Page 126 of Just the Wrong Twin

Nate nodded once, looking decisive and dangerous. “Tell me.”

“I didn’t go to prom even though I was supposed to. A guy asked me out but we never made it to prom. He parked the car on the way there.” She watched Nate’s expression turn grim. “I lost my virginity, then he left me there.”

She didn’t miss the furious flash in his eyes and the sight of his protectiveness just reinforced that she’d made the right choice.

“That’s what fueled your snap.”

Sonia nodded. “It was over and done. But at the Valentine’s Day party, Nick thought I was Katia, and he let me in on the joke.”

“What joke?” Nate growled.

“He set it up. He had a bet with that guy, who was his friend. He was sure fat Thalia didn’t deserve any better.”

Nate went taut and his eyes flashed, but Sonia kissed him before he could say anything. “It’s over, Nate. It’s in the past. I’m not fat Thalia anymore.” She smiled at him. “I’ve become the person I was born to be, and it’s all because of you.”

“Not all,” he protested. “I think you have to take most of the credit yourself.”

“I want to move forward and think about the future,” she told him. “I don’t want to be burdened by the past. It’s shaped me, just as yours has shaped you. Let’s team up and kick some butt.”

“Deal!” he said with a smile and a kiss that quickly deepened.

“I think we should do something tangible about this mutual admiration society,” Sonia said when she could.

Nate grinned wickedly. “I’m guessing you have an idea.”

“Or six,” Sonia said, tugging him toward the bedroom. “Let’s start with slow.”

“I’ve got no argument with that,” he said, then caught her up in his arms. They tumbled to the bed together and no one said much of anything for a long time.

* * *

Nate dared to believe.

He soon realized that he was still, on some level, waiting for everything to go sideways. Instead, everything with Sonia just kept getting better.

They soon settled into a rhythm to deal with the distance. Nate stayed in Boston, since his job had less flexibility in terms of location. Sonia came every weekend. Tobias insisted on having his driver bring Sonia on Friday or even Thursday night, and she worked remotely from Nate’s apartment on Friday most weeks. Nate drove her back to New York on Sunday nights. He never got tired of coming home to find her in his place, often barefoot, often reading, sometimes unpacking a meal kit that she’d brought from Reid’s bodega. He never got tired of making love with her, of talking and listening and laughing together. Sheba stayed home on the Fridays that Sonia was there—Nate had known that would work when Sheba gave the bark of joy at any indication that Sonia was around.

His mom adored Sonia. That was a big plus.

Nate hadn’t thought about it much in advance, but the apartment gave Sheba a view on three sides. She could see the parking lot out front, the walking path that ran alongside the building, and the park behind. He and Sonia hung blinds on the windows instead of drapes, so they could leave the bottom foot of glass exposed. If Sheba was going to defend the homestead, he wouldn’t interfere with her view.

Every Thursdays she started her vigil, watching for Sonia.

Every weeknight, Nate and Sheba had a yoga date with Sonia. He watched every podcast and he could only admire how her confidence and her popularity grew. She shred the numbers from F5F with a kind of awe, but Nate wasn’t surprised at all by her success. Each week seemed to bring her a new triumph: more viewers, another interview, another merchandising offer, more stories and more fans. It was great to watch her blossom.

He was even starting to get used to Katia.

Workwise, Nate loved being at Silver Fox Security. That first Monday after his self-isolation, he reported in at the headquarters of Silver Fox Security each day for work, taking Sheba with him. Pierce had bought a warehouse on the perimeter of town at the end of a business park. It was big enough that they could park the firm’s vehicles inside, if desired. The offices were at the front, the domain of Mack, and Jimmy had a tech zone in the opposite front corner, one without windows. There was a huge unfinished space in the back and even a workout room for training sessions with Angel. Sheba checked it all out and Mack joked that she was clearing it. Mack had brought a dog bed for Sheba and put it in the office, but she tended to follow Nate around when he wasn’t on assignment.

That first Wednesday, with Pierce’s permission, he broke into the first house that was being presented to Mrs. Rashid as a possibility. On the Thursday, he got into the second one. They had a meeting comparing notes and strategies, and Mack said Mrs. Rashid preferred the location of the first one. Pierce rented it for her, Jimmy and Troll made some changes, and Nate broke into it again afterward. Pierce laughed about getting his money’s worth and they mapped out another update on Friday night, one that Nate thought would take care of the vulnerabilities. Mack arranged Mrs. Rashid’s move from Paris and Pierce orchestrated the door-to-door surveillance that was his specialty. When she arrived in July, Nate was part of the team assigned to her protection.

Nate began to volunteer to work out with vets, just as he’d done at Flatiron Five Fitness, and that soon evolved into a weekly commitment. He loved giving back to other guys who had served, especially helping amputees find new ways to get things done. Nate’s Night was each Monday, and he started to book in guests, like Damon and Pierce to provide guidance and inspiration. Even Troll had shown up.

Sheba fit into Nate’s life as if he’d been waiting for her, too. It turned out that she liked peanut butter best of all, though she was always up for a taste of whatever was on the menu. As she became more confident in her situation, she was more playful. Her eyes shone and Nate loved being part of that change. He usually woke up many mornings to find a spitty stuffed toy on his chest and an expectant dog beside the bed. The frequent choice was a purple furry dragon that Sonia had bought for her.

Sheba was also an amazing chick-magnet. Nate met his neighbors in no time, everyone wanting to pat the dog and find out about her prosthesis. Women came out of the woodwork when he walked Sheba—and Sheba herself proved to have a strong maternal instinct. She was incredibly sweet with little fluffy dogs, maybe thinking they were puppies, and the women in Nate’s complex tended to have little fluffy dogs. He teased Sonia that he should have gotten a dog sooner, and she teased him back, saying the universe had been saving him just for her.

She was right. There was only one woman he wanted. That she wanted him back was the biggest and best miracle at all. Being closer to Sonia, spending more time with Sonia, sharing secrets and stories with Sonia, just meant that Nate fell harder in love with every passing day.

---