Page 99 of Faith
Zeke stretched,his hand searching for Nina in the bed. In the cold bed. In the empty bed.
He sat up, looking around the room like he missed her, but she was gone.
Panic set in. Was it possible someone snuck into his house and took her while he slept?
No. He couldn’t think that.
He grabbed shorts and a tee from the floor and dragged the shorts on as he rushed to the door, nearly tripping when his toe caught on one pant leg. He slapped his palm against the door and shoved his foot into the shorts.
He yanked the door open and raced down the stairs, sighing with relief when she was sitting on the couch.
“Are you okay?” she asked, looking at him like he was only half as crazy as he felt. She turned back to Franklin, the lucky cat purring loudly enough for Zeke to hear from ten feet away.
“You weren’t in bed. I thought something happened.” He went to the couch, leaning down to kiss her.
She turned her head, letting his lips land on her cheek. “Morning breath. I couldn’t sleep.”
“I don’t care about morning breath. And you love sleeping in.”
She nodded. “I know. I’m tired. I guess I’m excited to spend the day with Monty.”
“I never tried to keep you from him. Did you think I was?”
“No. I just woke up early and decided to come downstairs instead of risking waking you up.”
She didn’t look at him. She stayed focused on the cat. Zeke knew the move. Hell, he was a pro at it. Avoid eye contact and admit nothing. Brush them off until they stop calling.
She was done with him.
“Okay.” He tried not to let it hurt, but fuck, it felt like someone pried his chest open and yanked his heart out, setting it in her lap like his greedy cats. He pulled his tee on, as if that would keep all the loose parts inside instead of spilling everywhere.
She didn’t say anything, so he went to the kitchen. Coffee was made. He filled a mug and took a sip. The bitter taste was horrible, but he needed things to suck for a while. He needed the reminder that there was something to look forward to. Even if it was as stupid as sugar in his damn coffee.
Because looking forward to Nina leaving him was going to fucking hurt.
“Do you want breakfast?”
Nina shook her head and eased Franklin to the cushion next to her. She stood and pointed to the stairs. “I’m going to go take a shower. Monty is going to be here in a little while to get me.”
Zeke nodded. Monty was going to be there in an hour, but he wasn’t going to argue with her or tell her she had plenty of time. If she wanted to get away from him, he was going to let her go.
Franklin and Gene sat at the bottom of the stairs and watched Nina race up them. They both meowed, then looked at Zeke like he fucked up.
“I don’t know what I did, but thanks for having my back,” he told the traitors.
The shower turned on upstairs, and Zeke gripped the edge of the counter. She was in his bathroom, naked and wet, for what could be the last time.
He should have insisted she stayed with Montgomery. If she had, he wouldn’t have known what he was letting go of. He wouldn’t have the memories of being inside her to keep him up at night, wondering about who she wanted more than him.
He closed his eyes and let himself have a pity party for one minute. Sixty seconds, then he had to get the fuck over it.
He breathed slowly, absorbing all the fear he felt over her leaving. At the end of his sixty seconds, he put it all aside and boxed up his love for her, the same way he did for the twelve years she was gone.
Zeke fixed breakfast while she was in the shower. He sent a text to Montgomery letting him know they were up and he was making breakfast if Mont wanted to join them.
The knock on the door and the key in the lock answered the text. “I was just trying to figure out what to eat. Where’s Nina?”
“In the shower. Did you come up with a plan for today?” Zeke asked, hoping he sounded normal.
