Page 176 of Fall I Want
“Yeah,” I say with a nod. “The mountains can heal anything.”
We focus back on the crowd cheering below as someone walks onstage. I think it’s Snoop Dogg.
“My mother hid letters around Hollow Manor for me to find—thirteen, to be exact.”
He studies me as I down the rest of my champagne.
“I found the third one recently in my old bedroom, and you were mentioned several times. I’m willing to give you a second chance.”
I meet his furrowed brows.
“Are you fucked up right now?” he asks, shaking his head.
Laughter roars out of me. “No. I’m in a really happy place in my life, and if it wasn’t for all the bullshit, I’m not sure it would’ve happened. The dominoes had to fall.”
“I wouldn’t give you one if the roles were reversed.”
“You’ve always been a grudge holder. I’m not.”
A server steps onto the patio and takes my empty champagne glass, handing me another.
I continue. “However, if you touchmywifeor even look at her the wrong way, I’ll break your fucking fingers off, then shove them down your throat.” I smile sweetly.
Now he laughs. “Almost thought you’d gotten soft.”
“You’re not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.”
I glance through the tall windows and watch Autumn laugh with Harper. My wife is so pretty in her elegant black dress. As if I summoned her attention, her eyes zero in on me and she lifts her champagne glass, grinning. I nod, ready to focus on her tonight.
“I can tell you’re genuinely happy,” Nicolas says. “You give me hope and make me believe maybe love does exist for assholes.”
I chuckle. “You’ll find someone. And when you do, you’ll know. It won’t be superficial, fake bullshit.”
“Thank you,” he mutters.
I hug him hard and pat his shoulder. “I won’t let you drown.”
“I’m sorry for letting you sink,” he says.
“No more apologies from here on out. We move forward. Not backward.” I let go of him and turn toward the sliding door. “Oh yeah, and I didn’t sink, Nick. I fuckingsoared.”
He grins, and it’s the first time I’ve seen him smile in a long time. We exchange a nod.
I walk inside, moving directly to my wife. She studies me, her eyes asking a million silent questions.
“It went fine,” I whisper in her ear. “I’ll tell you later.”
Harper laughs. “And when I bent over, my dress was tight, and it ripped the seam. Now there are pictures of my cute-as-fuck panties in the tabloids.”
Billie is practically crying from laughing. “You always said never leave home without them.”
“I knew there was a reason. The lingerie company called me today and offered to send me every color and cut. Their sales have tripled overnight because of my cute ass,” Harper continues.
I lift my brows. “What conversation have I walked in on?”
My sister is tipsy. “TLDR version? My ass can sell anything. Might start taking advertisements out of it.”
I wrap my arm around Autumn as Nick walks inside. My father stops him.
