Page 4 of Naughty or Nice?
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“You’re great. You’re a good woman. I don’twantto hurt you. But I also don’t think it would be fair to anybody if we spent this holiday pretending to be engaged and in love when that’s not true.”
“Speak for yourself. I wasn’t pretending. I was in love!” I choke out, a tightness in my chest. My heart aches. My stomach churns. I feel sick. I feel lightheaded. Tears wet my eyes as I blink and realize I still can’t process what I’m being told.
“Kendall, there’s someone else,” he sighs, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “It wasn’t planned. But I hired a new secretary and things… things have gotten physical. I can never be with hereither—she’s just a secretary—but it made me realize even more that you’re not my type. I don’t think we’re compatible.”
And I didn’t think it could get any worse.
My hands shake as they come up to cover my face, and I struggle to calm myself down. My very bones feel like they’re quivering from the inside, like I won’t be able to stand much longer without the shock and heartbreak knocking me down.
“This can’t be happening,” I mutter. “You can’t be for real right now. You’re fucking cheating on me, Nate? Seriously?”
“Rosa and I… the passion…”
“I don’t want to fucking know!” I scream so loud, my voice breaks. “You think I want to hear about how you’ve been fucking some other woman? DON’T TOUCH ME!”
He’s taken a step toward me as if to put his arms around me.
I back away, almost tripping over my own two feet. I’m so overcome with disgust that I can’t be in this room with him another second. I can’t bear the sight of him.
Breathe the same air as him.
Get out. Leave. Now.
I stumble through the bedroom, dizzy and teary-eyed, ignoring Nate’s desperate calls.
Nicholas is out in the hall when I wrench open the door to escape Nate. His father has just come up the stairs, probably after hearing the screams from the den. His brow wrinkles at the sight of me as I rush past him and Nate tries to chase after me.
“Kendall, will you slow down? You’re being hysterical.”
“Get away from me!”
“Where are you going? It’s dark out?—”
“I need to get away from you!”
“You don’t know Morrow, do you? There’re no hotels available this close to the holiday.”
“I don’t give a fuck!”
As I’ve rushed down the stairs and Nate’s followed, Nicholas has trailed behind us. The other Whittler family members have wandered out into the ground floor hall too—his sisters gape at us in confused shock while Uncle Roy asks everybody to calm down.
They’re invisible to me.
All of them.
As nice and welcoming as they’ve been, I’m on the verge of a meltdown. I’m blinded by the intense heartache that’s made it difficult to do the simplest of things.
Breathe. Think. Move.
I grab my coat from the coat rack and quickly shrug it on.
“Kendall, where are you going?” Nicholas asks, inserting himself between me and his son. “Please allow me to drive you?—”
“I need to get out of here… away… t-thank you for…” I can’t even finish my sentence, my voice going out. I shake my head, the tears streaming down my cheek, and I turn toward the door.
His family erupts in more confused protests. Nate’s sisters launch into scolding attacks, asking him what he’s done to make me so upset. His cousin is the lone person rallying to his defense, pointing out I’m the guest, and if I want to leave, so be it.