing yourself, mate. It’s pathetic.”
“What’s pathetic is this bloke in front of me who won’t let the lady speak for herself.”
Brow furrowed, Lee looks between Jack and Nate. “I don’t understand all the hostility.” His frown deepens as his gaze flits toward me for clarification.
I bite my lip and stare at my feet. Fuck. This is not the time for any of this to play out.
“She told you she was fine,” Jack is saying.
“No,youtold me she was fine, you wanker.”
“What is happening right now, you two?” Jamie demands, blinking in confusion.
They both ignore him.
“Keep talking shit and I will put you down, ay?” Jack’s shoulders hunch with barely restrained tension.
Nate gets right up in Jack’s face. At six feet, he’s about four inches shorter and yet looks equally formidable. “You want to throw a punch, let’s have it. I’m not bothered by huffing and puffing.”
“Nope.” I throw myself between them. “I’m talking now, okay?And I say both of you need to back off. Thank you very much for coming. I really appreciate that you came to help me, but I’m good now. So please, put your tape measures away and leave me out of it.”
“Leave you out of it?” Nate echoes dryly. “I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re all right, luv. I was worried sick when I got your text.”
As if finally getting the memo, Lee gasps.
Fuck. I know that gasp.
“Are you together?” he exclaims, his head shifting from me to Nate. “Tell me you’re not together.”
Jamie’s gaze flies to mine. “You’re with Nate?”
I feel my cheeks heat up. “I…”
“You’re with Nate?” Jamie repeats as if his brain is stuck in neutral.
“Come off it, yeah?” Jack mutters, impatient. “Let’s just get Abbey home.”
“You knew?” Lee swivels toward Jack, accusation in his voice.
“Yeah, mate, I knew,” he snaps back. “Now can we please— ”
“Abbey,” a voice suddenly shouts, and we all glance toward the entrance of Ben’s building.
Ben Tulley himself comes stumbling out the front doors, hair rumpled, the two flaps of his open shirt fluttering in the wind.
“Abbey,” he calls unhappily. Stumbling toward us, he extends his arm to beckon me. “Please, come back upstairs. Give me a chance to apologize proper, yeah?”
