Page 36 of I Need You Tonight
Chapter 13
Nicole
I stood in the doorway of Blooming Love, unable to take another step inside as I surveyed the disaster. Tears blurred my vision.
Heidi was standing in the middle of the mess, Chris next to her. She turned around, taking it all in. The crushed flowers on the floor. The smoke-covered walls. The shattered vases. The upturned metal containers that had once held flowers. The dirty tile floor beneath a layer of water.
I stepped forward. Glass crunched under my sneaker. I opened my mouth to say something, but the words couldn’t squeeze past the tightening in my throat.
“It’s all ruined,” Heidi whispered, voice strained with unshed tears.
I moved closer to her, another round of crunching glass accompanying me. “We’ll start anew. We can redesign it. Finally make it the place we’ve dreamed of.” We’d never had the money to do that before. But thanks to the insurance money we’d be getting, it was going to be possible.
She surveyed the destroyed store again. “You’re right,” she finally said.
I nodded, wishing it was as simple as that. Sure, the store would be better than before and the insurance would pay for it, and it would also cover the lost income while we waited for the place to be renovated. But that was as far as our insurance coverage went. So if it took awhile for our business income to get back up to what it had been before the fire, we’d be hurting.
I kept that to myself. Heidi didn’t need to worry about it yet.
“Oh God!” Her hand flew to her mouth. “I’ve got the Walsh-Philips wedding next weekend.”
“Not a problem. You can make everything at my house. And you can use it as a work space for the other events that have already been booked. Everything’s going to be all right.”
She nodded, still in a daze. “You’re right,” she said as she surveyed the mess. “And that vacation you’ve been putting off for forever? Now you can finally take it.”
“True.” Not that I could afford to go anywhere.
“Maybe the beach,” she said, her voice faint and distracted. “You wanted ideas for your glassware designs. That would be a perfect spot for it.” She glanced at me, her eyes glossy with tears.
“True again.” The smile I gave her was small, but enough to convince her I was on board with her idea.
I left Heidi with Chris and Mason as they searched through the wreckage for anything salvageable, and entered my office. The computer was unusable, thanks to water damage, but luckily I had my laptop at home and could use it in the meantime.
I sorted through the desk drawers. Some of the papers had been ruined by the water that had leaked in, but the rest were fine, though they reeked of smoke.
“How’s everything looking?” Mason asked behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder and gave him the same smile I had just given Heidi.
He shut the door and joined me by the desk. “There’s something you haven’t told your friend, isn’t there?”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”
“That doesn’t surprise me, but I know that’s not it. Financially, will you be okay while the store’s closed?”
Inwardly I cringed because he’d nailed it so easily. Instead of looking at him I fixed my eyes on the papers in my hand. “Look, Mason, you’re not my boyfriend and you’re not my brother,” I bit out, the reality of everything crushing me under what felt like a ten-ton boulder. “None of this has anything to do with you. I’m not even sure why you’re still in Desert Springs.”
God, why are you being such a fucking bitch?a snippy voice in my head asked.
Because he was leaving anyway, I reminded it. And more than likely I’d never see him again. That was what we had agreed to in the beginning, back before we had sex the first time. Our days of playing house should’ve ended already.
“Fine,” Mason said, his tone harsher than I’d heard over the past few days—harsher but also heavy with regret. “I’ll go.”
As his booted feet moved slowly to my office door, shame lashed me.
Blinking away the sting of tears, I peered up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just that you’ve got more important things to deal with than my problems. And that’s exactly what this is—my problem. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Somehow I’d make it work. I could always take on a few new website-design clients, if it came to that.
Mason took a step toward me. “Look, I know I’m not your boyfriend, and I’m definitely not your brother. But what I am is your friend, Nicole.” He took another step forward. “I’ve enjoyed hanging out with you—especially since we have no expectations between us. I can’t remember the last time that happened. These days, most people want something from me.”
