“Then, we’ll save it,” I answered.
“Thanks,” he said with a smile before he leaned closer, kissing my cheek.
I grinned at him before I pulled him into a fuller kiss on the lips. We parted, and he slid a lock of hair behind my ear. “Do you think you can sleep?”
“I think so. See you in the morning?”
“Yes, definitely. If you tell me how you like your coffee, I’ll have it ready for you.”
I cupped his cheeks in my hands. “So sweet. But I don’t drink coffee. Tea.”
“Tea. I will make sure we have tea just for you.”
“Thank you,” I said with a squeeze of his hands. “Good night, Kyle.”
“Good night, Nattie.”
I skirted past him, heading down the hall. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I grinned at him as he stood there watching me go. I continued toward my room, pushing inside and already missing Kyle.
I stopped short as I entered the room, my heart skipping a beat. “Ava.”
Ava rose from her perch on the corner of my bed. “Hey, Nattie.”
“Is something wrong?”
“You tell me,” she replied, crossing her arms.
I shook my head. “No. Nothing is wrong. I was just talking to Kyle, thanking him for coming for me.”
Ava narrowed her eyes, her finger wagging at me. “If you hurt Doc, I will personally make sure you pay for it.”
She pushed past me. I bristled at the statement, twisting to face her. “I already care a great deal about him. But even so, I’d be careful what threats I tossed out. You have no idea what my circumstances are.”
She cocked her head. I swallowed hard, realizing I should not have launched the counterattack. I had to stop behaving like I did at home. I couldn’t do that yet.
“No, I don’t,” Ava answered, “but I plan to find out exactly what they are, Nattie. Count on it.”
She pulled the door closed behind her, leaving me alone. Frustration boiled over as my fists tightened, my nails digging into my palms. The last thing I needed was Ava outing my situation before I was ready. I had to tread carefully. Very carefully.
CHAPTER 11
KYLE
Istared at the kettle on the stove as I wrapped my fingers around the warm mug in my hand. My eyebrows pinched as I tried to sort through all of the things that had happened in such a short period of time.
The scent of coffee drifted toward me, but I didn’t bother taking a sip. I didn’t need caffeine to keep me going this morning. I’d jumped out of bed, eager to start the day and see where it would lead.
Despite the strange moment in her behavior last night, Nattie had seemed back to normal by the time we went to bed.
I caught my lower lip between my teeth, thinking back to our last conversation. I hadn’t shared any details about my past—just that I had one. And that it wasn’t pretty.
My chin sank to my chest as I slid my eyes closed. Why had I hidden it? She would eventually find out—probably at the worst possible time—and then she’d leave.
All of the bad things I’d done–trying to ruin my father, steal his wife, and all of the other line-crossing things I’d done in between–flitted through my mind. How could a sweet woman like Nattie accept any of that?
I set the coffee down, scrubbing my features as I groaned. I was only postponing the inevitable. Eventually, she’d figure this out, and then she’d leave.
The only people who had ever stuck by my side had been Alex and Ava. And neither of them were going to be my significant other anytime soon.
