“You’re hiding from me.” Nate slipped into the room and closed the door behind him with his heel, then latched the security chain. She expected him to stalk toward her, to run his hands over her body, to do the things that already felt familiar.
Instead he stood just inside the room, hands stuffed in the pockets of his suit jacket. And unless she was very much mistaken, he was pissed.
“I’m not hiding.” His irritation teased out her own, and she turned away from him, pretending to fuss with the contents of the gift basket. “Someone had to decorate the room for the newlyweds. I was elected.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Nate’s voice was sharp, sharper than she’d ever heard it before, and she whipped her gaze to where he stood, his lean frame set in tense lines. “Whatever else happens here, Ellie, we’ll be honest with each other.”
“I—” Why did this suddenly feel like the end? And why did it feel like her fault? Panic rushed through her, turning her fingers to ice and clogging her throat.
“Ellie.” Cursing beneath his breath, Nate closed the space between them. Ellie reached for him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He pulled her in close against his chest, and she drew in a deep breath, savoring his scent.
His next words stopped her cold.
“Don’t you see, Ellie?” He spoke into her hair, still arranged so carefully in the neat blonde coils from the salon. “The ball is in your court. I need you to tell me what you want. I can’t give it to you unless you do.”
Ellie felt her pulse stutter. Nate brought out a side of her that she hadn’t known existed, and with him she could push herself… but he was asking her for the one thing she couldn’t do.
“Nate.” She knew what she wanted to tell him—that she wanted more than just this weekend. But she couldn’t be one of those women who threw herself at him. How could he want her in return if she did? They all threw themselves at him.
And though he waited, watching her with his face set in impassive lines, she wanted to be more to him than just another woman. She wanted to be different. And if he wanted more than a weekend, he was going to have to say so.
“Kiss me.” Okay, maybe she wasn’t so different from all of those other women, because as he tightened his arms around her, desperation reared up, slamming against her ribcage, demanding to be heard.
Still, the words that mattered stuck in her throat.
No, she couldn’t tell him, but maybe she could show him—could show him even just the merest sliver of what she felt.
“Ellie.” Nate’s voice was raw as he allowed her to drag his face down to meet hers. And when his lips crashed into hers, she could taste the same desperation fuelling her, and to her mortification, a single scalding tear slipped down her cheek as emotion wracked her body.
“Just tell me. Please.” Nate spoke the words with his lips still pressed to her own, one hand reaching up to tug at the smooth coils of her hair.
The words remained lodged in her throat. She pressed her lips to his again. She needed the fire. He gave it to her, but banked the bright flame with tenderness, leaving her trembling and unsure even as she gave him everything she had.
The sound of a key card fumbling at the lock had Nate freezing where he stood, his arms full of Ellie. He blinked, everything fuzzy, all of his senses saturated with Ellie, as he tried to blink his way out of the haze she had him in.
“Nate!” Ellie’s wide blue eyes were full of panic as she shoved him away. Her hands worked frantically through the mess he’d made of her sleek hairstyle, then traced over the lipstick that no longer glossed her mouth. “Someone’s coming!”
And that—that was all it took to snap him out of his trance. Taking one stride forward, closing the space between them again, he tangled his hand in her hair, tilting her head up until she was forced to look him in the eye.
“Let them see.” Ellie tried to tug away; he held firm. He watched as something that looked to him like hope fluttered across her face, mirroring what he felt in his heart.
He wanted so badly to tell her what he felt, what he wanted. There were a million reasons why he needed her to make that move, to prove that she really wanted him—issues with his mother, all of the women who had only wanted his money, needing to know for certain that, with her submissive nature, she hadn’t been pushed into agreeing with what he wanted, just to please him.
All of that fell by the wayside when confronted with the thought of losing her. He’d shove aside his pride, his dominance, everything that made him a man, if only it meant that he could keep her in his life.
“Let them see, Ellie.” The electronic beep of the card in the actual lock sounded; they only had seconds.
The door opened, and there was a curse as it caught on the security chain that Nate had slid into place when he entered the room. “Open the damn door, you two. I know you’re in there.”
It was Chase.
He knew.
Ellie’s eyes were wide with terror.
“We’re not doing anything wrong. Let him see that we’re together.”
“You’ve taken this too far, Nate!” she whispered fiercely as she pulled again at his grip on her hair.
He let her go, his heart shattering loudly enough that he was sure he could hear the shards of it crashing to the floor.
“This will never work. You know that. And I’m not telling Chase something that will hurt him and ruin his wedding day for no reason.”
I’m not telling Chase something that will hurt him and ruin his wedding day for no reason.
