Nate stood there silent, his disappointed expression hurting more than Ollie’s words. Nate picked the laptop up to read the full article.
“All I said was that I’m a proud sister. I specifically said I had no professional or financial interest,” I sighed, kicking myself for this mistake. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to go home?”
I didn’t want to leave. I wanted more than anything to see Sails opening night, to congratulate my brother and Nate on their big night. I missed so much of their daily lives. I didn’t want to miss this as well. But I also didn’t want to risk bringing any negativity to an event in Ollie’s life that was positive. I simply wouldn’t allow that to happen.
“The damage is done,” Ollie said as he walked away. I watched him storm into the kitchen, staring at the closed door to avoid facing Nate.
“Anything to say?” His voice was quiet with a hard undertone. I turned around slowly.
“No because I wouldn't want you to think I was sweet talking my way out of this situation.” I picked up my handbag from the table and headed towards the door.
Nate stopped me by wrapping a strong arm around my waist. He turned me around to face him.
“I’m not angry. What you said was reasonable enough. What the media took from your comment was unfortunate.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in to a hug. I was relieved he understood my side of the story. It would take Ollie hours to calm down enough to read the full article and see that my words to the reporter had been innocent enough.
I felt his body relax into the embrace. Nate was not a hugger. He would never initiate a hug. I remember his mother always complaining that her little boy never wanted cuddles.
“I’m sorry. Do I try and clarify the comment to the media or just leave it?” I asked him, deciding it was not the time for me to go rogue and make the decision myself. Nate and Ollie had time, energy and money invested into Sails. They had the ultimate say on anything relating to the business.
“Leave it. We’ll release a statement on our website.” He pulled away from me to step back. His hands cupping my face, he brushed the hair away that covered my eyes.
“Dinner tonight?” He offered but his tone made it sound like a statement. I liked that about him.
I smiled and agreed with a nod. Reaching up onto my tiptoes I kissed him firmly, his lips softer than I remembered. Stepping away before things could get too heated I made a quick getaway, my lips tingling from the brief kiss.
I ended up at Maddie’s house in dire need of a friend and a glass of wine. It had been a bit of an exhausting day till Nate’s kiss had given me a burst of energy.
“Ollie will get over it,” Maddie comforted me as she poured our drinks. We sat on her back deck, enjoying the late afternoon warmth and gentle breeze. Her house was peaceful, a refuge that was always calm and clean. I envied her for the haven she had created.
“I know but I still wish I hadn’t said anything. They’re really stressed right now. I should have been alleviating their stress not adding to it.” I took a sip of wine and closed my eyes. The sun on my face was a beautiful sensation.
“It was an innocent mistake,” Maddie said, her voice lacking its usual warmth. I opened my eyes and looked over at her, taking in her pale complexion and tired eyes.
“Everything okay?” I asked in concern, kicking myself for not noticing when I walked in. I could add self-centred to the list of my flaws.
“Things have been difficult with Charlie lately but its really escalated in these last few days. He’s been spending a couple nights a week in the city lately. He never answers my calls now when he’s gone. We’ve started arguing about things that were never a problem before. Apparently, he no longer likes my cooking or even the way I make the bed.” She shook her head in confusion, her boyfriend’s actions not making any sense in the least. “It’s like a flip has been switched in him and nothing I do now is good enough. He’s pulling away and I really am at a loss for what to do about it.”
“He doesn’t like the way you make the bed?” I repeated. They had been together years and years. It seemed like a strange thing for him to all of a sudden start complaining about. Her cooking I understood a little more. No one but Charlie had ever eaten Maddie’s cooking. She’d once made us cookies in High School that we’d used later as hockey putts. Charlie had been the only one who had eaten one and complimented her. I’d tossed mine at Nate’s head. I never heard Charlie criticize her cooking though. I wondered why he’d finally snapped.
“That’s all you took from my outburst? The bit about the bed.” Maddie said. I quickly ran over all the other things she’d told me, trying desperately to grasp hold of something else I could comment on for her.
“Do you think he’s struggling at work or something?” I asked, afraid to suggest the obvious alternative as to why a man usually started pulling away. They were too happy a couple for Charlie to be wanting out. Maddie was the best woman Charlie could ever hope of landing. She was way out of his league. He’d only caught her because he’d reeled her in when she was young and didn’t know better.
“No,” she said softly.
“What do you think is going on with him then?”
“I think I better ask him before I start guessing. Cause hopefully the truth won’t be worse then what I’m thinking right now.”
“I hope so too.” I continued, “you know if anything happens and you want to get away for a little while you are always welcome to come and stay with me in Toronto.”
She smiled sadly at me.
“I know, Logan. You’re a good friend.”
“You’re my best friend.” I gave her a comforting hug.
I left her place a couple hours later to make it home in time for dinner with Nate. I only hoped he had picked another recipe from my book, it was so flattering.
“Smells good,” I called as I walked through the door, taking off my coat and heading towards the kitchen. Nate was busy chopping vegetables, his eyes teary as he diced onion.
