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Taking a swig of my beer, I take a seat on my couch and prop my legs up on the coffee table. The TV is on, reruns of Criminal Minds playing on the screen, but it fails to hold my attention.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out quickly, hoping it’s a new mission I can use to get my mind off things. When I see Mason’s name flash across the screen, my feelings are mixed. He normally doesn’t call about a mission.
I hit the green button. “Hi, Mason, everything okay?”
“No, asshole. You broke my little sister’s heart. I guess it was my fault that I didn’t give you the older brother’s speech earlier. So here it is now. You break my sister’s heart. I’ll break your bones.”
“May I remind you that you were the one who told me to stay away from her? I’m literally doing what you told me to.”
“Since when do you listen to anything I say?”
“Look, I know it doesn’t make sense, but trust me. It’s better this way. We are not a great match, but she has the perfect guy right there with her.”
“I know about your weird-ass threesome relationship,” he says, all nonchalantly. “Nat told me.”
“Oh,” is all I can muster up to say. I didn’t expect that. And I’m not sure what to expect from Mason now. I half expect him to come through the phone with a right hook.
“I don’t get it, but I do know that Natalie was happy with the both of you, and now that you’re gone, she’s miserable again. She doesn’t want to be with Griffin. She wants to be with both of you.”
“I just don’t understand how that’s ever going to work.”
“And you never will if you don’t try,” Mason points out. “What do you have to lose, old man?”
“Now you sound like Griffin.”
“If that’s what it takes to get you back here, I don’t care what or who I sound like.”
“And you are seriously okay with this? You’re not going to ambush me on my way in, are you?” I half joke.
“I can’t make any promises on that, but if it makes you feel better, I managed not to punch Griffin while Nat told me about your love triangle relationship or whatever you wanna call it.”
“What if I’m too late? Natalie is probably pissed I left. What if she won’t take me back?”
“God, since when are you so scared of everything? Get yourself over here with a bucket of bear claws and win my sister’s heart back before I break your jaw.”
“Your brother’s speeches just keep getting better and better.”
“Thanks. Now stop the pity party and get your ass back here.”
“On my way,” I say in a hurry before I hang up the phone. My heart races, suddenly having a purpose again as I get up and scramble to get my stuff together. Excitement fills my veins thinking about seeing her again. Mason is right. I’ve been scared and throwing myself a pity party when I should be with the two people waiting for me at home.
I gather my things and lock up the safe house before getting into my car and driving back to the hotel. I’m only an hour away, but the car ride feels like an eternity. At least until I get there, then suddenly the trip went by too fast, and I wish I had more time.
Pulling into the parking garage, a million things are going through my head. At the top of that list is what I’m going to say once I get upstairs. I cut the engine and step out of the car to head to the elevator. I punch in my code and press for floor seventeen, Nat’s apartment.
My stomach is in knots and my pulse is racing when the door finally opens into Natalie’s place. The apartment is quiet, no lights are on, and for a moment, I think she isn’t here. I check my phone. It’s six thirty. She should be here. I expected her to be cuddled up on the couch with Griffin. Maybe they are in the bedroom.
I move through the apartment, searching for her. “Nat? Are you here?” I call out as I pass the kitchen. When no one responds, I make my way to her bedroom, where I hear the shower running. Taking off my jacket, I throw it on the bed with my phone and keys. The bathroom door is slightly ajar, so I sneak a peek inside. What I see inside has my heart sinking.
Nat is sitting in her shower with her legs drawn up to her chest and her head lowered, with her cheek pressed to her knees. Her eyes are closed as the hot water caresses her bare skin. I can’t hear her crying, and I can’t see her tears, but I know she is sobbing by the way her shoulders shake and her eyes are squeezed shut.
