Page 77 of Love Not Qualified

TWENTY-EIGHT

TRISTAN

“Was the food bad?” Nadia whispered the next morning as I helped her wash the dishes. “Sebastian said I’m a good cook.” She pushed her chest in front, and I handed her the last plate after I threw the rest in the trash.

Haelyn barely got a few bites of her scrambled eggs and salad before she abandoned the food, sitting next to us while we ate.

I looked over my shoulder where Haelyn and Sebastian were sitting in their chairs at the table, engaging in a conversation I couldn’t hear from here. She had her hair tied into a bun, curls pointing out from every part while deep bags rested under her eyes. Haelyn covered a yawn with her hand, then nodded at whatever my friend said before her gaze slipped to me. I gave her a small smile and she returned it, a blush creeping on her cheeks as she looked away.

Last night was… I couldn’t even find the words to describe how she made me feel. I’ve never in my life stopped before I ended up having sex with the woman under me. Still, Haelyn was different. I wanted to see how she’d curl up and moan when the orgasm was about to hit, I wanted to witness the sweat dripping from her forehead as she recovered from the wave ofpleasure and I forgot everything else that included taking the ache in my cock away.

As much as sex was about both of the parties’ pleasure, it didn’t seem to matter to me when she shivered under my touch or when she soaked my hands. That was fucking enough, though I couldn’t recognize myself.

Since when did I put the needs of a woman first? Sure, it wasn’t like until now I was a dick and simply fucked—no, I took care of every woman I had—but in the end, it was my pleasure that mattered.

Fuck. I couldn’t even not stare at her like a creep.

A fist bumped into my shoulder and I moved my attention back to Nadia, who glared at me.

“Does you talking directly to me mean I’m forgiven?” I crook a brow at her.

Nadia dried her hands with a towel, then supported her hip on the sink, a hand falling on her waist. “No.” She shook her head. “But I like her and you’re the only one who knows anything about her, so I thought I should ask, but forget it.” Nadia tried to walk past me but I caught her by the elbow.

She didn’t leave, but she didn’t come back to face me either.

“I’m sorry, Nad,” I murmured. “I promise I’ll never push you away like that. I—I just didn’t know what else to do, it’s not like I lost my father before. It was all new to me and I had no idea what to do with everything I felt. But I’m truly sorry.”

Sebastian and Nadia were everything I had besides my brothers. They were family and when my father Callum died, I lost sense of reality. No one was able to understand me and even though most would think that my brothers went through the same thing, I couldn’t disagree more.

My father and I had the closest relationship. Kai might have lived with him and taken care of him, but I was the one talking tohim on the phone until morning. I was the one who couldn’t wait to come back to New York just to see him.

His loss hurt them as well, but it sure as hell didn’t dig the hole it dug into me. So yeah, my way to cope was to lock myself in a room and drink myself to sleep. I wasn’t saying it was the right thing to do, I was saying it was the only thing I knew.

Her shoulders dropped and she threw me a sympathetic gaze, her head tilted to the side. “I forgive you, Tristan.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that alone.”

I nodded, then wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her tightly.

“Tristan!” She napped at my arms.

I loosened my grip and looked down at her. At my friend who I missed more than I thought. “Thank you for naming him, Callum,” I murmured, my chest tightening at the idea of a little one running around the house.

Maybe hearing his name so often was going to sting, but the gesture was the greatest thing someone had ever done for me. I knew they were coming from a good place.

She huffed. “It’s a beautiful name.”

I smiled and we both returned to the table, Haelyn’s eyes immediately rising to me. I kept my gaze pointed to Sebastian, not wanting to show the effect on me—that one when I feel her every time she looks my way or when she’s in the room.

“So are you two friends again?” Sebastian asked his wife as she rounded the table, and then sat on his lap.

Nadia stole a glance at me before scrunching her nose with a smirk. “Not yet.”

Nadia wouldn’t be Nadia without playing hard to get. After all, that’s why Sebastian married her in the first place. She kept him chasing after her for years, even though she wouldn’t evenkiss him in the first year they dated. Still, he wasn’t allowed around any girls.

“I’m going to pack.” Haelyn sat up, but before I could reach her, she turned around and went into her room.

I sighed, feeling my chest heavy.

The roads weren’t closed and she was about to find that out soon.

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