Page 50 of Want You

She sighed on the other end of the line. “Oh I walked into a situation one time. I learned my lesson.”

The situation had been his naked brother-in-law carrying a can of whipped cream back to the bedroom followed by his sister yelling she was ready to be covered in all his cream. Scottie and Nathan had both been unsure whether it was more funny or disturbing knowing such intimate details about their sister. In the end they’d decided to just not talk about it.

“Mom, I’m not giving you a key and that’s the end of it. I love you but you have to let Scottie decide when he wants you to come and when he doesn’t. Hit by a bus or not, he’s a grown ass man, and he can tell you if and when he’s good with you coming over.”

Octavia stood leaning against the bathroom door brushing her teeth and watching Nathan as he tried to reason with his mother. Conversations like this were far more tolerable when she was his view.

“Listen, Mom, I’ve gotta go. Call Scottie if you want to keep going around in circles. I love you. Bye.” He hung up before she could argue with him, earning a shocked look from Octavia.

“Did you just hang up on your mother?” she asked around a mouthful of toothpaste.

“Sure did.”

“Nathan, you shouldn’t hang up on your mom.”

He tossed his phone onto the bed and gathered her in his arms. “Not even if she’s being exceptionally annoying?” She shook her head. “Not even if she’s talking shit about my girlfriend?”

She leaned away to spit and rinse, catching his eye in the mirror before turning back to him. She slipped her hand around the back of his neck, guiding him down to her.

“Not even then.” She purred against his lips. She let him draw her closer, his hands automatically wandering greedily down to her ass before she giggled, reluctantly spinning away from his touch. “I’ve gotta get to work.” Her murmured words hit his lips, doing nothing to convince him to release her.

“You should quit,” he said against her neck.

“I’d love to,” she breathed, her head falling back, giving him better access.

“Quit and move in with me,” he said it without realizing, but then he felt her freeze and he knew in that moment he’d fucked up, ruined the moment.

She wiggled out of his grip and backed away, daintily wiping the corners of her mouth. “I have to go to work,” she said again, all the flirtatiousness gone from her.

“Octa—” She held up her hand to halt his words.

“Later,” she said, brushing by him to where her suit was hanging on the closet door.

He wanted to stay and watch her get dressed, but he had a feeling now was not the time to watch her undress, so he excused himself.

She came out into the kitchen ten minutes later. “I’m going to take the subway today I think,” she said without looking at him.

God he wanted to argue with her. Convince her to let him drive her, pull her to him and kiss away his mistake. But he knew that his efforts from earlier in their relationship wouldn’t serve him the same way today as they had in the past.

“Alright.” He busied his hands by wiping the already clean counter. “Have a good day.”

“You too,” she said, finally looking back and offering a ghost of a smile before she walked out the door.

A shiver ran across Nathan’s skin as he stood in his silent home, as if Octavia pulled all the warmth out along with her.

He had never wished to be on a long road trip as much as he wished for one right now.

CHAPTER 26

OCTAVIA

The day had started so promisingly. Slow kisses along her back before Nathan had rolled her over and buried his face between her legs, waking her with his tongue and fingers and his name on her lips. Then he’d fucked her against the wall in his massive shower. She couldn’t think of a better way to start a day. Then he’d told her to quit and move in with him and being told to do that made something snap. She wanted to quit. She hated her job, and to her surprise, the idea of waking up next to Nathan every morning didn’t scare her the way it would have even a couple weeks earlier. But still, something about those things in tandem made her freak out and instead of addressing it, she’d taken off.

Things continued on a downhill trajectory when she was pushed into a barrier by a late commuter in the subway and ripped her skirt. Something that wouldn’t have happened if she had let Nathan drive her in.

She’d been so preoccupied with holding her skirt together when she walked into her office she barely noticed her boss was standing in front of the window blocking the daylight. A dark, unwanted presence.

“Daniel?” she said, setting her bag on her desk and preparing herself for a reaming out while being hyper aware of her state of dress.