Page 41 of Unraveled

He trailed off at the end and was looking out at the trees now, lost somewhere in his thoughts and his pain.

“What was Enzo’s excuse?” I needed to hear what crap he had come up with for betraying his friend. Hating him for hurting mine.

Nic’s voice was almost a whisper when he replied. “He said he felt the connection, too. He’d tried to fight it. They hadn’t wanted to hurt me, but what he felt just became too strong to ignore. Especially when he knew she’d given up on me.”

His jaw jutted before clenching, and he took a steadying breath. “He begged me to forgive him. He didn’t want to lose our friendship, but he couldn’t give up Anna… And I couldn’t forgive him. Either or them.”

“Which you shouldn’t have.” Not with the way they’d done it, behind his back. I couldn’t even imagine.If Tucker ever did that to me…My chest felt like it would rip in two just thinking about it.

“You want to know the best part?” Nic looked down at me, cynicism etched over his expression. “Mark and I made those last changes to the software, and it sold for anobsceneamount of money just a month later. Thathalf that mattered so much before? It just sits there now, mocking me.”

I winced. “I can relate to that. My dad left some money for me when he died, and I didn’t find out until right after I lost Zoey. It felt so wrong to touch it then. Like it was tainted, mocking me for what Icouldhave used it for.”

Did it feel that way now? I took a moment to wonder, unsure.

Nic’s mouth lifted into a half-smile. “You do get it then. I’m sorry that you found out that way.”

“I should be saying that to you. I can’t even imagine.”

Nic shrugged. “I had my dad. But that was it really. I’d just graduated, and my mates had all spread out, taking jobs and starting their lives. Mark tried to reach out, but there was an association to the pain there that made me withdraw. I sold him my half of the business.”

“Oh, Nic.” God, I felt for him. Break ups happened, I knew, but his pain felt so much deeper. Anna had obviously been his world like Tucker was mine.

“They got married,” he suddenly admitted.

“You’re kidding!” My mouth gaped in disbelief.

“Right after the trip to Greece. A friend of ours rang me just last weekend. He’d been calling off and on for weeks, but I’ve been working so hard to shut out my old life, I’d been ignoring it. I finally decided to answer, just to see what he wanted. He told me about the wedding, but when he first rang, he was trying to let me know he was going to be the best man… UnlessIwanted the position. Enzo’s foul attempt at trying to make amends one last time or something. I guess.”

“I hope you told him to tell Enzo he could suck it,” I fumed, and Nic smirked. “I’m sorry, but that just pissed me off.”

“Yeah, me, too. I’ve been a bit of a dick since that call, which Jet had no problem pointing out.”

“He would understand if he knew.”

Finally tucking the ring back in his pocket, Nic gave me a look, confirming what I’d already thought. That this conversation stayed between me and him. He’d kept my secrets when I’d shared, and I’d keep his.

“So…I guess I have a talent for walking in on things, huh?” he teased once the ring was put away, bumping his arm playfully against mine. I hissed in a breath, wincing. “Shit. Sorry, Izzy.”

I lifted my sleeve a little to run my hand carefully over the bruises, the stinging still fresh. “It’s okay. I’ll live.”

“Fuck. Izzy. I didn’t know they were that bad. That tosser really hurt you.”

I shrugged. “He’s done worse.”

His brow lifted as he gaped. “You say that like it’s no big deal.”

I tucked my hands beneath me and tilted my head back to look at the sky. “No, it’s a big deal, but I don’t want to keep dwelling on it. Especially not tonight. I’ll fill everyone in tomorrow, but after that, it’s in the past. I’m letting it go.”

“This incident might be in the past, but Zane isn’t.”

“God, I hope he is. He’s supposed to be. That’s what the restraining order is for. Ineedhim in the past, Nic. With high school ending and Tucker and I moving on, it feels like my chance for a new start.”

Nic ran a hand back through the dark waves of his hair, the gel already disheveled from before, and he let out a deep sigh. “I get that. I want Anna and Enzo in the past, too. That’s why I decided to move here. I need a new start. I need to be somewhere where I have a chance to forget about them. I know it’ll take some time, but I’m determined to move on.”

He smirked to himself. “I’ve already gotten better with some things. I never thought I could trust enough to let anyone in again, but here we are. I’m glad we became friends.”

I smiled, bumping my knee to his leg to avoid my bruises. “Me, too.”

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