Page 8 of Never and Always
More warmth and comfort. That was what she instantly felt, again from a simple touch. It was what she needed. She nodded slowly, trying not to cry anymore. This was so not the way she imagined seeing him again after fiveyears.
“I left the Marines two years ago,” heexplained.
She raised her brows, wondering why Glenn hadn’t told her that. Maybe he thought sheknew.
“Really? I didn’t know. I feel terrible.” The more she thought of it the more apparent it became that it was ridiculous she didn’t know. Nick was practically a part of the family. Had she been so wrapped up in the spa that she’d glossed over knowledge of hisreturn?
As she looked at him she didn’t think it was possible that she’d been told and hadn’t acknowledged it. This was Nick. As much as she’d accepted that anything happening between them would only exist in her imagination, she still had the same feelings for him. The same attraction that she couldn’t resist ortame.
She would definitely remember being told he wasback.
“Yeah, and I’ve been hanging out here.” A slow easy smile lifted the corners of hismouth.
“I didn’t know.” She shook herhead.
Maybe everyone just forgot to tell her. The last couple of years had been crazy. Her parents had moved to Hong Kong so most of her spare time was spent there, and when she came back to Chicago it was for a few days at a time. She’d see Glenn but stay with Claire, her best friend from high school, only because Glenn visited her in Florida often and they saw each other when they went to see theirparents.
That must have been why she didn’t know Nick was back and actually livinghere.
“Don’t worry about it,Mia.”
She held his gaze as the misery took hold of her again. “I really messed up this time, didn’t I.” She bit the inside of her lip to keep from cryingout.
Glenn was furious, but she knew when her parents found out they’d be the same. She knew Glenn could blow up at times, but she was actually counting on him to be the one who would helpher.
Her father was going to go mad. Just like he did when she used her trust fund money to set up her business. He was an investment banker, a person who was fully clued up on everything, so he would see her stupidity straight away. His first attack, like Glenn’s, would be about writing the passwordsdown.
When her shoulders shook and she broke down, she knew any control she had wasgone.
Nick pulled her into his arms, taking her in and holding her, soothing the pain she felt from her loss. Soothing away the cloud of despair that covered hermind.
“It’s okay. I got you,” he whispered against her ear as she clutched onto his shirt, holding on against the weakness that engulfed her. “I got you,Mia.”
And with those words came the comfort she desperatelysought.
