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She brought the popcorn and glasses into the den.
Jaclyn poured them each a glass of wine, took a handful of popcorn and leaned back against the back of the couch. “Go.”
Damaris took a big sip of wine. “I’ve screwed up. Badly. And I don’t know if I can fix it.”
“You’re in love with Nate.”
Damaris nodded miserably. “Is it that obvious?”
“Duh. The two of you are perfect for each other. He loves you too, doesn’t he?”
“He did. Before I blew it. He’s done with me, Jaclyn.” To her utter humiliation she began to cry again.
Jaclyn got up and disappeared down the hall. She came back with a box of tissues and handed it to her. “So you’re in love with him and he’s in love with you, yet the two of you broke up. Why?”
“Because I’m an idiot who can’t get over her past.” She talked, starting from the beginning, when Nate asked her to pretend to be dating him to make his grandmother happy to the bitter end when she’d broken up with him because he’d lied to her. “He manipulated me into falling in love with him. And he even admitted that’s what he set out to do.”
“Let me get this straight. He manipulated you by being a man you can count on to do anything for you, a man who loves you, a man who wanted to make his ninety-something-year-old grandmother happy, for Pete’s sake, a man who understands you and doesn’t want to change you? But you’re pissed off that he didn’t tell you he’s been in love with you forever? Because he thought—no, because he knew you’d freak out and cut him off if he had told you he loved you ages ago. Have I got that right?”
“You make me sound stupid when you say it like that.” She drank more wine and glared at her friend.
“I won’t point out the obvious.”
“Of all people you know how hard it is for me to trust a man enough to fall for him.”
“Damaris, no one can blame you for being gun-shy, but very few men are as bad as that creep was. Least of all Nate, who’s proved to you over and over that he’s a good guy who would never do anything to knowingly hurt you.”
“I told you I screwed up.”
“How bad are his injuries?”
“Broken arm, broken ribs, cuts and bruises. No concussion, thank God.”
“So, he felt terrible.”
“Yes, and his car was totaled.”
“Oh, no! That was such a sweet ride. That would be enough to depress anyone.”
“He loved it,” Damaris said glumly.
“What happened at the hospital?”
“I wasn’t sure he was even going to see me, but he did. He didn’t want me there. I asked him if I could do anything for him and he said, ‘Yeah. Go away.’”
Jaclyn laughed. “I’m sorry, but that sounds like something Marshall would say. In fact, remember when he sprained his ankle a few months ago? He was a complete ass until I threatened to take every boot he owned and make a bonfire of them if he didn’t get over himself.”
Damaris smiled at that, but then sobered. “What should I do, Jaclyn? I’ve never seen him be so cold to me.”
“He’s just been in a car wreck. What did you expect? He’s not only in pain from his broken bones but you can bet he’s also emotionally upset over his car. And your breakup.”
“I know. But I don’t think that’s all there is to it.” She was terribly afraid he hated her. She’d never have imagined Nate being so indifferent toward her. She’d messed up big-time.
*
Three days after the accident, Travis tried to talk Nate out of seeing Iris, but he was adamant. Iris was his baby and he was damn well going to see if his car could be fixed or if she was a lost cause. Since he was still on painkillers he’d had to rely on someone to cart him around, not to mention, bring his grandma to see him. Rather than have Damaris bring Grandma, or worse, take him to see her, he’d asked Tobi. Nate knew Tobi, as well as Travis, thought he and Damaris should get back together but he didn’t feel up to explaining why that wasn’t going to happen.
Grandma knew he and Damaris had broken up—hell, he’d told her the whole stupid story—but she pretended she’d forgotten. He was ninety-nine percent sure she hadn’t, but she was ninety-two so it was possible. But not probable since otherwise she was as sharp as she’d ever been.
