Blair’s stomach drops. “Is that what he’s planning to do?”
“I don’t know. He never said anything either way. He was really quiet, now that I think about it.”
They hang up and Blair gets back to cleaning, enjoying the way her place is starting to look tidy again. Though, she isn’t lining up boxes or worrying about the exact location of every item. In the same way telling Nathan the truth finally freed her from secrets, she realizes it’s also helped free her from obsessing about things that don’t matter.
I’m the one seeing the big picture now.
Blair knows she’ll never be completely over her OCD, that it’s a part of her and always will be, but realizes she’s at least gained some perspective on it. The same with her perfectionism. For the first time in her life, she can finally see past it.
People are what matter and none of us are perfect, no matter how hard we try.
She realizes something else, too. As hard as it’s been since Nathan left, she’s glad the truth came out. She loves him and wishes they could be together, but her mom was right. You can’t build a life based on lies.
By Friday the next week, Blair’s condo is back in order, and she decides to swing by Tori’s house after work and pick up the rest of her stuff.
There was no answer when she called, but she figures Tori might still be at the vet’s office, since her hours there vary from week to week. Luckily, Blair still has her key.
Eddie, Duff, and Tommy Lee greet her at the door when she arrives, crowding around her legs, tails wagging.
“Hey, boys,” Blair reaches down to pet them. They follow her to her bedroom where she goes through the drawers, pulling clothes out to stuff into the bag she brought along.
She remembers some of her clothes are hanging in the laundry room and goes to get them. On the way there, the boys are all crowded by the sliding door in the kitchen, so she lets them out into the backyard to run around.
After packing all her things, Blair checks the time and sees it’s almost six o’clock, so she decides to wait for Tori. Figures she should be home soon.
As she’s emptying the dishwasher, she hears a knock at the front door and puts the plate she’s holding down to go check who it is.
Blair discovers it’s some guy. Medium height with longish brown hair, wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. His expression changes from expectant to annoyed when he sees her.
“Who are you?” he asks.
Right away, Blair doesn’t like his tone. “May I help you with something?” She wishes now she hadn’t let the dogs out into the backyard—or even answered the door, for that matter.
“Where’s Tori?” he wants to know. “She told me to meet her here.”
Blair is surprised, since she has no idea who this guy is. “Sorry, I don’t know anything about that. Tori’s not here right now, but you could wait in your car for her.”
She starts to shut the door, but he puts his hand out to hold it open. “I’m not waiting in my car. Why should I?”
“Stop it.” Blair pulls on the door, getting annoyed. “Look, she’s not here. How about if you take a seat on the porch, and I’ll call her.”
To her astonishment, he pushes past her, comes right into the house and starts yelling, “Tori! Are you in here?”
“Hey, you need to leave right now!”
He turns toward her. “Look, we’re dating. She’s been playing hard to get, but I could tell it was just an act. So, where is she?”
And that’s when it dawns on Blair. This must be Chase. With growing panic, she realizes if he won’t leave, the safest thing for her is to get out of the house. He looks harmless, but she has no idea what he’s capable of.
The front door is still wide open, and she starts backing toward it.
Chase is watching her, though, moving closer. “Is she still playing games with me? She’s not out with some other guy, is she?”
“What?” Blair tries to steady her breath. “No, of course not. In fact, I remember her mentioning you now.”
“You do?”
“Yes, you’re Chase, right?”
This seems to calm him a little. “So, she told you about me?”
“She did.”
“What did she tell you?”
“Um . . . she just said you were dating.”
Chase starts looking around the room. “So, where is she? She said she’d be here.”
“She’s running late, that’s all.”
He studies her, and what’s weird is Blair can see why Tori went out with him. Chase is handsome. Kind of young, but definitely handsome. She’s guessing Tori is right, and he doesn’t hear the word ‘no’ a lot when it comes to women.
“Why didn’t she call me if she’s going to be late?” he asks.
“I think she’s having trouble with her phone.”
He shakes his head. “That sounds like a lie. Why are you lying to me?”
“I’m not.” Blair takes another step away from him. Every time she does, though, he steps closer. “Look, I think you should leave now. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
He chuckles and seems to find this amusing. “I am?”
Blair turns toward the door and that’s when Chase grabs her wrist.
“Hey, where are you going?” he says. “I’m not done talking to you yet.”
Blair tries to pull her arm away. “Let go of me!”
“I don’t think so. We’re not finished here.”
He won’t release her and as she tries to pull away again, a wave of panic floods through her, immediately followed by a wave of anger.
“I said, let go!” Using a defensive move she learned in boxing class, she immediately twists her wrist out of his grip.
Chase seems surprised by this, though not as surprised as when she steps in and knees him in the groin as hard as she can.
His eyes open wide as he yelps with pain, bending over to clutch himself. Blair is running on automatic pilot now, and before he can straighten himself, she grabs his head and brings her knee up again, slamming him in the face with it.
“Stop it . . . what the hell?” He tries to grab her, but Blair is faster. Panting with adrenaline, she manages to kick him in the groin again using her shin. Finally, he moans and falls to the floor.
