Page 114 of Stepping Into Tomorrow

“God damn, he stinks.” Nova’s voice grated on Nash’s nerves. His skull throbbed. Why was she in his bedroom?

“I’d get the hose if the water wasn’t frozen,” Ricky’s obnoxious self was quick to offer. He’s here too?

“I don’t think waking him up like that will make him any more receptive, guys,” Roman admonished, always the voice of reason. Why were his siblings in his bedroom?

“You should have brought Ariel. He couldn’t attempt to murder us that way.” Nova again.

“Why the fuck are you three in my bedroom at the fucking butt-crack of dawn? Don’t you have better things to do?” Nash growled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, God! I can smell your morning breath from here. That may be why Bella left.” Ricky snickered.

Rage boiled in Nash’s veins as he jumped out of bed, hands fisted. Nova and Roman jumped between him and Ricky.

“Whoa, calm down, asshole. It was just a joke . . . well, except your breath really does stink,” Ricky said.

“And it’s noon, by the way,” Nova added.

“Just calm down.” Roman patted his stiff shoulder.

Nash ran both hands over his eyes, attempting to rub the remaining sleepiness away. “I was calm until you three broke into my house.”

“Your door wasn’t locked, so technically, we didn’t break anything,” Nova supplied with a smirk.

Nash sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair. “What the fuck do you want?”

Nova stepped forward, her arms crossed. “I want to know what you did to make my friend run away from here like she did.”

A fresh bout of pain sliced through his chest at the reminder of what he’d lost. “I asked her to marry me.”

His siblings were silent.

“Is he still drunk?” Roman asked.

“I haven’t drunk at all.”

“You proposed and she turned you down?” Ricky asked, none of his usual chiding in his voice.

“Yup.”

“How did you do it?” Nova asked.

“You really want to make me relive it and further humiliate myself? Fine. I went to see her after I found out she’d been in the accident only to find her packing. Dad said someone hit her—what if it was intentional? I can’t protect her when she’s not with me. If we were married, then she’d be here all the time, she’d never move away, and I could provide for her and the kids and keep them safe.”

His siblings shared a glance.

“What?”

Nova shook her head and sighed. “You’re an idiot, that’s what.”

“Please, enlighten me, oh wise-ass one.”

“Bro, you didn’t even tell her you love her? Even I know better.” Ricky chuckled.

“But I . . .” Fuck. He’d never told Bella how he felt about her. He hadn’t even been able to acknowledge his feelings for her were much deeper than he’d ever experienced until his dad had pulled it out of him.

“I do love her.”

“Wondering when you’d finally realize that, you stubborn man.” Nova rolled her eyes. “And you basically insulted her like she was some helpless woman from the fifties who needed her reputation saved for having a baby out of wedlock and offered her money and a house in exchange for marrying your sorry ass. You realize she’d been in this situation before with her ex, right?”

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