“Overcome with emotion to see me?” I teased and grabbed a glass of water. I took a seat at the kitchen counter to watch him cook. Why was a handsome man cooking so sexy? Then again, Nate doing most things was sexy. Even dicing onions with tears in his eyes. There was something wrong with me. According to Ollie, there were several things wrong with me.
“How’s Maddie?” He asked curiously, he saw more of her than me these days.
“Why do you ask?” I replied suspiciously, his face more impassive than usual.
“Charlie came by today,” his voice was tight, his eyes focused intently on the veggies he was dicing.
“He’s being difficult lately I hear,” I said, a sinking feeling in my gut taking form as I realised where Nate was going. He was about to tell something I wasn’t going to like.
“He’s leaving her.” Nate finally looked up at me. I put my head in my hands and took a few deep breaths. It was like hearing your mother and father were divorcing. Maddie and Charlie had been together so long for a couple their age. Before this trip, I barely remembered them having fights or even arguments. A week ago even, as far as I knew I would have said they appeared to be in a perfect relationship. I had no idea what had happened to push them to the point of breaking up. From what I gathered today talking to Maddie, she was as clueless as me.
“Why?” I had no idea whether to call Maddie and give her a heads up or stay out of this. It was none of my business to a degree but as a friend I wanted to protect Maddie. I wanted her to have a chance to prepare for Charlie’s words so that, just maybe, they wouldn’t hurt as much. I thought of her face today outside in the sun, whether I warned her or not she would be hurt badly. I wished I could spare her the pain.
“He’s met someone new.” Nate’s anger was evident from the stiffness in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched. Maddie had been our friend before Charlie. We’d gone to primary school with her. Charlie hadn’t come along until junior high so as far as I was co
ncerned he was still the new guy in our group. I had never been sold on him but I had put in an effort to like him for Maddie’s sake.
“I’ll kill him. I’m good with a knife!” I stood up and started pacing. Maddie’s smiling face stuck in my mind. It would be a long time before I saw her smile again.
“He’s an ass. He should have the decency to break up with her before he starts up with someone new.”
Nate stopped dicing to walk over to where I was pacing. He put his hands on my shoulders to stop me from moving.
“We’ll look after her when you go.” He promised me so earnestly that I wrapped my arms around him in appreciation. He was a nice guy. Not soft or weak, just kind. He was the type of man that a smart woman never let slip away. Obviously, I wasn’t as smart as I always thought.
“I know. She’s your friend as well.”
He looked down at me in his arms, his eyes burning with a raw need as he lowered his lips to mine and kissed me. It wasn’t a slow kiss, it was hard and fast and explosive. It was years of pent up passion and frustration coming to the surface. My legs wrapped around his waist as his hands gripped my ass, my hands tugging his gorgeous soft hair as I pulled him closer. Cold air hit my stomach as he pulled my shirt open and unhooked my bra. My nipples hardened as his hand messaged my right breast, my moan filling the quiet room.
I pulled away from him long enough to tug his shirt over his head, throwing it away as I pressed my bare chest into his. His skin was hot, flushed with arousal. I pushed into his erection, the friction from the seam of my jeans rubbing my sensitive folds making me press harder as I desperately sought relief.
His phone ringing was a buzzing noise in the background that neither of us deemed sufficient enough reason to stop what we were doing. It felt to good, to right to let go.
The ringing began again and Nate pulled away to cast a tortured look over to where his phone sat on the kitchen counter.
I slipped a hand down the front of his pants and returned his focus back to me, his indecisiveness clearly gone.
The house phone rang and he groaned in pain. I pulled my hand away and stood back in surrender. Whatever it was it had better be important on an epic level. Maddie. I remembered and I immediately put on my shirt and checked my phone.
“What!” Nate practically roared into the phone, his voice harsh and angry. I started to worry, that tone never meant anything good.
“What?” He repeated in shock and he slammed down the receiver, slipping on his shirt.
“What?” I said, seeing no messages on my phone. This wasn’t about Maddie.
“The restaurant’s been trashed. Ollie chased off three people smashing the place to pieces.” Nate grabbed his keys and I ran after him to the car. My heart pounding in my chest as we drove to Sails. He didn’t say a word as we raced through town.
Chapter Six
We walked into the restaurant. I stopped in shock when I saw the broken glass, furniture and red spray paint on the walls. The letters read ‘MURDERER’ and ‘EAT BLAKE STEW NOT BUNNY STEW’. I sat down on one of the few unbroken chairs and put my head in my hands. I knew almost instantly what this was about and that it was my fault.
“This is your fault?” Ollie looked at me in confusion, desperately trying to process the situation.
I turned to Nate who refused to even look at me. He stared at the letters on the wall in despair.
“I did an earth to plate special a few weeks ago,” my voice was thick with tears. I wanted to cry from seeing their beautiful restaurant vandalised. Before I’d arrived the place had been almost perfect. Now, it place was in pieces. I really didn’t like myself right now.
“A hunter caught a rabbit on her show and then she cooked it. An animal cruelty group was disgusted. They’ve been targeting her ever since, protesting her show’s treatment of animals,” Nate explained as he picked up half a broken bottle of red wine carefully, “$300 a bottle.”
