Page 49 of Don't Regret Me
His lips tightened, drawing down into a frown. “Don’t get worked up, Liz.”
She didn’t understand how he could be so cold. “You haven’t even seen worked up. You want all the truths I’ve been holding back. How about this one? Nick Jacobs has never had a drug problem.”
“I wish that were true, but I went to rehab because of it.”
“No, you went to rehab because a woman bent on destroying you convinced you that your lost year was spent escaping into drugs and into her. That night… the one of your accident, she drugged you. She had help from Franklin. Together, they put you behind the wheel of a car and convinced you to take it out on the road.” She still didn’t have proof, but there were no doubts.
“Liz…” There was a warning in his voice.
“No, you listen to me. I have spent so much time since our comas trying to clear your name. Even if you never remembered me, I knew you. The man I knew would never put others at risk. He’d rather sit home eating cereal and playing UpWords than go to charity events and galas. He’s embarrassed about how well he dances and was terrified of the water because it took his brother’s life.”
“Stop.”
“He liked quiche but couldn’t make it to save his life, spoke to the dead as if they could hear him, and looked for answers in the stars.”
“I said stop,” he roared.
“What is going on in here?” Her dad appeared in the doorway. “And why is there a baby in my kitchen?”
Liz was still staring at Nick, her chest heaving. He glared right back. Neither of them answered her dad.
Nick was the first to break their charged silence. “You think you know me, but you don’t. Sherrie might be an awful person and a worse mother, but she’s not a murderer. Stop lying to me, Liz. I thought I’d started to know you, even though you can be so closed off. I wondered before what you were hiding, but I never imagined it was vindictiveness. Whatever Sherrie said to you at the hotel tonight, it doesn’t justify this.”
“You—”
“You had your turn. Now, I’m talking. I won’t deny this connection I’ve felt to you, or that my feelings are complicated. But I’ve had this idea of you in my head since the moment I saw you. It was wrong of me because you couldn’t possibly live up to it. Yet, I didn’t think you were this person.”
Tears streamed unchecked down her face. Not only because of the fissures forming in her heart, but also because she realized no one would ever believe her if Nick didn’t. And that meant she couldn’t even believe herself. “Don’t do this.”
He looked too calm, too in control. As if none of this affected him. And it only hurt more.
“I haven’t done anything, Liz. Earlier, I ended things because I didn’t want to end up hurting you.”
“Then, stop hurting me. It’s simple.”
He sighed. “I was right. This can’t work. I need honesty, trust. And you have given me neither.”
Bentley walked in, past her father, who was frozen in place. “We have food.” He held up the warm bottle proudly while cradling Stephanie expertly with his other arm.
“We’re leaving.” Nick took Stephanie, yanked the bottle out of Bentley’s hand, and left them staring after him as he slammed the front door.
“Are you okay?” Bentley looked like he wanted to hug her, but she couldn’t stand the thought of anyone touching her right then.
“Go.” She wiped her eyes. “He needs your help.”
When the door closed behind him, her knees buckled, and she hit the ground before her dad could get to her. He didn’t hold her, didn’t tell her it would be okay
Because even he knew it wouldn’t.
23
NICK
Then, stop hurting me.
He wanted to. More than anything, he wanted to take that look out of her eyes, to pretend none of what she’d said to him was unbelievable. That she wasn’t just a fan who’d lost her mind.
Coma dreams. He sighed. No one had a months-long vacation while in a coma. It just didn’t happen.
