Danger chuckles as he places the bacon onto one plate and brings it over to the table while Lunar pours two cups of coffee. We all sit, and Lunar hands me the giant mug, which, in all honesty, isnotbig enough.
“Thank you, you goddess,” I say, and she shakes her head as she picks up a strip of crispy bacon and pops it in her mouth.
“So, you two are good?” I ask.
Lunar looks to Danger and smirks.
“Yeah, we’re good. It’d take a lot more than that to break us apart,” Danger says, placing his hand on Lunar’s and squeezing.
She winks at him.
I’m glad for them. I just hope things are okay with Ria and that leaving her at the studio hasn’t fucked things up between us.
“Did you talk to Zaria?” Lunar asks.
“Not yet.”
Danger sighs. “Dude, it’s not her fault. Don’t be mad at her—”
“No, I know, and I’m not. I just needed time to wrap my head around this. I just hope that in doing it, I haven’t fucked up and scared her off.”
“I’m not gonna lie… she was pretty upset when we realized you guys left. She was concerned about you.”
“Yeah, I should’ve called her.”
“You weren’t in a fit state to call her, Nate.”
Nodding, I pick up my coffee and take a drink. It burns, but I need the caffeine hit.
After Lunar and Danger inhale their bacon, and I finish my coffee, I figure there’s no need for me to hang around. I should probably call Ria, but my battery is nearly dead. So, instead, I’ll head out to see her.
I say my goodbyes to Danger and Lunar, and they tell me not to drive too far, as I may still be over the limit. But my need to see Ria outweighs the negatives right now, and a DUI is something Tillie could fix if push comes to shove. I feel perfectly fine sans a major fucking headache, but I am not stupid. I know the alcohol will not be out of my system, so I do the sensible thing and order an Uber.
It would be reckless to drive.
I need to get to Ria, and the fastest way right now is an Uber.
Chapter Fifteen
NATE
Not long later, I arrive at Ria’s home, and the guards let me in without phoning through. Seems they know me well enough now and trust that I’m authorized to enter. The Uber driver pulls up, I thank him, and he takes off again. As I start walking toward the mansion, I wish I’d thought this through a little more.
I don’t know what I’m going to say or do.
Hell, I don’t even know if she’ll want to see me.
I stand by the edge of the stairs, fiddling with my jacket, wondering how the hell to go about this. In my head, I run through the options, trying to figure out my course of action, when the front door flies open. My eyes shift up to see Ria standing there in a robe, her face makeup-less, her eyes slightly puffy like she’s been crying, and her hair a little messy—definitely not the usual perfection I’m used to seeing. Though she still looks perfect to me, the sight breaks my heart as she wraps her arms around herself in a protective stance as if she’s unsure of how to proceed. She looks at me through glassy eyes.
“Ria,” I say, and her body slumps like she was desperate to hear me speak her name. Seeing her like this breaks something inside me. My feet move before I can think, and I race toward her. I pull her into my arms, and she wraps hers around my neck tightly, pulling her body flush against mine.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmurs against my neck.
Briefly, I start to panic.
Why is she sorry?
What has she done?