“I’m so sorry. I never thought for a second it would escalate to this level.” I tried to apologize but the look of anger on Ollie’s face made it clear he wasn’t ready to accept my words.
“This is why we didn’t want your name connected to Sails,” Nate looked at me disappointedly. All the warmth and passion I’d seen in his eyes earlier completely hidden.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, wincing as Ollie kicked a piece of broken chair across the room in rage.
“Get out!” Ollie shouted at me, storming over to the door and yanking it open. The hinges creaked under the pressure. “You knew how much this meant to us. If you being here put our business in danger you shouldn’t have come home!”
“Nate, I’ll pay for all this damage since waiting for the insurance payout will mean you miss the opening date. I know Ollie won’t accept it but I hope you do.” I left without saying another word, cringing as the door slammed shut behind me.
I walked home with tears in my eyes. I was feeling pretty broken. I’d screwed up and now two people I loved were suffering.
I was half way home when I heard a car slow down beside me. I made the mistake of making eye contact with the driver.
“Logan Blake?” The driver said in shock.
The three men jumped out of the Ute, pulling rabbit masks over their heads. It was starting to dawn on me who these guys most likely were. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was beginning to think that the universe was out to get me. This was karma for killing the rabbit.
I broke out in a cold sweat, adrenaline pumping through my body as I faced the three men alone on a deserted street in the dark. Nothing good could come from this. I doubted they wanted an autograph or picture.
“Je ne parle pas anglais,” I said as I took off in a dead sprint. I ran daily and had been on the track team in High School. Running was a much better plan than fighting. I could feel one of them hot on my heels, obviously a decent runner himself as he was rapidly gaining on me. I screamed out for help into the still night as he got closer and closer. My lungs and legs burning as I pushed myself to go faster in a desperate last effort to escape him.
He lunged at me and I hit the ground. On impact I felt my Ulna snap and my head bounce on the concrete. I screamed out in pain.
The other two attackers came to a stop beside us panting heavily. The guy that had tackled me stood up. I clutched my broken arm tightly to my chest. Blood running down my face made me realise I had a gash on my forehead. I started to feel woozy but forced myself to remain alert. I needed to get away and I needed a hospital, pronto.
“Shit man, you broke her arm,” the one shouted at the other, clearly having never intended for it to go this far. Then you shouldn’t have chased me, I thought bitterly. I wondered if not assault, then what was their intention when they pulled up beside me?
“I’ll lose my scholarship if I get charged with assault,” the smallest of the men cried.
“What do we do?” The two turned to the one who had tackled me. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. I’d seen enough crime shows to know that they could very well now decide to kill me and hide the body. If I’d learnt anything from crime dramas it was some people genuinely thought the solution to assault was murder to cover up assault.
“Go now. I can’t describe your faces. Just leave. I’ll get myself to a hospital.”
They took off running before I’d even finished the sentence. They just ran away with their tails between their legs leaving me to deal with the mess they had made. That was men for you! I thought it best not to mention to them before they’d ran that I could describe their car pretty accurately. I’m sure it would dawn on them sooner or later. I hoped every time they heard a siren they thought it was coming for them. The thought of them squirming a little gave me some pleasure.
I guess my earlier fears of murder had been a little premature. I had to stop watching crime shows. They made me paranoid.
Getting up slowly, I pulled my phone from my pocket and screamed in anger when I saw it was smashed from t
he fall. I threw it into the bushes in frustration and started walking back clumsily to the restaurant, trying to move my arm as little as possible. With every step I took the pain intensified. Those three jerks had broken a lot of stuff tonight.
I banged on the restaurant door after what felt like the longest ten minute walk of my life. The wooziness was unbearable now. My head pounded and my body trembled. I’d hoped a car would go by but of course since I needed one none did. When you didn't need one there was a traffic jam. That was life for you.
Ollie pulled open the door holding a broom, his face livid until I stepped into the light.
“Can you drive me to the hospital?” I showed him my arm.
Ollie stared in disbelief before wrapping my shivering body in his coat and yelling out for Nate.
“What the hell happened? It’s been barely twenty minutes!” He wiped the blood off my head with a tissue and grabbed a dishtowel to wrap my arm in. My eyes started to loose focus.
“What happened?” I heard his terrified voice but couldn’t find the words to answer.
“Logan? Logan, are you okay?” Nate shouted as he pulled me into his arms and carried me to the car.
“Rabbits,” was the last thing I mumbled before I passed out cold.
Chapter Seven
I woke up in a hospital bed with a cast already on my arm. Looking around groggily I found my brother in the chair beside the bed starring at me intently. He moved to sit beside me.
“How are you feeling?” He asked in a quiet voice, his distressed expression making him look years younger.
“Fuzzy.” I used my left hand to rub my face, annoyed that my dominant hand was broken. It would make the next little while difficult.
“You broke your arm,” he stated the obvious. I knew from the snapping sound and excruciating pain when I fell it was broken. I’d had a fracture once before as a kid, this had been far worse. “And you have five stitches in your head.”
Love Simmers Page 3
