Page 42 of Operation Annulment
Jeremy doesn’t take his eyes off the road. “Every family has baggage. This is real life—I’ve yet to meet a perfect family. You’ve just got to find the person you don’t mind sharing the baggage with.”
I nod and continue weeping silently. My emotions are all over the place. I need a solid eight hours of sleep and then a couple of pots of coffee.
He clears his throat. “How long have you been in love with Nate?”
I’m distracted when I blurt out, “Since the moment I met him.” I then cover my mouth and shake my head. “I mean, I’m not in love withhim. I don’t know why I said that. We couldn’t even make dating work?—”
He cuts me off. “Kate, I saw the way you looked at him tonight. You never looked at me like that. You love him.”
I can’t love him.
I hate him.
Don’t I?
I slip my key into the lock with shaking hands. I can’t stop crying. I’ve tried, but my body is insistent on purging. Jeremy offered to come up and stay with me, but I needed to be alone.
Nate leaps off the couch as I flip on the light, and I scream in terror.
“It’s just me.” He blearily blinks at me, and then his eyes widen.
I hastily wipe at my tears as he stalks over to me.
“Jesus Christ, Kate! Did he touch you? Are you hurt?” He begins running his hands up and down my arms, and I start crying again.
“Talk to me, babe. Did that motherfucker hurt you? I never should have left you. It was a dick move.” He fingers the strap of my tank, and I realize how I must look.
I place my hand over his. “It’s not what you think. He was trying to stop me from running out of my sister’s house, but he accidentally caught my shirt.” I hiccup as another sob forces its way out.
He holds me at arm’s length. “And you were running out of your sister’s house because…”
I take a shaky breath. “Because of my d-d-dad.” I lose control of my emotions again, and he pulls me into his chest.
“Okay, babe. You’re going to have to start at the beginning.”
I wipe at my runny nose and streaming eyes. “I can’t, Nate. You’ll just leave. It’s too much—even I can barely wrap my mind around it.”
He leads me over to the couch and covers me with a blanket. “Did we or did we not promise for better or worse, Katy girl?”
I stare blankly at him. “I don’t know, Nate. I can’t even remember getting married.”
He cracks a small smile. “Fair enough. I do recall that most wedding vows include those lines. So, humor me, and tell me what’s got you so upset—before I decide to track down the asshole who ripped my wife’s shirt and beat the shit out of him, accident or not.”
My pulse quickens at his words. “Jeremy didn’t mean to do it.”
He nods. “Yeah, you’ve said that. It doesn’t change how I feel. Start talking, babe. I’ve got to be in surgery all day Monday, and a broken hand will make my job a hell of a lot harder.”
I take a deep breath. There it is again—this urge to pour my heart out. I don’t understand it. When I told him Dakota had been in jail, he bolted from our hotel room as if it was on fire. There’s no way I can tell him everything I learned tonight.
He’d never stay.
I just got the sweet side of him back—and call me selfish, but I want more. I like this protective husband, hell-bent on ensuring his wife is okay. I don’t want the guy who sees me as nothing but baggage—or, god forbid, his ex-wife.
I need to save the drama for my mama—or father, as the case may be.
I bite my lip and try to organize my thoughts. “My dad passed away when I was young. Since the stuff with Dakota, my mother’s been—around more. I don’t know what it was about tonight that triggered all of this, but the grief just washed over me. I’m sorry I worried you; I’m just a wreck.”
It sounded a lot better in my head.
