A wave of nausea washed over her, the scent of his cologne, something she once loved, now made her want to vomit. His hand was icy when he touched her cheek, and she quickly took a step back, shaking her head.
Behind her, Sadie heard the soft clinking of glasses as Maggie moved about her work. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Fergus, one of Maggie’s part-time helpers, wiping down tables that already looked spotless. His massive frame was positioned strategically behind Nate. Several of the regulars had paused their conversations, eyeing Nate with suspicion. She took her first full breath since walking through the door, knowing the people here were watching out for her safety.
Curiosity, and perhaps a need for closure, got the better of her. She knew this was simply another attempt to manipulate the situation, to hook her back into his orbit. Still, she looked back at Nate and jerked her head toward the courtyard door.
“Fine. We can talk outside. I’ll give you five minutes and then you’re going back to New York.”
“Sadie, love, I don’t think that’s wise…” Maggie began, but Sadie shook her head.
“Five minutes,” Sadie assured her, “that’s all he gets. Leave the courtyard door unlocked.”
The March air bit at her cheeks as they stepped outside. Cobblestones glinted beneath their feet, slick from the afternoon rain shower. The soft glow of fairy lights lit the space, and Sadie flipped on one of the outdoor heaters, hoping to ease her shivers.
“Alright,” she said with a sigh, turning to face him, “you’ve got five minutes. Talk.”
“I miss you,” he said. “I miss… us.” He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
She flinched at the contact. Just hours ago, Corbyn had done something similar, but where his touch had felt tender, Nate’s was possessive, as if he still had the right to touch her without consent.
“I’ve been thinking about everything we talked about. I accepted a position at NYU, and I start next month. We could afford a brownstone. There’s one available that’s pet-friendly, and we could get that golden retriever you wanted. You always said you wanted one like your childhood dog, Buddy.” His smile turned almost shy as he leaned his forehead against hers. He whispered, “And it has a spare bedroom that could be perfect for… you know. Eventually. When we’re ready for a family.”
For a fleeting moment, Sadie closed her eyes and allowed herself to indulge in the fantasy his words painted. Cozy writing nooks, exposed brick walls, the patter of a dog’s paws on hardwood floors, maybe someday the sound of a child’s laughter. Everything she’d once thought she wanted, all the dreams she’d only ever voiced in their most vulnerable moments.
Stepping back, she shook her head, trying to chase away those treacherous thoughts. She wasn’t the same woman who had left him months ago, and she squared her shoulders, expressionhardening. The man before her was a master of manipulation, and she refused to fall for his tricks.
“How did you find me, Nate?”
He shrugged, guilt flickering across his face, and he replied, “You let it slip when I called you. Remember? You mentioned working with Corbyn Pearce.” A smug smile played at his lips. “Wasn’t hard to look him up. Then I found your email still logged in on my laptop, and I saw the confirmation for The Roaring Stag.”
Sadie blinked a few times, stammering for words. “You read my emails?”
“What else was I supposed to do?” Nate argued, familiar petulance creeping into his tone. “You wouldn’t respond… I tried calling, texting, and even emailing. You wouldn’t answer, so I had to come all this way!”
Sadie could hear his voice starting to rise in volume. This was the Nate she knew best. The one who could twist any situation and make himself out to be the victim. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked away, letting out a slow, tense breath.
“You could have, I don’t know, maybe just accepted that we’re over instead of stalking me halfway across the world,” she pointed out, her voice still quiet.
The word ‘stalking’ triggered something in Nate. His expression cracked, and with it the soft, pleading look. It was replaced with something that had Sadie taking another step back, trying to angle herself so she could easily escape back into the pub.
“I prefer to think of it as keeping tabs on what’s mine,” he retorted, countering her retreat by moving closer once more.
“What’s yours?” Sadie spat with a humorless laugh. “I’m not some object for you to possess. Go home, Nate. There’s nothing here for you.”
She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm, spinning her back around. His grip on her arm tightened as she tried to pull away, and a soft cry of pain escaped her, knowing there would be bruises.
“Let me go, Nate,” she demanded, but he only pulled her closer, capturing her other wrist. Trying her best to show no fear, she threatened, “One scream from me and you’ll be dealing with Fergus.”
“I came here having done everything you asked,” he said, his voice hard, and she saw a muscle in his jaw tick. “I took the teaching job, I looked into new apartments… I’m trying to give you everything you ever wanted, and your response is to spit in my face.”
“Everything I wanted?” Sadie repeated, stilling for a moment as she blinked at him. It was inconceivable to her that after nearly a decade together, he still didn’t know anything about her, not really. “What I wanted was a partner, not someone who acts like a child when he’s angry.”
Something ugly flickered across Nate’s face, and when he leaned closer, she could smell the whiskey on his breath.
“So that’s what this boils down to? You’re actually going to throw everything we had away because ofonetime when I lost my temper?“ he practically snarled at her, and Sadie couldn’t stop the disbelieving huff that escaped her. “I said I was sorry, but you’re going to hold that over me again, and hold yourself out there as blameless and perfect?”
“You and I both know it wasn’t just one time,” she fired back, angrily trying to yank her arms away, which only brought forth a hiss of pain. “I never said I was perfect, but I do think I deserve better than living in fear of you destroying things in a fit of anger.”
Nate’s eyes narrowed, and a cruel laugh escaped him. “Is that why you’re so caught up on this Pearce guy? Because you thinkhe’s so much better?” His grip tightened, and he leaned over her, making her shrink away. “Tell me, Sadie, are you screwing him?”
