Page 46 of Finding Happily Ever After

He heard her voice again. She was obviously on the phone, and although he didn’t want to intrude, it was early still.Who could be calling her so early? And why did she sound…upset? Different.

When Aiden walked down the hall to the living room and saw her crumpled on the floor, her bare legs tucked up under her, he froze for a moment.

“Nat?”

She looked up and that’s when he knew something was wrong.Verywrong. “Who was on the phone?”

Natalie didn’t answer right away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged them close. Her eyes moved over the floor to where the phone—his phone—lay.

“Is thatmyphone?” He looked from his cell back to Natalie, who’d turned her head and was watching him. He couldn’t read the expression in her eyes. But it wasn’t good. Not good at all. “Natalie? Who was on the phone?” he asked again. This time a little sharper than he’d intended.

It was as if his voice had activated something inside her. She sprung up to standing. His shirt looked damn good on her, and Aiden couldn’t stop his eyes from going to the hem of the shirt and the creamy bare skin of her thighs. But his gaze returned to hers immediately. Because something was definitely wrong.

Verywrong.

He needed to know. Now.

“Natalie. Were you looking at my phone?”

“What?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Was Ilookingat your…no.” She dropped her chin to her chest for a minute and when she looked up again, her eyes shone with tears. “I’m not doing this.” She turned to leave into the kitchen.

What the actual…

On the floor where his phone still laid, the screen lit up with Brenna’s face.

Fuck.

He’d completely forgotten about Brenna. He’d been so wrapped up in Natalie and getting to know her and being with her that he’d…shit.He’d never told Nat about Brenna.

It all made sense. Well, not really. Not completely. But it made some sense. Enough to figure out what had happened.

“Natalie.” He reached out and grabbed her arm before she could get away. “I need to…let me—”

She spun on him. Her eyes blazed, the tears gone, and her jaw was set. “Don’t touch me.” She spoke through clenched teeth. “Don’t ever touch me.”

He tried to act as if her words hadn’t hurt. But they did. They hurt like hell. “Nat, did you answer my phone?” He hated that he could hear the accusation in his own voice. Natalie didn’t deserve it. But if what he thought had happenedhadactually happened and she’d spoken to Brenna, there was no telling what she was thinking.

“Yes.” She pulled her arm from his grip, but thankfully didn’t try to leave again. “I did answer your phone because I thought maybe it was an emergency. The same number kept calling and you were sleeping and…” She dropped her head again. Her shoulders sagged too. “You’re married, Aiden?Married?”

When she looked up at him, there was so much pain on her face, he felt it acutely in his gut.

“No. I’m—”

“You’re not? Brenna’s not your wife?” There was a flicker of hope on her face. Of understanding.

But as soon as he spoke again, it vanished.

“No. I mean—”

He didn’t have the chance to finish, because in a flash, she’d moved past him to the hook where she’d hung up her coat.

There was no way she was going to leave wearing only his shirt and…yes. She definitely was.

Natalie had shrugged her coat on over the shirt.

“Nat. Don’t go. Not like this. You need to let me explain.”

“Do I?” When she looked up, tears streamed down her cheeks. “You’re married, Aiden. You have awife. And I…” She shook her head and a noise that was a cross between a laugh and a snort came out of her. “And I’m an idiot because I slept with you and I…ugh, I’m so stupid. I thought you were special and I lost my virginity to you and I thought it was something—”

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