“Five a.m.”
“Nate is supposed to be at work.”
“He switched shifts.”
“What a mess. I’ve ruined everyone’s New Year’s.”
“Not really.” She looks away, and her cheeks turn pink. “There’s something uber-sexy about a man who will drop everything for his sister.”
I cough out a small snicker that turns into a loud laugh. After about ten seconds, I’m sobbing again. She leans in and lets me cry on her shoulder until I’m gasping for breath.
“You don’t know me, but Bryce is the love of my life, and he cheated on me.”
“I don’t think he did,” she says soothingly. “That man doesn’t strike me as a cheater.”
“You should’ve heard what they were saying.”
“I don’t have to hear them. I saw the devastation they caused.”
“What do you mean?” I back away and catch her eyes.
“I shouldn’t judge. I don’t even know them well.”
“How is that? Nate mentioned you guys don’t hang out.”
“I’m not sure. The one time we talked about hanging with his friends, he said we’d plan something soon. He was elusive, withdrawn about the whole thing. I assumed he got sick of being with the same people all the time. The only one he ever talks about is Bryce. That’s why we’ve met. And I’ve heard all about you.”
Nate’s face at Christmas flashes in my mind, when I walked out and threw the coats at them, irate about Liza. He wasn’t aggravated with me. He was repulsed. Then in the truck yesterday and when he found me last night, he wasn’t shocked. His words from a few minutes ago replay in my head.
“I’ve told you for months to shut that bitch down. It’s obvious to everyone but you, and now she’s caused pain to someone I love more than anything.”
“Nate knew. That’s why he shields you. He didn’t trust them.”
“From the little bit he told me last night, he doesn’t trust a few of them. I think the guys are fine, but the women make him uncomfortable.”
“Wish like shit Bryce picked up on that.”
“I do too, hun. I do too. But after last night, I don’t care if I ever meet them.”
We sit in silence, and I rub my chest where it aches. There’s a ringing in the other room, and Jamie gets up. She talks low so I can’t hear. When she comes back, she sits next to me and gives me an encouraging grin.
“Nate’s on his way back. He’s going to get his clothes and take me home. According to him, you and Bryce need some privacy, but I’m not sure he’s right. Your call. You want us to stay, I’ll insist.”
“I don’t know what I want. Well, that’s not true. I wish like hell the last day didn’t happen.”
“I’ll put my number on the kitchen counter. You need me, I can be here in less than ten minutes.”
“Thank you, Jamie.”
She hugs me loosely then leaves me alone without another word. I curl into a ball on the bed and cry, knowing that even if nothing happened, Liza may have irreparably damaged my relationship.
I wake feeling watched. Sunlight streams through slits in the blinds, and the clock reads eight a.m. I turn and find Bryce sitting in a chair in his bedroom doorway. One hand holds a glass filled with whiskey, and the other hand holds the bottle. I rake my eyes over him, taking in his slouched posture and wrinkled clothes. His face is pale and emotionless, sending a chill down my spine. I sit up slowly, watching him close.
He takes a sip of the whiskey and then leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees.
“Go ahead and ask me.” His voice is so cold; I don’t recognize it.
“Did you sleep with Liza?”