We put them on in a mad rush and race out of there as quickly as possible, laughing all the way out and onto the street. Immediately, we duck into the car before Augie and his boss can catch up with us. My security detail slides into the driver’s seat, chuckling to himself after witnessing what went down, but he says nothing as he pulls off from the curb rapidly and heads away from Inflatable Land.
“Holy hell, Alex. You think I’m the badass? I think it’s you,” I say, and she chuckles.
“No, it’s definitely you, Mr. I-Like-To-Hulk-Smash-Inflatables-With-Tequila-Bottles.” She giggles as she says it.
“How do you know Augie, Alex?” I ask.
She smiles. “The shelter I was staying at when Ria found me used to bring the women here as a group for confidence building and group mentoring. We came here once a month, and Augie helped us all come out of our shells. Because he’s such a decent guy, and we all came from terrible relationships with men, he helped us remember that not all men are the devil incarnate. Augie’s a great guy, not just with kids but in general. I owe him a lot. I owe a lot of people a lot.”
I shake my head slightly. I had no idea. Here’s me thinking Augie had a crush on Alex, and it’s actually that he adores her and helped Alex get back on her feet. Just goes to show you how wrong one can read a situation.
“I feel bad for breaking his inflatable now.” Shaking my head at my actions, I wince and exhale. “They’re gonna review the security footage.”
She looks at me, pursing her lips. “Yeah, they will.”
“Do you think they’ll press charges when they realize it was me?”
She shakes her head. “Nah, I’ll calm them down. Plus, we can get your PR girl to smooth shit over, right?”
Running my hand through my hair, I nod. “Yeah, Tillie’s good like that. I’ll pay for the damages. I’m not a complete dick.” I run my fingers through my hair. “It was fun, even though it went a little wrecking ball toward the end. I’ll call Tillie when I get back home and fill her in on what happened. A decent-sized check will help smooth things over, I’m sure.”
She nods. “What I was saying still stands, Nate. Ria… she’s trying to do the best she can with a crappy situation.”
I let out a bemused laugh. “Yeah, well, I just wish I knew what triggered it. She says it was my jealousy, but I don’t buy it. I feel like there’s more she’s not telling me. I just…” I let out a long, drawn-out breath. “I don’t fucking know. I can’t make her talk tome if she doesn’t want to. If she doesn’t want me, then what can I do?”
She wraps her arm around mine and leans into my side. “I know more than you think I do. But I won’t betray her trust, and I won’t betray yours either. Just know that things happen for a reason.”
“Geez, that makes me want to know even more, Alex. You’re not helping as usual.”
She winces. “Sorry, I just want you to know she has a side too. And I’m sure one day, it will all come out. I hate being in the middle, but like I said, I won’t betray either of your trust.”
“But I’m the favorite, right?” I tease with a smirk, and she rolls her eyes.
“Matt’s my favorite,” she quips. I groan and fake puke while she snickers. “So what do you wanna do now?”
I shrug. “Go back to Robert and his mullet and have a work pizza night?”
She nods with a big smile and pulls me toward her, chuckling.
ZARIA
A gentle knocking at my door startles me. It’s late, and I’m not expecting anyone, although I know security will only let close friends and family through, so it can’t be anything dangerous. Wrapping my robe around my upset stomach, I stand, feeling sweaty and pasty, and walk to the front door. I’m still nauseous and know that the sickness isn’t passing, but I guess it’s not going to in my condition. Taking a deep breath, the cool marble on the soles of my feet feels like heaven as I grab the door handle and slowly open it. My eyes open wide when I see Alex standing on my doorstep.
“Alex… hey.”
“Hey, Ria… sorry. I know it’s late. I would’ve called, but my phone died, and I wanted to give you a progress report on Nate. He’s had a tough day, and I told him what you wanted him to know.”
An ache fills my heart, knowing that Alex has told Nate I’m moving on without him.
I’m not. Not at all.
He’s all I think about.
Every. Single. Day.
But I can’t bring myself to tell him about my condition. It’s overwhelming, terrifying. I have no idea how he’ll react. Our relationship is still so new, and dropping this weight on him now feels unfair. It’s just too soon. This whole situation—it’s not right. He deserves the chance to live fully, to be free and happy without being burdened by what’s happening to me. It’s better to let him go, to let him move on with his life, unshadowed by my struggle.
“Is he okay?” I ask, stepping aside so she can come in. She smells of alcohol, and I wonder if it means they’ve been drinking.
