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Author's Chapter Notes:
Really sorry for the delay, but I hope you're still with me!

Chapter 20

Nick’s POV

These past few weeks with Rowena have been perfect in every way. Not only are we sexually compatible, but on every level we just seem to click. It’s something I’ve never experienced before and something I never want to experience with anyone else.

In fact, I’ve even been considering taking that next step, asking her to move in with me, but the only thing holding me back is whether this is too soon. There’s nothing I’d like more than to have her in my life permanently, waking up to see her naked and sprawled out in my bed every morning, all mine! I wanted the works – marriage, kids, the whole lot. Maybe I was going soft or something, but this woman made me want these things, and I fucking loved it. I loved the way she made me feel. She made me feel whole.

I was even performing better in work and I think that was all due to Rowena too, she made me a better person and that in turn, drew in more clients and helped my relationships with our existing clients. Not that the business ever suffered, I was after all good at my job, but this new me was a better me.

Then once again, just when I finally seemed to have everything under control, it all turned to shit.

I walked into the office one morning to be told that I had a visitor in my office.

“Who is it?” I asked the receptionist.

“I’m sorry Mr Carter, she wouldn’t give me her name, she just barged in and said she wasn’t going anywhere until she’d seen you” she replied.

“It’s OK, I’ll deal with this” I said and strode towards my office, noticing that the door was closed. Hmm, who the fuck could this be?

I imagined opening my office door to find Rowena naked and waiting on my desk. I even got excited at the thought. But the excitement soon vanished as there in my office was not the goddess of my fantasies, but my ex-wife Gabby.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed at her.

“Nice to see you too ex-hubby dearest” she said from my chair. My fucking chair!

“You haven’t come here on a social visit, now what do you want?” I asked, my temper beginning to flare “surely there is nothing left to say that’s not already been said”

“Actually, I’ve come to tell you that I’m getting married” she said

“Who’s the unlucky bastard this time?” I asked, not really giving a fuck.

“Actually…it’s Joey” she said.

“I thought you broke up with him?” I asked, remembering that he’s lost a great deal of his money and she hadn’t wanted to know him then.

“Well, that was just a little misunderstanding” she said and lowered her gaze to the floor “in fact, I’m here because we’d both like you to be at the wedding, well, I’ll re-phrase that, Joey would like you to be there. He misses you Nick, you’re one of his best friends”.

“Should’ve thought about our friendship before he started fucking about with you then” I yelled.

We began shouting at each other, I called her all the names under the sun and she held her own and called me a few names back. Nothing was getting resolved like this, but we couldn’t seem to stop ourselves, we needed to get this off our chests.

“Please Nick?” she asked “I know you must miss him too”

“I do” I replied honestly.

“Then can we just put this behind us? You and I weren’t meant to be, but you and Joey shouldn’t have to suffer because of past mistakes. Please, just give him a call?” she asked and I knew what she was saying made sense. I didn’t belong with Gabby; I don’t think I ever belonged with her. She was much better suited to Joey and I could see that now.

“OK, I’ll call him” I said “and Gabby…congratulations”

She threw herself at me in a friendly embrace, nothing sexual about it. But at that exact moment, my office door swung open and in walked Rowena. Fuck! I knew what this must look like to her, I knew I had to explain and do so fast. Fuckety, fuckety, fuck!

“Rowena…it’s not what you think…I can explain” I began but then Gabby went and opened her big mouth and made things worse than they already were, if that was possible.

“Nick? Who the hell is this person and what’s she doing just walking in to your office?” asked Gabby. I sent her dagger looks, she was fucking this up for me big time.

“I’m…I’m…oh forget it. You fucking bastard” Rowena said and turned to flee my office.

I couldn’t really blame her for her outburst; I’d have come to the same conclusion if the roles had been reversed. In fact, even thinking of her with another man made me angry.

“Rowena…please come back” I called after her, but of course, she didn’t. She was far too stubborn for that.

“Nick, you didn’t answer my question” said Gabby “who is she?”

“For fucks sake Gabby, you just made this a lot harder for me” I said, dragging my hands through my hair “if you must know - which of course is none of your damn business – she’s my girlfriend”

“Oh right” Gabby replied quietly “I’m sorry for being a complete bitch to her, I just thought she was some nosey employee”

“Well, you should’ve thought before you spoke” I said in annoyance and ran out of the room after her.

The elevator doors opened when I got there, so I knew that she either had to have taken the stairs or the other elevator. Deciding to go with my gut instinct, I headed for the stairs. I’d been right to go with my gut. I heard her quick footsteps and called out to her.

“Rowena…wait…please”

She didn’t stop, if anything, she picked up the pace and then I heard a loud thud and Rowena crying out. She must’ve fallen in her haste to get away from me; I just hoped she was alright.

“Oh my god, Row” I exclaimed pulling her into my arms.

“Let go of me you asshole” she cried.

“Let me explain, it’s not at all how it looked. That was Gabby, my ex-wife…” I began to try and explain myself but she cut me off.

“Look Nick, who you fuck is no longer my concern, now get your hands off me” she said with obvious pain.

“Row, I am not fucking my ex-wife” I said. How could she even think that? Didn’t she realise how much she meant to me? I was offended.

“Whatever” she said.

I took her to the hospital to get her leg looked at, I was sure she must’ve broken it. When we arrived, Rowena was taken to A & E, leaving me in the corridor wondering what to do next. I decided the best place to start was by giving her details in at the desk and then taking a seat in the waiting room. I’d wait all day and night if I had to.

A little while later she came hobbling out into the corridor, some good looking charmer of a doctor hovering over her, all smiles and niceness. Hands off asshole!

She looked up and saw me, surprise registering on her face, then she turned back to the doctor and said something I couldn’t hear. I was jealous as hell.

“Nick? Why are you still here?” she asked quietly.

“I was worried” I replied.

She told me it was just a sprain and I apologised. We left the building, headed for her place where I was going to explain everything.

Chapter End Notes:
I won't keep you waiting long for the next bit, I promise! Thanks for reading :)