By now, Blair hears shouting and when she turns, she discovers Nathan and Brody running up the front porch, with Tori right behind them.
Chase is lying on the floor. “You crazy bitch,” he gasps, as he holds his hands between his legs, tears streaming down his face. “What did you do that for? I was just trying to talk to you.”
“Jesus Christ, are you okay?” Nathan says to Blair. Eyes wide, roaming over her.
She nods, shaking a little as she tries to catch her breath. “I’m okay.”
“What happened?” Nathan is still looking at her.
“That’s Chase.” She motions toward the floor. “The guy who keeps calling Tori. I told him she wasn’t here. He pushed his way into the house then grabbed me.”
Nathan’s jaw clenches hearing this. He glares down at Chase.
“I guess he came early,” Tori says, her face ashen. “Blair, I had no idea you were going to be here. I would have warned you!”
“So, you actually were meeting him?” Blair asks. “Because that’s what he told me.”
Nathan continues to glare at Chase. “Brody and I came over to have a chat with him.”
Blair’s never seen Nathan so furious. His face is mottled red, and he looks ready to kill someone. He strides over to Chase, who’s managed to scoot himself against the wall, and squats down in front of him.
“Listen to me, you worthless piece of shit, and listen good. You ever come here again, it won’t be my wife kicking your sorry ass, it’ll be me, got it?” Nathan lowers his voice dangerously soft. “And trust me, you won’t be holding your nuts, crying like a pussy. You’ll be in the hospital, wishing you were dead.”
Chase doesn’t say anything, just blinks a few ti
mes.
“You hear me?”
He nods.
“Good.”
Nathan’s eyes cut over to Brody, who’s slowly shaking his head, jaw tight. “Motherfucker,” Brody mutters.
“Think it’s time we have that chat,” Nathan says.
Brody nods, and some kind of silent message passes between them.
Nathan stands. “We’re walking you to your car, asshole,” he tells Chase. “Get up.”
They all watch as Chase struggles to his feet. He limps along, glances at Blair again, and takes a wide berth around her. The three men go out the front door, with Brody and Nathan flanking Chase. “Is that really your wife?” she hears him ask Nathan as they walk toward the driveway. “Dude, she’s crazy. I was only trying to talk to her!”
Once they’re out the door, Tori immediately hugs Blair. “I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault!”
“No, it’s not.” Blair hugs her back. “Don’t even say such a ridiculous thing.”
“Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. Seriously.” Now that her adrenaline is wearing off, Blair is amazed at the way she handled herself. “That boxing class really came in handy. I should start going again.”
“I think I’ll join you,” Tori agrees. “That was impressive. Do you want anything? Water, or a shot of whiskey maybe?”
“Water sounds good.”
They both go into the kitchen where Tori pours Blair a glass of ice water, hands it to her. “Did you hear what my brother called you? He said you were his wife!”
Blair drinks from her glass. She noticed it, too.
“What’s going on between you guys?” Tori asks.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since the wedding reception.”
Tori suddenly sees the dogs all crowded by the sliding door and goes over to let them inside. They immediately scramble over to Blair, sensing something amiss.
She bends over to pet them, still holding her glass. “Hey, boys. I should have kept you in the house with me.”
Eventually, Nathan and Brody come back inside, making their way into the kitchen. Both of their faces unreadable.
“What happened? Everything okay?” Tori asks.
“Everything’s good. Turns out he’s just a young idiot, but we set him straight.” Nathan comes over and stands next to Blair. “How are you, babe?”
“I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“I’m all right.” She smiles at him.
He puts his hand up and tucks a stray hair behind her ear. “Okay, just checking.”
“Do you think we should call the police?” Blair asks.
“No,” Tori, Brody, and Nathan all say at once.
“There’s no need to get the cops involved,” Nathan tells her. “Just be a big hassle, and trust me, that pissant won’t be coming around again.”
Blair nods. She knows this is how they always handle things, and isn’t surprised.
“Especially not after that ass-kicking you just gave him,” Brody says, grinning. “Think he was more afraid of you than us. Asshole was limping all the way to his car.”
“Had trouble sitting down, too,” Nathan chuckles. “Plus, I think you might have given him a black eye, princess.”
“Pretty sure his great-grandkids felt that double kick to the nuts.”
“If he’s even able to have any!”
Both men are chuckling quite a bit now. Apparently, getting your ass kicked by a woman is cause for hilarity.
“Remind me never to piss you off, Blair,” Brody says, wiping his eyes. “Seriously.”
“Yeah, me, too.” Nathan grins.
Tori tells them she needs to head over to Kiki and Austin’s place to check on their parrot while they’re away on their honeymoon. “I should check on Mom, too.”
“I can stay the night here, if you want,” Nathan tells her. “If you’re feeling nervous.”
“Okay, maybe just for tonight,” Tori agrees.
“Should I get my car back?” Blair asks him. “The Honda?”
“Sure, it’s at Brody’s. We can drive Isadora over and get it.”
