Virtuous, a Tame Quantum Novel
Page 27
The thought of it getting any worse makes me sick. I lean against the wall, closing my eyes when they fill with tears. Hearing the details of what happened to Natalie shreds me. My emotions are all over the place. “I want to protect her, but I don’t know how.”
“The most important thing you can do is keep her off the Internet and away from TV. She knows what happened. She doesn’t need to see it playing out for all the world to see—again. I’ve spoken with Liza, and we’re on it. Just take care of her and try not to worry. It’ll blow over in a couple of days.”
That may be true, but would Natalie ever be the same joyful, sweet person she was before her life and painful past were exposed to the world?
When the bedroom door opens, I tell Emmett I have to go. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Talk to you then.”
I stash Addie’s phone in my pocket. “How is she?”
“She gave me permission to tell you she’s definitely in shock and having a physical reaction to it, thus the trembling and crying. I gave her a very light sedative to help her get some rest.” She hands me her business card. “If she’s still feeling anxious or has trouble sleeping, call me tomorrow and I’ll call in a script.”
“Is she… Will she be okay?”
“Eventually, but it’s going to take some time for her to process what’s happened. You’ll need to be patient and let her work through it in her own way.”
Patience isn’t exactly my best quality, but I’ll become the most patient man on earth if that’s what Natalie needs from me.
“Please call me if I can be of any further assistance to either of you.”
“Thank you so much for coming.”
“Of course. Gabe speaks so fondly of you and the others at Quantum. I know how much you mean to him.”
“He’s one of the good ones for sure.”
“I’ll let myself out so you can get back to Natalie.”
“Thanks again.” I step into the bedroom, where the only light is coming from the bathroom. Natalie’s eyes are closed, but her cheeks are still wet with tears. As I get closer to the bed, her eyes open. Even in the midst of despair, I feel the connection that has drawn us together since the day we met. And now that connection has ruined her life.
“Can I get you anything?”
She shakes her head. “Will you… Can you…”
“What, honey? Anything.”
“Will you hold me?” Her voice breaks on a sob. “Please?”
“There’s nothing else in this world I’d rather do.” I’m thankful—and humbled—that she still wants me close to her after the mess I’ve made of things. I strip off my shirt and drop my jeans into a pile on the floor and crawl into bed with her.
Releasing an anguished moan, she turns into my embrace, pressing her face into my chest.
Tears fill my eyes and spill down my face. I can’t bear her pain. It’s as if someone is sticking a knife straight through my heart. “It’s okay, baby. I’m right here, and everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
I run my hand over her back, which is covered by my bulky robe. Her shoulders shake with the power of her sobs. “Everyone will know,” she says so softly I almost don’t hear her. “The whole world will know what happened to me.”
“And they’ll know you survived and thrived in spite of it. They’ll know that part, too.”
“I didn’t want anyone to know. I didn’t want you to know.”
“Baby, nothing could ever change the way I feel about you. If anything, I love you even more than I did this morning, and I wouldn’t have thought that was possible.”
“It’s humiliating.”
“Remember what you said to me once? That it took years of therapy to be able to realize this was done to you? It wasn’t your fault? Same thing now. You didn’t do this. Someone else did, and we’re going to make him pay. I promise you that.”
“What will it matter if he pays? Everyone will still know. You’ll know.”
“Natalie, sweetheart, it doesn’t change anything for me. I’d still choose you a thousand times. A million times.”
She burrows her face into the nook between my neck and shoulder, and I hold her as close as I possibly can. We stay that way, her sobs gentling, until we hear a telltale yip from the hallway.
“Fluff!”
The excitement I hear in her voice fills me with hope. “Stay right here. I’ll get her for you.” I kiss her forehead and get up from the bed, taking a minute to pull on my jeans before I open the door to Leah and Addie, who are about to knock.
Fluff sees me and shows me the ten teeth she has left in her fourteen-year-old mouth.
“Fluff,” Natalie says. “Come to Mama.”
The little white ball of fur bolts into my room and onto my bed, where she’s reunited with Natalie.
“Thanks, Leah.” Natalie’s roommate is trying not to stare at my bare chest.
