Page 69 of Blocked Shot
Then he turns and storms off, the door slamming behind him, leaving only the suffocating silence in his wake.
“Jesse, wait!” Natalie cries, lunging for the door. But Jake is quicker, reaching out and taking hold of her wrist before gently folding her hand into his.
“Let him go. He needs to cool off.”
Natalie sways on her feet, gutted and hollow, as if Jesse’s words have carved her out from the inside. Jake reaches for her, his hands settling on her shoulders, warm and steady. “Hey,” he murmurs, concern laced in his voice. “It’s going to be okay.”
She doesn’t answer. She leans into him, pressing her face against his damp chest, and lets herself cry.
CHAPTER 33
NATALIE
Jesse, let me explain. I was going to tell you the next time we saw each other.
Can I come over? I really want to see you.
Jesse, where are you? I’m at your apartment. Please come back.
I have to drive home soon. I have work tomorrow.
Jesse, please. I don’t want to leave without talking to you.
I won’t stop calling until you pick up.
Fine, I’ll call you when I get home.
NATALIE
Mila whistles, long and low.
“Babe, it sounds like you had quite the blizzard. All I did was eat storm chips in my jammies and overdose on smut.”
Natalie sits curled up on her couch, legs tuckedbeneath her, an untouched glass of wine in her hand. Her living room is dimly lit, the soft glow from the candles on the coffee table flickering against the walls. Outside, the Canadian winter presses against the windows, the sky dark and heavy with snow.
Natalie huffs a small laugh but doesn’t respond. It’s Monday evening, and she’s finished filling her best friend in on all the gory details. Mila had been delighted for her, kicking her feet and squealing when Natalie admitted how amazing Jake was in bed. “I knew it!” she crowed. But now, as Mila’s giggles subside, the weight in Natalie’s chest grows. She can’t shake the foreboding feeling that Jesse will never forgive her.
Mila lounges across from her, one leg draped over the armrest of the chair, sipping her own wine. “So, let me get this straight,” she says, tilting her glass in Natalie’s direction. “Jesse hasn’t texted you back at all?”
Natalie shakes her head, staring down at the deep red liquid in her glass. “Not once. Not a call, not a text. Nothing.”
“Damn. Your brother is really throwing a hissy fit, huh?”
Natalie flinches, her fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. She knows Mila is trying to help, trying to lighten the mood, but the knot in her chest stays tight, unyielding.
“I don’t blame him,” she murmurs. “I blindsided him. And the way he found out…”
Her stomach twists at the memory. The way Jesse’s face had crumbled, the betrayal in his eyes. The way his voice had wavered with barely restrained fury.
“It was awful.”
Mila exhales loudly, setting her glass down with a little too much force. “Yeah, it sucked. But, Nat, what was he expecting? For you to never date anyone? It’s not like you hooked up with his mortal enemy or something.”
Natalie winces. “Might as well have.”
Mila grins, mischief sparking in her eyes. “Oh, please. If Jesse didn’t want you near his team, he shouldn’t have dragged you to Connecticut to play chef for him and his buddies every chance he got. Honestly, I think this is his own damn fault.”
Natalie groans. “Mila.”
