by L. B. Reyes
Nathan pulled me into his arms, nuzzling my neck and taking a deep breath.
“How did it go?” I asked, my voice laced with sleep.
He shook his head, placing a kiss on my forehead before he cupped my face and kissed me soundly.
“Let's not talk about that, hm?”
By the sound of his words, it was clear that things didn’t go as he had expected. “Tell me,” I asked of him even as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
“We can talk about it tomorrow, okay? You're barely awake.”
“If it's bad news it's better that way, maybe I won't remember,” I stated.
He laughed, shaking his head. “How about you just let me hold you?”
I gave him a small smile and promptly closed my eyes, falling asleep in his arms without any trouble at all.
The next morning I woke up to the feel of a hand running through my hair and lips pressed on my forehead with a tender kiss. Exhaustion was still winning, however, and my eyes remained closed for a long time.
Nathan didn't complain and did just as he'd said the night before; he held me.
“It was a long day yesterday,” I groaned.
“For me too,” he said quietly. I opened up one eye and saw him smiling down at me and even though it was sincere, it didn't meet his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept much at all.
“I'm pretty sure Hannah knows about us,” I whispered.
Nathan sighed, running a hand over his tired face. “Jenna's family knows now too. I didn't want to bring you into this, but I had to tell her dad if he's going to represent me during the divorce.”
“It's okay,” I attempted to soothe him. “I understand. What did they say about it? Is there any way of going about it without another world war breaking?”
Nathan brushed a strand of hair out my face, his eyes swirling with worry. “A no-fault divorce. We'd be divorced in ninety days and there would be no scandal, which I'm hoping she agrees to. It's better for her, anyway.”
“What if she doesn't accept that route?”
“Then I suppose another world war will break out,” he stated sadly. Nathan sighed, shook his head before he laid his head back on the pillow. There was more he needed to say that he was avoiding.
“What's wrong?”
“Evie, if she decides to go through the divorce the hard way, a lot of shit about your family would come out and I don't want to do that to you. I don't want to hurt you.”
“Is it bad?” I asked, resting my head on his chest. He sighed, running his hand down my back.
“It's not good,” he admitted.
“Have they…hurt people?”
“Not physically per se, but financially yes…a lot.”
“I understand if you have to do it,” I whispered. “Is that why you're so worried?”
Nathan hummed in confirmation, tightening his grip around my body. “You've been through so much these past months and I hate to add more to it. I don't want to, Evie.”
I sat up, looking down at his troubled expression. At this point, there was little to nothing that any of us could do.
“I knew exactly what I was getting into when we started this, Nate. I knew the consequences it would have and I'm ready for it, so long as you stay by my side.”
“It won't be easy.”
“I know,” I replied. “But there's a light at the end of the tunnel, right?”
“Right.” He leaned up and kissed me briefly, the gesture a sign that he was trying not to worry.
“How do you feel about moving to New York?” I asked, catching him by surprise.
“Why New York?”
I shrugged, straddling him. “There's more of a chance to expose your art over there, you could set up a real studio there. Your parents live there too…”
Nathan raised his eyebrows in surprise. If he knew me as well as I thought he did, he would understand why I wanted to move there. Not only did I want to start over but there was one particular that was my place of choice.
“You want to be close to my parents,” he realized.
I bit my lip and nodded. The most understanding smile I'd ever seen formed on his lips and he brought me to his chest, hugging me tightly. “Are you sure, Evie? You have everything here, and Carter—”
“We can bring Carter along, I don't think he'd mind. And my friends will always be my friends…I just don't have anything else here, Nate. I want a real family and your family…they've made me feel more loved than I have my whole life.”
“So, should we start apartment hunting in New York then?” he asked, tilting my chin up.
Smiling, I jumped off of the bed to get my laptop.
I hoped that for everyone's sake my sister would agree to an easy divorce; there was no need to prolong the inevitable. Deep in my heart, I wanted her to find the same happiness I'd found, even if I wasn't around to witness it. It wasn't her fault she'd been brought up this way, but it was her fault to choose to live that way.
In the end, the choice was hers.
But this, this was my choice, and I was proud of it.
CHAPTER 27
Evelyn
Nathan's lips traveled down my neck, nipping gently at my skin as I leaned my head back, allowing him more room. I gasped, feeling his hand cupping my breast over my shirt.
“This…is so not the place to do this,” I moaned, grinding my hips against him. I was straddling him in his car, the driver seat pushed all the way back to allow for more room. I was panting, far too turned on to think with any coherence.
Thankfully, we had parked at the back of the garage and were early enough that no other students or teachers had arrived yet. “You're the one that started to bite your lip. I warned you what would happen if you kept doing that.”
He kneaded my ass, raising my skirt up and squeezing gently, putting emphasis on his words. “You didn't listen,” he scolded.
“So bossy,” I teased, looking back at him. His pupils were dilated, grey eyes dark with desire. He wanted me as much as I wanted him.
“Mmm, you like it.”
