Page 17 of Holding Penalty

“Nash?” I ask.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for everything tonight.”

“Don’t mention it. Didn’t have anything better to do.”

I chuckle. I can’t tell if he’s joking, being sarcastic, or actually telling the truth. I’m sure it can’t be the last option.

“Tonight really, really sucked. A lot. But you helped make it a little less sucky than it would have been otherwise.”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

I chuckle again. And again I wonder if he’s joking, being sarcastic, or being serious.

“I’ll let you get to sleep, then. See you in the morning.” There’s a bizarre twist in my chest at the intimacy of those words.

Nash makes a grunt of acknowledgment, and then silence settles over the room.

A forlorn feeling sweeps through me as I lie in bed. I hold up my hand and look at my engagement ring in the dim light. I look at it for a long, long time. I don’t really feel anything, I don’t really think anything, I just look at it.

Maybe I should take my phone out of my purse. Text Crew, just to let him know I’m safe. I don’t know what he’s thinking right now, since I never got home and he hasn’t been able to contact me.

There’s a good chance he’s contacted Hallie to see if she’s heard from me. If so, she’ll be worried. I should at least check to see if she’s tried to get in touch and let her know I’m doing alright. She’ll be worried sick if she knew I was last seen by Crew, driving away from me on a deserted road miles outside the city.

I’m exhausted, but I can’t sleep if Hallie might be out there worrying herself to death.

I reach over and grab my purse, taking out my phone and powering it on for the first time since Nash found it on the ground.

Plenty of notifications from Crew. None from Hallie. That’s a relief. At least I haven’t stressed out someone who doesn’t deserve it tonight.

I guess if Crew had contacted my sister, he’d have to explain what happened, which he didn’t feel up to doing.

As I look at my notifications, Crew’s most recent text displays, from about an hour and a half ago.

I love you. I know when we sit down and talk about this tomorrow, you’ll understand that I didn’t cheat on you and never would.

I roll my lips together. Do I want to believe him? Why does the thought that he’s actually telling the truth make me feel … trapped?

It makes me feel disappointed, in some fucked-up way I can’t really understand.

It must be a result of emotional exhaustion.

I power off my phone and rest it beside me on the bed. It’s way too hot to get under the covers.

I close my eyes, let out another heavy sigh, and before I know it, I’m asleep.

7

PIPER

My head is pounding. The sun is bright and hot. I have to squint against the glare from the polished body of Nash’s truck as he retrieves my shoes from the footwell of the passenger seat.

“Here you go,” he says, shutting the door and rounding the truck.

I’ve hardly been able to feel anything other than a headache and nausea since I woke up this morning, but the sight of my heels dangling in Nash’s hand does a little something to me.

“Thanks,” I say, taking them from him. An awkward beat of silence stretches as we stay rooted to the spot. “Weird twelve hours, huh?”