“What! No. I left him a note.”
“He says he wants you.”
“God, do I have to find another man or maybe commit suicide for him to move on?”
Nate wanted to howl at the thought of losing her, and the thought of her no longer on earth was his worst nightmare.
“No!” Brylee burst out. “I really think you should talk to him. He looks like he’s hurting as much as you are.”
“Because he thinks he’s letting my brother down,” Tessa said.
“I don’t think that’s it. Listen, it’s up to you.”
“What would you do?” Tessa asked.
Brylee looked up at him.
“If it were me and I loved him as much as you do, I’d give him one more chance. You know you’ll never find another daddy.”
Tessa sighed. “All right.”
“I’ll call you later,” Brylee said.
Nate snatched the phone from her hands. “Hi, baby.”
There was a moment of silence.
“Hi.”
“It seems that I fucked up again, huh?”
“No.”
“Yes, I did. If I made you feel like I don’t love you with my whole heart, I absolutely did fuck up.”
“Please don’t feel that way. You helped me more than you know. You don’t have to worry about me again. Go be with your girlfriend. She fits you way more than I do.”
“Everything you just said is bullshit. She’s not and would never be my girlfriend.”
“She wants to be yours,” Tessa said.
“I don’t fucking care. I have the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I keep doing things to hurt her, and that’s the last thing I ever want to do.”
“I’m sorry, but I doubt that.”
Nate could feel panic start to build. The thought of losing her made him want to tear the place apart.
“Give me another chance, baby. Please. I won’t screw up again.”
“I’ll have to think about it. I’m too tired to think straight.”
“Can I at least know where you’re at? I hate that you’re alone somewhere.”
“No,” Tessa said. “Give me some time.”
“Can I call you again?”
“Maybe tomorrow night.”