Page 54 of Mateo & Nicole

“I didn’t go behind her back,” he growled, prowling toward her. “I bumped into that lunatic in town, and she wanted to get coffee. That’s it.”

“That’s it,” she muttered sardonically. She threw her hands into the air. “Sometimes I don’t even know whether or not you care for Nikki or if it’s just?—”

His hand reached out lightning fast, and he took her wrist in his grasp. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

Sophia’s face twisted with disgust as she dragged her hand from his.

“Of course,I care about her. I care about her… a lot.” He nearly told his sister he was in love, but this wasn’t the time for that. Caroline’s presence and his sister’s accusations had soured the possibility for any sort of confession of love. “I don’t know why Caroline is showing up out of the blue. She must have figured out that we live here and she was in town, so she decided to… I don’t know.” He groaned. “She wants me back.”

Sophia snorted. “Of course she does. Because she’s a worm, and you’re… everything.”

He gave her a wry look.

“What?” she snapped. “You’re on a completely different level than her, and you know it. She doesn’t deserve the dirt beneath your feet.”

Mateo rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“I guess there’s one thing we can be grateful for.”

“What’s that?”

“Nikki didn’t see Caroline stop by. And all of Caroline’s feeble attempts to get you back? She didn’t see that either. We just have to make sure Caroline understands that she isn’t getting you back. She lost you when she chose that other guy, and there is no changing it.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as you think. Caroline is the type of person to go after what she wants even if the odds are stacked against her. She’s not going to give up until she gets me or destroys my life in the process.”

Sophia frowned contemplatively at him. “Then we have to make sure that doesn’t happen. Whatever is going on with Nikki—we need to fix it so you guys are strong.”

“That’s just it, though. How am I supposed to fix it if Nikki won’t tell me what’s wrong? Maybe this is all for nothing. Maybe I’m just going to be a bachelor for the rest of my life.”

Sophia snorted. “You’re not going to be a bachelor for the rest of your life. If it doesn’t work out with Nikki?—”

“I don’t want anyone else, Sophia,” he said in a whisper, but he knew she heard him based on the way her eyes widened and lips parted.

“Well, I guess you’re just gonna have to hang in there. The good thing is that Nikki hasn’t spoken to Caroline in ages. She said so herself. So that means she won’t know what Caroline is up to.”

He could tell by the sound of her voice that Sophia was trying to cheer him up. Maybe she felt guilty about how she’d reacted. Or maybe she could see the anguish he was dealing with. Mateo nodded and glanced once more toward the cafeteria building. “Yeah. You’re probably right.”

Sophia reached out to touch his arm, her voice quiet. “I’ll keep trying to talk to Nikki. If something is actually wrong, I’ll get it out of her.”

“Thanks,really,” he repeated from before.

“What are sisters for?”

25

Nikki

Caroline: NIKKI! We have to hang again. Big news!

Nikki clutchedher phone as she read the message that had just come through her social media account. She could almost imagine the glass shattering beneath the force as she scowled at the message. There was only one reason why Caroline would send that. Something had happened between herself and Mateo.

Unless she was lying.

Nikki didn’t dare hope. She refused to lose herself in the disappointment that her relationship with Mateo had become.

After a week of avoiding him, she’d managed to convince herself to spend time with him—mostly because Paxton had insisted that she needed to see how good he’d gotten in the saddle.

Her son had been right. He was a natural if there ever was one, and he’d be so disappointed when he found out that they’d have to move from this place and find a small apartment above a store or something.

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