AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m well aware that you’re a card carrying manwhore, Jason,” Natalee said vehemently, dropping her battle stance just long enough to throw her arms up in exasperation. “I’m not sure what that has to do with-”
“She got pregnant and lost the baby.”
I blurted it out, all the finesse and lead-up going right out the window. It was a knee jerk reaction and I cringed, squeezing my eyes shut. Despite the fact that she was clearly on some sort of vendetta, I still felt like I’d done her a disservice. And when I opened my eyes and saw the horror on Natalee’s, I tried it again.
“Fuck, that’s definitely not how I planned to tell you all this-”
I shook my head, my groan filling the space I didn’t know I’d have to fill. Best case scenario, I’d expected Natalee to hear the story and we could start over. I’d share something I’d never shared with anyone else and we could rebuild. Or put down the foundation for something even better. Instead, I was the man who blurted out that he knocked up his ex, the baby was lost, and thank God we dodged that bullet, right? My intent to show Natalee I was more than a jerk was officially a bust.
And then she surprised me.
“Jason...” I’d never heard anyone say my name so softly. “I’m so sorry.”
I gazed at Natalee and realized that I’d misread her. Misjudged my klutzy attempt at telling my story. It wasn’t horror that made her eyes bulge. They were wide open, seeing me, knowing me in a way that was beyond the superficial. Seeing me vulnerable. Broken. Human.
She came to the center of the hall, not embracing me, because despite the fact that we were close enough to touch, we both knew more was required. This was just the first step.
I swallowed and picked up where I’d left off. “I didn’t know how to take the news and I reacted...poorly. Even that fell flat. Natalee curved her eyebrows, knowing that there was more.
“I...” My throat was on fire. “I was so surprised and I was a dumb kid and the wires got crossed and I laughed.” All the emotions that I’d snuffed out all these years came rushing back, and the tears I didn’t cry for our baby then wouldn’t be denied now. “My excuses don’t mean shit because she told me something earth shattering and I fucking laughed.”
There was no way I could look Natalee in the face now. Not with the water that wouldn’t stop streaming long enough for me to get my shit together. I heard my father’s voice telling me that men didn’t cry. And the Jason that I had been unhelpfully smacked me upside the head, demanding that I stop being a bitch before I lost Natalee altogether.
“Jason.”
I turned off the water works and with one sniff, it was damn near undetectable that the dam had broken at all. “Just give me a minute.”
“No.” Before I could get out another syllable or pretend I didn’t carry bone crushing guilt about that day and loss so deep I wasn’t sure I could stand it, Natalee took the sides of my head in her soft hands.
“You don’t get to run from this moment. Your brokenness, your pain is yours, Jason. And it’s heartbreaking.” Her olive eyes were liquid, crying tears of her own. “You were just a kid. And I see that you cared about her. And the baby.”
My eyes were glass, but the tears didn’t fall. I didn’t let them. In honor of all the tears that Cassidy had cried. All the tears every woman since her had cried. “Well, as you can see, none of that matters because Cassidy is back to get her pound of flesh.”
“Well, if she thinks she’s getting to you, she’s gonna have to go through me.”
It was a record scratch moment that made my jaw hit the floor. The playful edge was a whisper, but tears or no, I was still me. And since Natalee was close enough that her curves were perfectly aligned with my body, and I could see that beneath her tender touch there was a battle being waged as far as whether she wanted me to kiss her or rip her clothes off first, I decided to chance it. Jump on the land mine and hope for the best.
“Is that right?” When she bit her lip, clearly trying to cover her smile, I exhaled, knowing that for now, all was right in the world. “Surprised you aren’t getting in line to take me down as well. I certainly deserve it.”
She stopped nibbling on her bottom lip, flashing me a sad smile as she stroked my jaw with her fingertips.
“We’ve all made mistakes. It’s what comes next that matters. You decided to just show up at my house, uninvited, after I told you to go to hell, risking the chance that I could very well be the one to send you there personally.” She winked at me when I went a shade paler. “Don’t worry, Jason. Turns out I like you.”
All the mess, the drama, the heart ache, the loss, the fuck ups, went quiet long enough for some voice to whisper, You got the girl—so don’t fuck it up.
I leaned down, my mouth hovering inches above hers, her soulful eyes setting me on fire. Daring me to kiss her.
And I would...right after I got her to admit that what she was feeling was the same thing I was feeling—and it was a lot like love.
“Just like, huh?” I smirked.
She balled my t-shirt in her fist, denying me a kiss, but letting out one of her musical laughs. One that made her eyes sparkle and my heart rage in my chest.
“Don’t push your luck.”
Her apartment door swung open and a blonde woman that had Natalee’s eyes was wiping tears from her own.
“Why don’t you two just live happily ever after already?!”