“I do,” I whispered, leaning down and kissing him. “Maybe I need you to teach me a lesson,” I said, bringing my lips to his ear. I nipped at his earlobe, paying careful attention to the sound that left his throat. His grip on my waist tightened as the bulge in his slacks pressed against me.
Never in my life had I felt so confident. With Nathan, however, I felt like I could be myself in every sense of the word. He ignited my body like no one else; made me feel treasured and wanted without making me feel like an object.
I wanted to be his everything.
“Meet me for lunch?” Nate asked, running his hand over my bare thigh. “We can go to Tessa's for a bit.”
“Sounds nice,” I agreed, raising an eyebrow. Nathan smiled against my lips; the action making him look youthful. “I don't want to go,” I whined.
“You want to stay locked up in this car?”
“With you, I wouldn't mind,” I teased.
He smirked and kissed me, deep and full of longing. With that, we finally stepped out of the car and each made our way to where we were supposed to be.
***
When I walked into the classroom, Josh had taken the place where I usually sat. He smirked, daring me to say something. I wasn't about to confront him, so I simply looked the other way and sat somewhere else. He followed my movements, chuckling as he spoke with one of his friends.
If there was any reason that I wanted the semester to be over, it was to not see Josh anymore.
Professor Lanthorn walked into the class, set his briefcase down before proceeding to write something on the board. I sighed, running a hand over my face. There was a lot of catching up to do and although I'd tried to study, I knew I was basically screwed for the next test.
“Miss Carson,” Professor Lanthorn called out, the class quieting down as his voice echoed throughout the lecture room.
“Yes?”
He shot me a compassionate loo
k as he walked towards where I sat, dropping a stack of papers in front of me. “It's good to have you back.”
I thanked him, confused until I started looking through the papers. There were reviews and the PowerPoints of the lectures I'd missed. My heart swelled at the gesture the professor had made.
He began his lecture and I started typing, wanting to have good notes to look over in order to prepare for the test. We were assigned partners to work on a project and thankfully, I was partnered with someone other than Josh and he was paired up with another guy.
When the lecture ended Mike Wilson, my new partner, and I briefly discussed the upcoming project.
Everyone else left afterward and I was left alone with the professor. He smiled, eyes crinkling with the action.
“Need something, Miss Carson?”
“I just wanted to know whether or not I'd missed anything else, other than the information given in the packet,” I said, feeling a bit shy. I wasn't used to the extra help and it was so overwhelming I didn't know what to say.
“Oh, no, everything should be there. Figured you could use to the extra help,” he said. “I'm very sorry for your loss.”
I gave him a weak smile, one that I was sure didn't meet my eyes. Losing someone is never easy but I didn't think I'd recover from Nana's loss. I missed her with all my heart.
“Thanks but it really wasn't necessary for you to do all that.”
“Sure it was.” Professor Lanthorn finished packing up his things and nodded towards the door. I tossed my backpack over my shoulder and followed after him. “My mother died last year. I have a daughter a few years younger than you and she was devastated, more than I was I think.”
I nodded, now understanding why he'd gone above and beyond.
“According to what your friend, Jenna, is it?” I murmured a soft yes in confirmation. “According to your friend Jenna, you were very close to your grandmother, so I figured you didn't need the chaos of trying to catch up with this class when you probably have other classes to catch up with.”
“Thank you, Professor Lanthorn.”
“No worries. Now, I have to get going, so I'll see you next week. If you have any questions just shoot me an email.”
My smile didn't falter as the man walked away. It's easy to tell who does things because they actually care about their job and the students they teach, and Professor Lanthorn showed he practiced what he preached.
***
Nathan wrapped his arms around me while I sat on the bar stool at Tessa's. We were waiting for my wings and his burger to be ready as I sipped on my lemonade. He kissed the shell of my ear, making a trail of goosebumps erupt throughout my skin.
Nathan placed a hand on my thigh, smirking when he felt the way my breathing hitched.
“You're going to make me want to do…stuff,” I whispered.
“Maybe that's the point.”
Leaning my head against his shoulder I relaxed, closing my eyes while he pressed his lips against my head. It was always nice to be with him even if we weren't doing anything important. The moments where we could be out in public together were rare, so it made me cherish them all the more.
“Professor Lanthorn gave me a print-out of all the notes,” I said.
“Mm, that's nice,” he murmured. “His wife works in the art department as well.”
“Oh really?” I asked, turning my face to see him.
“Yeah. They both seem like very nice people,” Nate replied.
“Alright you two lovebirds,” Tessa said with a teasing tone. “Here’s your food. You can't live off of love so, eat up.”
I laughed and she squeezed my hand gently.
“You better eat all those wings, hm? I've heard you haven't eaten much lately and we can't have any of that here, okay?”
People that I hardly knew were providing more comfort than my family did after my grandmother died. Little actions such as the compassionate smile offered by Tessa and the printing out of papers from people that were basically strangers to me gave me hope that not everyone was like my family. Even the bikers that typically gathered at the bar had offered their condolences, making me tear up. The people that I'd met just a few months before were quickly becoming people that I deeply cared about.