“Um, sure. Could I see Nat? Just for a minute?”
“Of course. Go on in.” I step aside to let her enter the room.
“You have a dog in your bed,” Addie says, going for a bit of levity.
“So it seems.” A herd of elephants can invade my bedroom if that will make Natalie happy. “And isn’t it just my luck that Fluff is immune to my many charms?”
Addie suppresses a laugh. “So you’ve finally encountered the one female on earth who isn’t bowled over by Flynn Godfrey?”
“So it seems. She actually bit me and drew blood the day I met Natalie.”
“I might’ve heard about that.”
“Hayden’s been telling tales out of school again, huh?”
“I’ll never reveal my sources.”
My best friend and business partner is crazy about Addie, not that he’ll ever admit it to himself or to her. I suspect the attraction runs both ways, but Addie doesn’t talk about him to me, and I don’t ask.
I run my fingers through my hair repeatedly until I’m certain it has to be standing straight up. “Tell me what to do here, Addie. I’m at a total loss.”
“Just be there for her. She needs to know nothing has changed for you because of what happened today.”
“I’ve told her that already. I don’t know if she believes me.”
“Keep telling her until there can be no doubt.”
“I never expected to feel this way about anyone.”
Addie smiles at my confession. “It happens to the best of us.”
“I can’t lose her over this. I just can’t.”
“You won’t. When the dust settles, and it will, she’ll remember that you were with her through it all. That’ll matter.”
While I appreciate Addie’s vote of confidence, I wish I could be more certain that Natalie and I will get through this intact. How long will it take for her to blame me for ruining everything for her?
* * *
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Other Books By Marie Force
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Contemporary Romances Available from Marie Force
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The Quantum Series
Book 1: Virtuous
(Flynn & Natalie)
Book 2: Valorous
(Flynn & Natalie)
Book 3: Victorious
(Flynn & Natalie)
Book 4: Rapturous
(Addie & Hayden)
Book 5: Ravenous
(Jasper & Ellie)
Book 6: Delirious
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Book 7: Outrageous
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Book 8: Famous
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ks 1-3
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Book 1: Maid for Love
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Book 2: Fool for Love
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Book 3: Ready for Love
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Book 4: Falling for Love
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Book 5: Hoping for Love
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Book 6: Season for Love
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Book 7: Longing for Love
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Book 8: Waiting for Love
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Book 9: Time for Love
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Book 10: Meant for Love
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Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie)
Book 11: Gansett After Dark
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Book 12: Kisses After Dark
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Book 13: Love After Dark
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Book 14: Celebration After Dark
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Book 15: Desire After Dark
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Book 16: Light After Dark
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Book 17: Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1)
Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2)
A Gansett Island Christmas Novella
Book 19: Mine After Dark
(Riley & Nikki)
Book 20: Yours After Dark
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Book 21: Trouble After Dark
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Book 22: Rescue After Dark
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Book 23: Blackout After Dark
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Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-3
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 4-6
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 7-9
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 10-12
Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 13-16
Gansett Island Series Boxed Set, Books 17-20
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Book 1: All You Need Is Love
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Book 2: I Want to Hold Your Hand
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Book 3: I Saw Her Standing There
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Book 4: And I Love Her
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Novella: You'll Be Mine
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Book 5: It's Only Love
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Book 6: Ain’t She Sweet
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The Butler, Vermont Series
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Book 1: Every Little Thing
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Book 2: Can’t Buy Me Love
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Book 3: Here Comes the Sun
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Book 4: Till There Was You
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Book 5: All My Loving
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Book 6: Let It Be
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How Much I Feel
How Much I Care
How Much I Love
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Book 2: Marking Time
Book 3: Starting Over
Book 4: Coming Home
Book 5: Finding Forever
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Love at First Flight
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About the Author
Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and erotic romance. Her series include Gansett Island, Fatal, Treading Water, Butler Vermont, Quantum and Miami Nights.
Her books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have appeared on the New York Times bestseller more than 30 times. She is also a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller, as well as a Speigel bestseller in Germany.
Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news.
Join Marie's mailing list for news about new books and upcoming appearances in your area. Follow her on Facebook and on Instagram. Join one of Marie's many reader groups. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.