Page 13 of Timelessly Ours

I frown. I want to be angry. I should be blaming all of them for what happened last night. But I’m no amateur. I slipped. One little trigger and I was out that door and heading right back down that hole.

“Turns out you were right.”

He looks like he wants to say something but holds back.

“If anything, I suppose I owe you,” I say.

“For what?”

I shrug. “For those nights you watched over me.” I try to hide the bitterness in my voice. “Solely so that I would…close up safely and go home.”

He looks at me like he doesn’t believe me, then dumps the rest of his coffee. “I’m going to run to the office for a meeting this afternoon but I’ll be back by the time Rory gets home. After that, we can talk about what we’ll do.”

“We?”

He turns to me, his eyes as sharp as his statement. “You’re not alone, Nicole. We’re all responsible. We’ll figure this out.”

I glance around and resist the urge to rub my arms. “Do I just hang out here?”

“I’d like it if you did. I don’t think you should go until we talk later and come up with a plan.”

I nod, knowing a good place to start is probably quitting my job at the bar. “I’ll call Hank.”

He nods agreeably and leaves like he can’t get out of here fast enough.

Sleep. Sleep is exactly what the doctor ordered. I was so exhausted. At some point in the day, I take another shower and change the sheets I was sleeping in. Then head downstairs to wash every piece of linen I’ve touched.

The laundry room in my apartment complex is shared and the machines needed to be replaced about ten years ago, so this is somewhat of a luxurious task for me.

I found a phone charger earlier and plugged in my dead phone. As I wait for the dryer, I turn it back on and brace myself for a slew of messages.

Or worse—none at all.

Angel: Hey. I can’t reach you and I’m really worried. Can I come over?

Angel: Okay, this isn’t funny. I know you hear me knocking, let me in.

I hit play on a voicemail she left me early this morning.

“Nicole. You can’t ignore me forever. Look, I’m sorry about lying to you these past few months. But it was a group decision and it made sense to us at the time. Also, I swear half those stories I was telling you about Jace and me those nights…were true. You know when I used our fights as an excuse to not go home? Hold on…what?” She trails off as if talking to someone else. “And Jace says that all the times he complained about me during his nights to watch you…were true… Wait, what did you say about me?” she hisses at her boyfriend.

I should be fuming, but I laugh and then press the delete button. “Just because I’ll get over it, doesn’t mean I need to call you back just yet,” I say quietly before setting my phone aside.

I’m seated at the kitchen island halfway through my herbal tea and sports magazine when I hear a car pull up in the driveway.

The sound of an argument outside the door has me on alert. Having a full view of the front door from where I'm sitting, I stare and wait for it to swing open, my defenses gearing up.

A petite brunette with dyed red hair streaks pushes the door in. “Will you just calm down and get inside?” she howls. My face twists when I see who’s behind her.

Rory stomps into the house. “Daaadddyyyy!”

I hop off the kitchen counter. “Whoa, whoa, Rory, what’s going on?” But my eyes don’t leave the stranger who walked her in.

Rory’s eyes beam when she sees me. Her backpack falls to the floor and she rushes over. “Nicole.” I move in front of the counter, holding my arms out, mostly for fear of her knocking her head against the corner edge. I’m not much of a hugger, but it does the trick since she lunges herself at me.

“Is Angel here?” Her big brown eyes search for her older sister, since I’m only ever here to see Angel.

“No.”

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