Page 211 of His Sunshine Baby

“You’re not fine, man. Honestly? I don’t know if I liked it better when you were depressed or drunk every hour of the day. Now you’re sober but you’re a freaking machine.”

“Thanks.”

“No, no, no, man, that’s not a compliment. For real, Nate. You wake up at 5:00 a.m. every morning, workout for two hours, get to work at 8:00 a.m., work until 8:00 p.m. with only a fifteen-minute lunch break, go clubbing, party like an animal,and start all over again. You know who sleeps as little as you? Insomniacs!”

I rarely wake up after 4:00 a.m. He doesn’t need to know, though.

“I am fine. I’m over it, taking my life back, okay?”

“That’s not a life, Nate, it’s a freaking clock. Normal people, even workaholics, sleep late on weekends, watch crappy soap operas in their free time, eat burnt mac and cheese for dinner, and see their family for brunch, not kill themselves on a freaking elliptical!”

“So it was Nora,” I growl.

My sister-in-law was probably worried since I ignored her invitation. Again. Damn it. I put the weights back and stand up to face him.

“Isaac, stop making a fuss. I just missed one brunch with my brother and Nora. It doesn’t mean anything.”

He shakes his head.

“One brunch? Nate, you haven’t seen them in days! The boss is worried, and you’ve turned down all their invitations for two weeks. Do you even remember what your nephew looks like?”

Here he goes with the guilt trip.I didn’t mean to worry Damian or Nora. But somehow, it hurts to see them. Since my sister-in-law awoke from her coma, they have been living the perfect family life. A big house, a son, and now a second kid on the way.

Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to drown myself. First, it was alcohol. When Damian told me about Elena, I couldn’t believe it. It hurt so bad. I kept replaying my fight with her, how I never wanted to see her again. I didn’t think she would really leave! Her words still haunt me, like some dark movie playing over and over in my head. I kept drinking, but it didn’t change a thing. Sober or drunk, it hurt too much to think about her, yet I wasunable to forget her. I even tried sleeping with other women, only to realize how useless it was. I couldn’t go back in time to when I didn’t love her.

Damian was angry with me, so was Liam. My brothers couldn’t stand my dangerous behavior anymore. The more I drank, the more reckless I got. I almost died in a car accident last year. I had to promise I wouldn’t drink another drop of alcohol anymore. Nora was worried for me too. She invited me over again and again to make sure I was fine, eating properly, getting decent sleep. After James was born, however, it became harder, because seeing my nephew reminded me of Elena’s child.

We never say her name. They know how painful it is for me. It’s no use, anyway. She’s gone.

“I’ll call Nora after I’m done with my workout, Isaac, okay?”

My Beta and best friend was frowning, doubtful, so I ignored him and moved onto the rower. He follows me, of course.

“It’s not just Nora, Nate. How about you take a few days off work too, huh? I’m the HR Director and I know you haven’t taken a day off in months!”

“Damian took days off to watch Nora and James. I can take over, I’m fine.”

He rolls his eyes at me.

“You stubborn prick! The Black Corporation isn’t going to collapse if you and Damian take a day off! We have Neal, Thaddeus, Victoria; they all work for you, you know!”

“Fine!” I growl, annoyed at him. “I’ll take a day off tomorrow.”

“Oh, so you will finally rest on a Sunday?”

Shit. Is it Saturday already? I lost count. I keep rowing, hoping he’ll finally go away, but he stays there with his arms crossed. Don’t tell me he is really going to wait and watch me call Nora?

“Seriously, Isaac, don’t you have a wife and a kid to--”

“Daddy…”

I stop, the handle flying out of my hands. What was that? I swear I…

“Nate? What’s wrong?”

I wait a few seconds, but it’s gone. I look around, but there aren’t any kids in the gym, of course, it’s off-limits to minors. Did it come from outside? Or one of the TV screens?

“… Nothing. I thought I heard something.”

---