Page 47 of Restored By the Mountain Man
On the third ring, it picks up.
Gripping the front of my hair, my voice breaks from tears. “Nash,” I clear my throat. “I fucked up. I fucked up, bro.”
CHAPTER 12
ZOE
I've been driving aimlessly through the winding mountain roads for two hours, tears streaming down my face as the sun sets behind the peaks. My hands shake on the steering wheel, and I have to pull over twice just to catch my breath.
The look on Ezra's face when he found me in that room keeps replaying in my mind. The fury, the way his voice turned cold and foreign. Like I was a stranger who had violated something sacred.
Maybe I was.
I should have known better than to open a closed door in his house. Should have respected his boundaries. But I'd been so comfortable, so at home there after the night we shared. When I'd finished my bath and wandered the hall looking for him, I'd seen the door slightly ajar and thought nothing of exploring.
The room had been beautiful. Clearly a craft space with half-finished projects scattered around, art supplies organized in colorful containers, sketches pinned to a corkboard. It felt warm and creative and alive, and I'd been drawn to the sketchbooks,curious about the artist who had created such a welcoming space.
Then I'd opened one of the books and seen the signature. Elizabeth Hunter. And my heart had stopped.
I'd been sitting there, carefully looking through her drawings when Ezra came home. Her work was beautiful. They had delicate watercolors of mountain landscapes, sketches of what looked like nursery ideas and pages upon pages of baby clothes designs and tiny shoes.
The woman had been preparing for motherhood with such joy, such anticipation. Every stroke of her pencil radiated love for the child she was carrying.
And then Ezra had found me there, surrounded by the dreams that died with his wife and daughter.
No wonder he lost it. No wonder he looked at me like I was the enemy.
But the way he spoke to me, the coldness in his voice when he told me to get out... That's what breaks my heart. Because for a moment, I wasn't Zoe anymore. I was just another person who had disappointed him, another source of pain in a life already full of it.
My phone buzzes on the passenger seat, and I glance at it through blurry eyes. Nash's name appears on the screen, but I let it go to voicemail. I can't talk to any of the Hunters right now. Can't pretend that everything is okay when my world just imploded.
The phone buzzes again. This time it's Asher. Then West. Then back to Nash.
They know.Somehow, they know what happened, and they're trying to reach me. But I'm not ready. I need space to process this, to figure out how to move forward.
I need Laurel.
With shaking fingers, I dial her number.
"Hey, beautiful!" Her cheerful voice is like a lifeline. "How's your sexy mountain man treating you? Please tell me you're calling from his bed with that post-orgasmic glow."
The concern in her voice when I don't respond immediately is instant. "Zoe? What's wrong?"
"I need you," I whisper, my voice breaking. "Can you come to the cabin? I know it's late, but?—"
"I'm already grabbing my keys," she interrupts. "Are you hurt? Do I need to call someone?"
"No, I'm not hurt. Not physically. I just... I really need my best friend right now."
"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Are Tom's parents gone?"
"I don't know. I haven't been back to the cabin yet. I've been driving around since—," my voice cracks again.
"Since what, honey? What happened?"
"Ezra and I had a fight. A bad one. And I think... I think it's over."
The silence on the other end stretches for a moment before Laurel's voice comes back, deadly calm. "What did he do?"