In the blink of an eye, my life had begun to change. Things I never thought would happen did and though some of them were painful, they were also what I needed to happen for me to see reality as it was.
My whole life I'd complained that my family wasn't what I wanted it to be but now, I realized that there was more good in the world than there was bad. As much as I wanted my family to be united, I realized that I didn't need them. I could have done things on my own accord, but I didn't have to. I had Nathan by my side and his family, people like Tessa and her husband and Carter and my friends. There was more love and support than I ever had and now that I did encounter it, there was no way I was letting it go.
As Nathan helped me up from the stool, the door to the bar opened, making everyone's attention turn towards it. My eyes widened when I saw who it was and Nate stiffened beside me.
My sister smiled, narrowing her eyes at me. Then her gaze shifted to her husband sitting next to me.
“Oh no,” Tessa scratched the back of her head, “I sense trouble.”
Unfazed, Hannah approached us, a proud smile on her face. Proud and daring. Menacing. It was one thing if she had an idea about what was going on between us, but I didn't want her to use it against Nathan during the divorce.
“Do you need something, hun?” Tessa said, walking up to Hannah. “You look lost. People like you usually don't typically come into this bar.”
Hannah snorted, shaking her head. “Damn right we don't.”
That got the attention of the bikers inside the small establishment. They turned my sister’s way, most of them taking a protective stance.
There was going to be bloodshed if I didn't keep my sister from saying something stupid.
“Han, what are you doing here?” I said quietly.
She cocked her head to the side, shaking her head in mock disappointment.
“I just really wanted to see the lovely couple together,” she teased. “Do these people know he's married? If they did, I don't think they'd be so fond of you. But then again,” she glanced in disgust towards the bikers, wrinkling her nose. “They don't seem like the type of people with class.”
“Oh,” I said, laughing. “Oh, Hannah, this really isn't the place you want to pick a fight.”
She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don't see anyone willing to do anything about it, now is there?”
She had no clue what she was asking for.
CHAPTER 28
Evelyn
“Hannah, it's better that you leave,” I hissed, forcing a smile.
My sister had no clue where she'd set foot in and she was going to get herself killed if she didn't watch what she said. Nathan grabbed hold of my arm in an attempt to stop me. I did, knowing that if the people there thought I saw her as a threat, they would step in to help. They were protective of Nathan, not to mention Tessa and looked like they were just about to murder Hannah.
My sister, of course, was oblivious.
“I could have this place shut down in five seconds if I wanted to,” Hannah threatened.
One of the bikers, bald and big Tank stood up and approached us. I grimaced, knowing good and well that he was the leader of the group. A woman followed behind him, her hair up in a ponytail and her face makeup free. Her features were delicate but I knew her nickname Poison wasn't in vain.
“Who is this visitor we have here?” Tank asked, his murderous brown eyes fixed on my sister.
“My sister,” I said so quietly I could barely hear myself.
“We'll handle it,” Nathan said, looking torn as far as what to do.
“Hm. You sure? I really don't appreciate the way your sister is talking about this place. It's our home
after all and someone that doesn't know when to shut up, well…that shit ain't welcome here.”
“I got it,” I said. “Please, I can handle it.”
Tank gave a single nod, placing the toothpick back in his mouth. I let out a breath and Nathan squeezed my waist. I thought that was it, that my sister would realize that these weren't the people to mess with but, as it turned out, I was wrong.
“No manners but I'm guessing they aren't stupid,” Hannah basically yelled. She turned her attention to me, her gaze traveling down my body in disgust. “I suppose you fit in with these people more than you ever did at home. Especially the way you're behaving now, sleeping with my husband, like a cheap whore.”
I swallowed, feeling the sting of her words ricochet throughout my body.
Nathan tensed next to me, his hand fisted by his side. He was angry.
“Hannah, if you know what's best for you, you'll leave,” Nathan said.
“Of course,” Hannah gave him a fake smile. “I will leave you be at this whore dungeon.”
How the hell is she so smart for some things and yet so damn stupid for others?
Poison, the woman that had followed behind Tank, shoved him out of the way. It didn't take a genius to know that she was much stronger and could snap my sister like a twig in a second if she wanted to.
And she fucking wanted to.
“Hannah, get out of here,” I seethed, taking hold of her arm. She maneuvered her way out of my grasp, pushing me away from the action and into Nate's arms, which were around me before I could fall.
Everything happened fast then.
When I had regained my balance, Poison had hold of Hannah, who shrieked in surprise and looked my way for help. She was terrified and the rest of the bikers, they all sat back and relaxed, watching how Poison took control of the situation.
“The princess talks a lot, don't you?” she squeezed Hannah's arm tighter, making her wince. “For someone who goes on and on about manners, I could teach you a thing or two about them. In fact, why don't we go outside to avoid dirtying this place up?”