They all leave together. Brody is in his truck and waves good-bye, apparently heading over to Kiera’s.
Tori is in her minivan, while Nathan and Blair take Isadora.
“Damn, that was some crazy shit, babe,” he says once they’re driving. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“What did you do to Chase?”
Nathan’s face changes as his hand tightens on the wheel. “Let’s just say we explained things.”
Blair watches his profile as he drives. “Did you guys beat him up?”
“What?” He glances at her with surprise, then starts to chuckle. “Hell no, you took care of that for us. We just talked to him, made it clear if he tries to call or come around again there’ll be consequences—that he’s messed with the wrong people.”
“Do you think he’ll stay away?”
“Yeah, I do. The guy was mostly just confused. We had a talk about women and boundaries. Don’t think he’ll be bothering anyone again, to be honest.”
Blair takes this in, and it occurs to her that Chase didn’t really try to fight back with her at all. “Gosh.” She licks her lips. “You know what? I think I might have beat him up by accident.”
“What do you mean ‘by accident’?”
“I kind of panicked when he grabbed my arm. He never even fought back.”
Nathan’s expression goes serious. “Screw that, he got what he deserved. He had no right to lay a hand on you. And trust me, he’s dammed lucky he didn’t fight back because then he’d be dealing with me.”
Blair doesn’t say anything more. She can’t help wondering if she went overboard, but then decides Nathan is right. Chase had no business forcing his way into the house and grabbing her.
Brody doesn’t live far, so it only takes them about ten minutes to get there. She glances around. His house is a medium-size rambler on a quiet street. While the house is in decent shape, the front lawn is overgrown and could stand to be mowed and weeded. She sees her silver Honda parked in the driveway.
“The keys are in the house,” Nathan tells her. “Why don’t you come inside? I have something I need to talk to you about anyway.”
Blair follows him up the front walkway. There’s a ceramic pot with flowers by the door that she suspects is Kiera’s doing.
The inside is pretty much what she expects from a bachelor like Brody. The living room has a couple of leather sofas and is dominated by a huge flat-screen television. The place is basically a mess with junk mail, clothes, and various tools scattered everywhere. There’s a case of motor oil that’s been turned into a side table.
She continues to follow Nathan. “Been staying in the guest bedroom until I find my own place,” he tells her.
They go inside a bedroom and right away, she sees his familiar leather backpack on the floor next to a double bed and his computer on the nightstand. The room smells musty, but also like some kind laundry soap.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Blair asks.
To her surprise, Nathan pulls her in close. His arms go around her, and she’s immediately surrounded by his smoky scent. So good, she can’t stop herself from inhaling him.
God.
Blair hugs him, gives in to how amazing he feels. Her heart sings like it always does when she’s near him. I’ve missed him so much. Tears fill her eyes, and she realizes maybe she’s not okay. Between fighting off some guy, and now having Nathan this close, it’s a little overwhelming.
“Hey, what’s going on?” he asks, looking at her with concern.
“That was kind of scary and weird earlier,” she admits.
“Course it was.” He puts his thumb up and wipes the tears from her cheek. “That’s understandable.”
“I’ve never fought someone like that before.” She rolls her eyes and tries to smile. “Even if he didn’t really fight back.”
He
nods. “Scared me, too. Not Chase, but that he might have hurt you. Don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, Blair.”
They gaze at each other, and Blair can see he means it, though it confuses her. “Why are you saying this?”
“Because it’s true.”
“I haven’t heard from you in weeks. I thought it was over between us.”
He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I was pissed. Hurt, too, when you told me what you did. Just needed time to process it.”
“Apparently, you needed another woman to help you process it.”
“What?” Nathan’s brows go up. “You kidding me with this?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Sonia.”
“Of course, who else would I be talking about?” Your Spanish hoochie mama. Blair steps away from him. “Is it true what she told me? That you came back to Seattle to get a divorce and marry her?”
Nathan licks his lips, meets her eyes. “Not exactly.”
“God, you’re still a terrible liar.” She shakes her head in amazement. “How could you not have told me that?”
“It’s true I came back thinking I should get a divorce, but not because of Sonia, though,” he says quickly. “Mostly just to tie up loose ends, but then something happened to change my mind.”
“What?”
He gives her a wry grin. “You did, babe. You happened.”
“Why is Sonia here then?”
“She’s gone. Left right after the wedding.”
Blair blinks. “She did?”
“Look, she came here on her own. I had nothing to do with it. Never invited her, she just showed up.”
“All the way from Spain?”
“No, from LA. She’s been visiting her aunt. I told her not to come, but she saw me on that talk show in San Francisco and flew up.”
Blair considers this. Sonia did seem pushy, but then most Skank Factor X’s were pushy.
Nathan sits on the bed. “Come here.”
She walks over, and he reaches for her hand. Her pulse jumps. Even this bit of contact with him pulls her right back into the undertow. She tries to resist it.
“Did you sleep with her?” Blair wants to know.
“Jesus, course not. Can’t even remember what I ever saw in her.”
Return of the Jerk (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 2) Page 36
