"Throw me a wave if you need another."
I watch her walk away, acutely aware that Nicholas is staring at me. I'm not wearing a stitch of makeup tonight. I got home late from work and had just enough time to eat an apple and shower. I dried my hair, pulled on a black jumpsuit and boots and took off out the door.
"I was running late." I skim my fingers over my lips. "I usually never leave the house without makeup."
"You should always leave the house without makeup. You're stunning like this."
I want to tell him that he's gorgeous too. He is. He's wearing a thick charcoal colored sweater and jeans. His hair hasn't been trimmed in weeks and he's wearing his glasses tonight.
"How is work going?"
His brows pop at my generic question. "Good. I'm working on a new project and getting things lined up for the release ofAction's Cause."
"Does it make you nervous?" I sample the wine. It's not half bad. "Does putting a new book out make you anxious?"
"Always." He rubs the pad of his thumb over the rim of his glass. "I'm exposing a piece of myself. There's a vulnerability that goes with that."
"I understand. It's the same for me with my clothing designs."
"I met Gabe for a drink on Saturday night. He told me you're killing it at Ella Kara."
"You met Gabriel for a drink?" I don't even try to hide my surprise. "Since when do the two of you hang out?"
He dips his head down. "Since I told him he could call me whenever he wanted."
"That might have been a mistake."
He gazes across the table at me. "It might have been. If it was, I can live with it. I can't live with what I did to you, Sophia. I want to make it up to you. Tell me how."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Nicholas
I stop breathingwhen I see the look in her eye. It's pain. Clear and honest pain caused by me. I'm so fucking pissed at myself for doing what I did to her.
"I talked to my friend, Cadence, the other day about forgiveness."
Forgive my sins, Sophia. Please fucking forgive me.
"Did it help you?" I hold my breath after I ask. I pray to God her friend isn't one of those women who hold a man's transgressions against him until his heart stops beating. If I have to walk this earth for the next sixty years knowing Sophia is out there somewhere and not by my side, I'll be dead inside.
"Talking to her always helps me." She manages a small smile. "She's very logical."
"What did she say about forgiveness?"
Her grip tightens on the wine glass. "She said that I'd forgiven you weeks ago. She's right."
"You did?" I ask hoarsely.
"If I saw some of my designs on a runway at fashion week, I'd lose it." Her voice is even and measured. "I'd think twice before blaming my lover for it, but maybe that's just me."
"You're more than my lover," I subtly correct her. "What we have is more than just that."
"We have nothing if you don't trust me."
My stomach drops. She's right. A relationship can't survive without trust. "I trust you. I trust you more than anyone else in my life."
"Do you trust me enough to talk to me about what you're feeling?" Her pale blue eyes search my face. "You can't lash out at me like that again, Nicholas. If you do, I don't think I can forgive you a second time."
