Page 3 of Naughty or Nice?
“We, uh, we actually need to talk.”
“Nate, you’re here!” calls Nicholas. He and some of the others have poked their heads out of the den. “Get your butt in here. We’re about to sit down for dinner.”
“Uh… just a second, Dad.”
Nate grabs hold of my hand and then pulls me up the staircase that leads straight to the second floor landing. He veers right, heading for the door that’s his old bedroom. The same room we’re going to be staying in.
I’m not sure what to think as he shuts the door behind us and turns to face me.
The expression on his face can best be described as bewilderment, like he’s confused by his own actions. He scratches at his head and casts his gaze on the floor.
My brows knit together and I stare at him with a sinking feeling in my stomach. What could possibly be going on? Why does he look like the family dog was just run over by a speeding car? Why does it seem like he’s been fired for a bad corporate merger or some other significant career disaster?
Even if that were true, we’d figure it out together…
“Nate,” I say impatiently, “what is it? Why do you look so… confused?”
“It’s just that… I… damn it.” He scrubs a hand over his face, turning away from me to walk toward the window. The view from his bedroom is nice—you can see the rest of town in the distance against the faraway backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He sighs, staring out at the street below and says, “Kendall, I… I meant to tell you sooner.”
“Tell me what sooner? You’re scaring me.”
“This… us…” he pauses for another deep sigh. “It’s not going to work. I can’t marry you.”
CHAPTER 2
Kendall
Nate’s wordsare so unexpected, so damn out of nowhere, Ilaugh.
Seconds go by, where I fill the awkward silence with the sound of this nervous laugh. This disbelieving laugh where I shake my head and eye Nate as if he’s told me he’s moving to Mars. I trail off when he does nothing but remain silent.
When thejust kiddingdoesn’t come.
A sudden coldness blows through my lungs and makes me short of breath. I sputter out what little air I do have, trying to piece a thought together. Some kind of words that make sense. Only two come to mind.
“You’re… serious?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah, very.”
“But… but…” I trail off again, completely lost.
Completely fucking thrown by what he’s saying.
It feels as if I’ve fallen asleep and I’m dreaming. I’m experiencing some nightmare that I’ll hopefully wake up from any second.
“I meant to tell you before you got here,” he confesses, his tone somber. He scratches at his chin, back to avoiding my gaze.
“Before I got here? How about before we got engaged?!”
“I know, I know. It… it was a mistake. But every time I wanted to bring it up, you were so excited. You were gushing about the wedding or about starting a family. You were dragging me off to Georgia to tell your family?—”
“You said you wanted to come!” I interrupt in outrage, growing louder. Emotion floods me, the anguish filling my voice and stabbing me in the heart. “You told me it would be an honor to ask my mother and brother for my hand!”
“That’s because… well… I felt pressured…”
“Fuck you, Nate! I never asked you to propose. I damn sure wouldn’t want you to if it’s not what you wanted! How could you? Why…whywould you?”
“Look, lower your voice.” His features tighten as if inconvenienced, as if my outburst annoys him. “I’m up for a promotion, Kendall. The bachelors don’t get the top-tier positions in the company. Those are reserved for the family men. It might’ve made me think I was ready for the next step when I wasn’t.”