Page 54 of Drive To Survive

My phone remained worryingly silent, too, despite the texts I’d sent and the calls I’d made. Then again, if she was driving, answering her phone wasn’t the most sensible thing to do, and as she didn’t have Bluetooth in her old truck, I had no choice but to wait it out and hope she arrived soon.

I paced. Searched on my phone for news. Paced some more. Poured a glass of whiskey, took one sip, and then tipped it down the sink. It’d look great if Everly arrived and found me half-cut.

An hour later, the sound of her truck rumbling outside sent me racing to the front door. I flung it open, awash with relief that switched to concern the second I saw the look on her face.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Rhett?”

She pointed her chin. “Can I come in?”

Anxiety swirled in my chest, and my throat thickened uncomfortably, but I stood back to let her in. She headed straight for the kitchen, pulling out a stool at the breakfast bar.

“I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to come out with it.”

Something’s wrong. Very, very wrong.

“Go on,” I urged.

“Paul’s back.”

My jaw dropped to the floor. Whatever I expected her to say, that wasn’t it. “Paul, as in your ex Paul?”

She nodded, her expression glum and hopeless. “He was waiting for me when I got home after fetching Rhett from school. I only went back to pick up our stuff, and there he was.”

“How did he get in?”

“He still had a key.” She sighed and rubbed her face. “I suppose I should have gotten the locks changed, but it just never occurred to me.”

I pulled out a chair beside hers and collapsed into it. “What does he want? Why has he come back now?”

She lifted her eyes to mine, searching my face. She sighed heavily. “He wants us to try to make a go of it. For Rhett’s sake.”

My stomach dropped to the solid floor at my feet. “What?” I croaked. “Please tell me you’re not considering this. Has he even explained where he’s been?”

She pinched the corners of her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. “No, he hasn’t told me where he’s been, and no, I’m not considering getting back together with him. You asked me once what my feelings were for Paul. I don’t have any feelings for him. He killed them when he disappeared. We’re over.”

“Thank God.” I extended my hand to grasp hers. She moved it out of my reach.

“I need space, Nico. And time. I have to get my head straight. I feel… stunned. Lost.”

I raked a hand through my hair, then fisted a clump and tugged. “I’m right here. You’re not alone. Not anymore.”

“Please,” she begged. “I have to deal with this in my own way. Paul’s return has rocked the very foundation I’ve fought so hard to build. I can’t deal with him, and Rhett, and you right now. It’s too much.”

I rolled my shoulders, tension settling there. I felt her distancing herself from me, from us, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. “Where is he now? Please tell me you didn’t leave Rhett with him to come here.”

Her jaw worked, and I instantly knew I’d said the wrong thing. Shit. Too late to take it back now.

“No, I haven’t left Rhett with him. Jesus, Nico.”

“I’m sorry.” I made another move to touch her, to connect on a physical level, to remind her what we had… have? Fuck. I didn’t know anymore.

Her hands came up in front of her. “Please don’t. This is difficult enough as it is.”

A ball of fury built in my stomach. This fucker had pissed off for two years, and now he just thought he could waltz right back into her life and screw up everything. “Where is he now?”

“Checking into a motel.”

At least she wasn’t letting the fucker stay at her house.

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