Now she’s engaged.
Fucking engaged.
Some guy I’ve never met slid a ring on her finger while I was busy being careful.
I drop my head and bang my hands in anger against the counter, the impact stinging but not nearly enough. My heart pounds so hard it feels like it might split my ribs when I realize I don’t know what the hell to do about this.
Fight for her?
Burn the fucking world down?
There’s one thing I know that will never be an option…and that’s to walk away.
Never again.
FUCK FUCK FUCK.
What’s this fucker’s name? How did they meet?
And why didn’t anyone fucking tell me it was serious? You were supposed to keep me fucking updated…what kind of brothers are you?
I can’t do this right now.
I exit the chat and throw my phone across the room, not paying attention if it smashed into a million pieces like my heart just did.
Lifeless, I stumble into my office, pour a pity drink of scotch, knowing wine won’t cut it, and won’t stop until my mind is blurred.
“Nate?” Leo’s voice slices through the haze. “You okay?”
How long have I been here alone?
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” I say, my voice breaking. “I thought eventually she’d remember us. Remember everything we were supposed to be. I tried so fucking hard to talk to her, to remind her, but I hurt her too much.” I turn and slam my fist into the door, cracking it in half. I sway to the side and catch myself on the bookshelf. “How the fuck do I go on?”
“Here, give me that.” Leo tries to take the glass from my hand. I yank it back, sloshing the liquor everywhere.
“How? Tell me how!” I bellow, my frustration rising. I launch the glass across the room, shattering it into a million pieces.
Skye whines, and I crouch down, murmuring an apology. She presses close as I collapse onto the floor, leaning against the sofa.
My head drops toward my knees as my chest heaves, rising and falling, but it’s impossible to catch my breath.
Seconds later, Skye lets out an excited bark, and I already know who’s here.
Seb and Harrison walk in and silently pour drinks. Seb sits across from me. Harrison lowers himself onto the couch and palms the top of my head like he used to when I was a kid.
Harrison talks first, and it suddenly feels like I’m in an intervention. “It’s been a long time, Nate. Maybe too long. Perhaps this is your sign that it’s time you move on. She never forgave you. Why would she now?”
“Move on?” I whip around to look at him. “You know me better than that, Harrison.”
“Calm down, Nate,” Seb chimes in, and if we were closer, I’d fucking deck him.
Calm down?
“I’m not going to calm down. Would you give up Juliette?” I ask Harrison about his wife, whom he’s head over heels in love with.
He drops his head and shakes it side to side.
“I didn’t think so, so don’t expect me to move on when I’ve had over a decade longer to love Maddie.” I wipe an angry tear that falls. “Don’t you get it? This is it for me. I’d rather be alone the rest of my life than live a lie with someone else.”
