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Chapter 98


Nick unlocked the door and made his way inside, tossing his bags down and shutting the door, slumping against it. It’d been a long drive and a long flight, or maybe it just felt that way. The whole drive back and the flight back all he could think about was Veronica. The closer to his home get, the more depressed he‘d grown.

Gathering up his bags again, he headed up to his room, setting his stuff on the floor, getting ready to unpack, when he thought better of it. He’d do it later. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he called Kevin to let him know he was back and then hung up and called Veronica. After leaving a message, he dressed quickly, grabbed his keys and headed back out.

A Few Hours Later…

Groaning, he slipped out of the bed, looking over at the sleeping woman, his stomach turning. Walking over, he sat at his desk and signed on to his instant messenger and frowned, she wasn’t there. Opening his email, he dropped her a line and then shut down. Grabbing his cell from the dresser, he made his way out into the hall, dialing her number. Four rings later, he left a message and hung up, heading back into his room. Looking over at the bed he frowned, he couldn’t go back. He couldn’t lay there beside that girl whose name he couldn’t remember and pretend like he had before. He couldn’t pretend any longer. The feeling was back, that need to get away, to bolt.

Sighing he headed out, shutting the door behind him. Heading into the kitchen, he went to the fridge got a bottle of water and headed over to the couch, slumping down. He wasn’t back even a day and he’d already gone back to his old ways. Why should he expect anything different? He hadn’t gone to meet her thinking that he’d change, he hadn’t gone thinking what had happened, would.

But it did happen, and he had changed.

Nick took a long drink and stood, setting the bottle on the coffee table. Grabbing the cushions off couch, he pulled the bed out and grabbed the throw blanket and climbed on. Using one of the throw pillows, he laid back, staring, up at the ceiling. It felt familiar and comfortable. He had guest rooms he could use, but being on the pull out bed appealed to him more.

What had he done? How could he have slept with that girl? It hadn’t even been worth it, he’d been a zombie. It just didn’t feel right anymore, and he’d gotten no real satisfaction. He’d closed his eyes and seen someone else and that had made it bearable. But he couldn’t keep doing that, imaging another woman in his arms, below him, crying out. He couldn’t.

Rolling to his side, he looked at the empty spot beside him and frowned, she’d never been there, but somehow he expected to see her there. Reaching out, he ran his hand over the blanket, staring out blankly. He didn’t want to sleep alone, he wanted someone to cuddle close to, someone to hold, just not the one sleeping in his bed right now.

The one he wanted was far away.

Closing his eyes, he tried to forget and to remember the feel of her body, the taste of her lips just enough to bring him to exhaustion. Only then did he sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She set the plastic bag inside her suitcase and zipped it closed, tugging it off her bed and setting it on the floor. Turning she headed out her room and into the bathroom. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she made her way back into her bedroom.

Veronica couldn’t believe it, who would’ve thought at twenty five she would be heading to another state for her father’s funeral. Slumping down on her bed, she stared off blankly. Everything had changed, her world had shifted and she didn’t know how to handle it. Sliding back on the bed, she slipped under the covers and rolled to her side.

Her dad had died and half the time she was thinking about him. The man who’d walked into her life eight days ago and who’d walked out, having changed her life forever. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, his smile, and his touch. It’d all been very surreal, even now when she thought back on it, it felt like a dream, a dream she’d just woken from. Only it wasn’t a dream, it’d been real, very real. Reaching out, she ran her hand over the empty space on her bed, her eyes welling up.

He’d been there, if she closed her eyes, she could still smell him. She grabbed the pillow he’d used, stuffing her face in it. She could smell him there too, and she clutched it tightly to her. It was wrong, so wrong to want someone she couldn’t have, could never have. Veronica wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks, she wanted him back. She’d wanted him back the moment he’d left and here several hours later, she still wanted him back. She had no idea how she’d let him go, how she could let him walk away like that.

But she’d had no choice, he wasn’t hers and she had no hold on him. He was her friend that was all. What she couldn’t figure out was why the thought of that hurt so much. Burying her face once again in the pillow, she cried softly for the man who’d given her life and for the man who had somehow managed to find his way into her heart.