Part 31 (2/2)

”Nothing. Um, are you actually going to have breakfast before dessert?”

”I've been watching what I eat. That's all.”

”Good. I've been reading about how important it is to eat healthy.” He poured her a gla.s.s of orange juice he'd picked up and slid it down the counter. ”Folic acid.”

Whatever the acid was in OJ, it didn't sit well, either. She didn't mention it. It wasn't his business.

Taking the juice to the table, she set the gla.s.s down at his place. G.o.d, he still had a seat at the table, a side of the bed, keys...

”Hey, how did you get in the security door? Did you make a copy of my keys or something?”

Ooh, she saw steam shooting out his ears. Now all he needed was to blow his top. She had no idea what possessed her, but she intentionally p.i.s.sed him off. It didn't make sense. She was happy he was there. Happy, confused, insecure-oh, and let's not forget, scared spitless. She wasn't sure what she was more afraid of-that he'd leave again, or that he'd stay and leave later. The only thing she knew was that she wanted him to stay forever. She never again wanted to go through what she had in the last thirty-five days, six hours, and twenty minutes.

Rosalie watched Nick trying to control his anger. His mouth moved as he counted to ten, and his teeth clenched. The tic in his jaw was going double time. Good. It was nice to see that she could still get a rise out of him.

”Henry and Wayne let me in. They seemed happy to see me.”

”Oh.” Okay, now she felt like a heel. ”I'm sure they were.” ”You don't look so happy.”

She gathered the mail that she'd thrown all over the table and tossed it on the couch. She didn't turn to look at him. She was already on the verge of losing it.

”Nick, what are you doing here?”

She waited for his answer, listening to the Felix the Cat clock ticking. Every roll of Felix's eyes and swish of his tail seemed to take a lifetime. Her heart pounded- the part of it that wasn't broken, the part that kept her alive. Blood rushed through her ears. She held onto the back of the chair and prayed she wouldn't pa.s.s out.

He'd moved so quietly, Rosalie didn't know he was behind her until his hands cupped her shoulders and slid down the length of her arms. He pried her hands off the chair back and pulled her against him. A war waged in her head. Part of her wanted to stay in his arms, absorb the heat of his body against hers, and melt into his embrace. The other part wanted to run like h.e.l.l. G.o.d, it hurt so much, thinking this might be the last time she ever touched him. At least when he'd walked out the last time, she hadn't known he wouldn't come back. If he left now, she'd know. And she wouldn't be surprised if it killed her. Rosalie honestly didn't think she could go through it again.

”Don't do this, Nick.” She pulled away, but he didn't let go. He turned her around to face him and held her there.

”Don't do what? Don't love you? I tried that. It didn't work. Lee, I know I hurt you. I know I f.u.c.ked up. I should never have kept things from you. But when I met you and found out that you were Rich Ronaldi's sister, I didn't think past-”

”Getting into my pants?”

”Well, yeah. Lee, I'm thirty-two-years-old, and I've never had a relations.h.i.+p last more than a month. I've never been in love before. I never wanted to be.”

”Do you think this is what I wanted?”

”No. But I didn't know that then, and I thought once you found out who I was, you'd never want to see me again.”

”Oh, yeah, you being The Dominick Romeo must have women running in the opposite direction. It must be tough. Maybe you should change your name to Dr. Hannibal Lecter. That might help.”

”I was your brother's best friend until I slept with his girlfriend and got both our a.s.ses arrested. I didn't think he'd be real happy with me seeing his little sister.”

”Hold on. You slept with Rich's girlfriend? Rich is three years older than you, and he was only seventeen when he was arrested. You slept with someone when you were fourteen? What did you do, play spin the bottle and tell ghost stories as foreplay?”

”I was fifteen, and to tell you the truth, I don't remember. I was drunk. I never would have touched Sophia if I was thinking clearly.”

”Neither would Rich. She was such a s.l.u.t. I was ten, and even I knew she would do anyone.”

”Gee, thanks.”

”Don't mention it. So this is why you didn't tell me who you were? It had nothing to do with Premier Motorcars?”

”I didn't know you were involved with Premier until I drove you there that day you insisted on going to work sick. I swear. Before that, I thought it was nice to go out with someone who didn't expect to be taken to a four-star restaurant on every date.”

”We'll get to Premier in a moment. As for the four-star treatment, I can see that. I figured you didn't want me to know who you were because most women try to land you for your money.” ”Well, yeah.”

”But after you got to know me, why didn't you come clean?”

”I wanted to, but then I found out you were working with Premier. I thought if I came clean, you'd be so p.i.s.sed about me lying, you wouldn't want to see me anymore. I figured I might as well wait until Rich came back for spring break. That way, I'd have as much time with you as possible. By the time I found out Rich was coming home, I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. I knew I had to tell you.”

”So, why didn't you?”

”I was going to, but you didn't get home until three in the morning. Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

”Do you have any idea how much it hurt when I realized I was living with a man who cared so little about me, he'd never told me his name? And that's before I figured out I was sleeping with the enemy. You were trying to ruin the company I was trying to save.”

Nick shook his head. ”No. I'm sorry. G.o.d, Lee, it was never that. I just didn't want to lose you, and as for Premier, I did nothing to hurt the company after I found out you were the new CFO. I hardly had to do anything before then, except wait for Jack Jr. to flush Premier down the toilet. I should never have let him near you. G.o.d, Lee, I don't know what I'd have done if anything had happened to you.”

Nick clung to her and kissed her. A sweet kiss on the lips. G.o.d, she'd missed him.

The coffee machine beeped, signaling it had finished brewing. She was dying for a cup. She also had to get away from Nick. She couldn't think when he was touching her. She went to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee.

”Is that decaf?”

”What would be the point in drinking coffee, if not for the caffeine?”

”You should be avoiding caffeine. It's not good for you. It increases your blood pressure and your heart rate. Did you know that it's been linked to miscarriages?”

”So?”

”So, pregnant women shouldn't be drinking caf-feinated anything. Ever since I got here, you've been popping pills, and now you're drinking coffee. Are you trying to lose our baby?”

Rosalie spun around, coffee slos.h.i.+ng over the rim of her cup onto the floor. ”Oh my G.o.d! You came here because you think I'm pregnant?”

Her skin got all clammy, and a wave of nausea rolled over her. She ran to the bathroom. She'd never been one to be sick, especially in front of anyone, but Nick followed and rubbed her back while she threw up what little she had in her stomach.

Rosalie sat back and leaned against the cool tile wall, fighting tears. Nick handed her a wet washcloth. She wiped her face. G.o.d, it was happening again. He was going to leave.

”All better?”

She shook her head. ”You need to leave, Nick.” ”How could you think I'd leave you? We're having a baby, for G.o.d's sake. My baby. I'm not going anywhere.”

”Don't you understand? There is no baby. You're off the hook. Go. Get out.” ”What?”

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