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We fall apart together our eyes never leaving each other’s.
CHAPTER 15
Isabella
Nathan catches me as I try to slip out of bed. He’d been asleep, or so I thought.
“Where are you going?” He mumbles.
“I’m taking Rory home. She can’t wake up here and realize I spent the night with you.”
He starts to argue, but I press a finger to his lips. “One step at a time.”
He nips at the finger, but then agrees. “One step at a time.”
Nothing eventful happens until a few days later. I’m in the office, giving some much-needed attention to my other clients, that do still exist, when the door opens, and in strolls Courtney Warner.
She looks gorgeous as always, like spotting a unicorn in the wild. No wonder she’s so famous. Looking at her almost makes up for her innate lack of talent. That was mean. Shame on you Isabella Rossi.
“Can I help you?” Jules asks, walking around her desk to greet her. I’m in my office, leaning so far over my chair to try to see what’s happening in the hall that the chair tops over and spills me onto the floor behind my desk. I yelp and make enough noise to attract everyone’s attention.
“Just who I was looking for,” says Courtney, smothering a smirk as I pick myself off the floor and straighten my blouse. “Isabella, right?”
“Right,” I say with an embarrassing lack of dignity.
“Look, Nathan seems to be, shall we say, infatuated with you, and it’s getting in the way of our relationship. We are good together. We make sense. It benefits both of our careers for us to be seen together, so I need you to back off.”
I have absolutely no idea what to say to that. I never in my lifetime thought I’d be standing in a room with Courtney Warner, let alone that she’d be telling me to step off her man. What even is my life?
“I think Nathan can make up his own mind about what he wants.” God, how badly I want to tell her that I’m the mother of his child, na na na na boo boo. But I’m a damn professional. Over Courtney’s shoulder, I meet Jules’s eyes and I can tell she’s rooting for that exact thing.
“Well, then it looks like we’re competing for the same man. The fact that you think you have a chance against me is cute, really. You’ve got balls.” With that she turns on her heel and strides out. “See you around, Isabella.”
When Friday comes, I coax Evan into taking Rory for the night so that I can surprise Nathan. I figure if we’re going to start easing into this… whatever this is… we need to go on an actual date.
I actually attempt to cook dinner, and when Nathan shows up, everything is ready and I feel pretty good about the fettucini I pulled together.
With a sigh and a steeling breath, I open the patio slider and stare at Nathan. He’s wearing a dark button-down tucked into dress pants. He looks amazing, as always. He’s holding a bouquet of flowers, and my heart melts.
“I couldn’t wait to see you.” He invites himself in, reaching for me, but I sidestep him.
I place my hand on his chest, holding him at bay. “Ah, ah, ah. Dinner first. This is a proper date.”
He smirks. “Izzy, did you cook? I’m flattered.”
“Well, you haven’t tried it yet.”
Nathan makes himself comfortable with Murphy on the couch.
“Can I get you anything? Water? Beer? Wine?”
“Wine sounds nice.”
After getting our drinks, I sit primly on the edge of the cushion, writhing my hands. “So, I have a surprise for you.” Right. Before I can change my mind, I get up and go to the bookcase in the hall to grab the large album off the shelf. “Close your eyes,” I say. When he obeys, I place the book in his lap. “Open.”
He’s grinning when he opens his eyes, but the grin fades, replaced by a look of surprised awe as he lifts the cover of Rory’s baby album.
“It’s just a bunch of pictures from her life. I’m not much of a scrapbooker so…” I peer at him, trying to decipher what he’s thinking now that he’s gone so unusually still and quiet. “I thought… if it’s too much too soon…”