Even after all of their shared history, even after everything that had happened between them this weekend, she still thought he wouldn’t stay. The realization was like a blow straight to his gut.
Wordless, he stared down at her, trying to read the expression in those summer sky eyes.
The fact that she looked away told him everything he needed to know.
“Open the fucking door.” Chase pounded on it with his fist. “Meredith saw you both head up here. We need to talk. Now.”
Turning resolutely away from Ellie, Nate undid the security chain. Chase shoved forward into the room, and Nate simply stepped out of the way, impassively watching his best friend face off with the love of his life, as though it was happening to someone else.
“Ellie.” Chase looked his baby sister up and down, then groaned. Nate watched as Ellie’s hands fisted at her sides, catching in the silky fabric of her dress.
She said nothing, but as Chase looked from Ellie over to Nate, there was no denying the mess of his sister’s hair, the swollen lips, the tension that filled the room.
Chase glared at Nate. Nate stared back impassively until his friend pointed a finger at him sharply.
“I’m not surprised by this, coming from you. You’ve always wanted her, though I thought that maybe, just maybe you could hold yourself back, given that she is my little sister.”
Chase looked ready to punch him, and Nate…Well, before Chase had rushed through that door, Nate would have been ready to fight back, just to prove that his feelings for Ellie were real. Now, though… now that he truly understood how she thought of him?
There was no point. He’d stand here and let Chase beat the shit out of him, because without Ellie, what did it matter, after all?
“And you, Ellie.” Chase turned back to his sister, disappointment etched in the lines of his face. “I thought you were smarter than this.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Ellie’s spine straightened, and Nate felt a quick flicker of hope. Had she changed her mind? Was she going to own up to what they had between them?
“I mean that Nate is my friend,” Chase started, casting a sidelong glance at Nate. The judgment he saw there…
It transported Nate right back to his teen years, back to the days when most of the town looked at him and saw nothing but trash.
“He’s my friend,” Chase repeated slowly, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his suit trousers. “But you know wha
t he’s like, El. You know. No matter what rainbows and unicorns you’ve dreamt up in your head about the two of you… they’re not going to happen. Nate’s a player. Hell, he’ll tell you that himself. And you deserve more.”
Chase gestured to Nate, as if asking him to support his point.
And in that moment Nate wondered if the biggest fool of all here was him.
He’d thought that when it came down to it, at least his friends would have his back. But maybe, even to them, he’d always been just low class Nathan Archer.
The silence was deafening as Nate swallowed thickly and looked at Ellie. She met his eyes, and her lips parted. He felt hope rise—here, finally, was someone who would defend him. Someone who saw him as he was.
But she said nothing, nothing more than a choked little cry that escaped her lips. And then Nate had to face the truth. Ellie cared for him. He knew that. What they had between them was real.
But she saw him the way the rest of the world did—as a playboy who would break her heart.
And as he shook his head and slammed out of the silent room, he knew that he had no one to blame but himself.
Chapter Fifteen
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Ellie blinked as Chase took her by the shoulder and gave her a little shake. She wanted to swat him away like a fly, every cell of her body screaming at her to run after Nate.
She’d made the right decision, hadn’t she? She and Nate would never work. They couldn’t. Even her own brother didn’t believe in them.
But the pain that had flashed through Nate’s eyes before he’d slammed through the door told a different story. Had she just thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to her because she was scared? Scared of being out of control? Of being just another woman who passed through his life, when he, of all people, had always made her feel special?
Wasn’t that her answer right there?
“Ellie!” This time Chase did shake her a bit, and she rounded on him. He blinked at the ferocity of her expression, holding up his free hand in surrender.
“Whoa. Settle down.” He took a cautious step back, clearly not having forgotten the warning signs of his sister about to fly into a rage. “I’m just looking out for you.”
“You know, I’m getting damn sick of living my life according to how other people think I should.” Ellie shoved away from her brother, stooping to pick up the hair pins that Nate had scattered on the floor. Turning so that she didn’t have to look at Chase, she jammed them back into her hair at random, not caring about the end result.
“What do you mean?” This time, when she looked at her brother, she found him rocking back on his heels, studying her, but with the traces of judgment gone.
He just looked puzzled, and Ellie wanted to smack him upside his thick skull.
“I mean that everyone in this family, in this town, has always expected me to act a certain way. To be the smart one, the well-behaved one. The one who never makes a fuss.” Ellie jabbed the last pin into her hair, wincing as it scraped along the tender skin of her scalp. With nothing else for her hands to do, she clasped her skirt in damp palms again. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe that’s not who I really am?”
“And you think that Nate sees you the way you really are?” Chase asked incredulously. “I suppose you see the real him? That you’re the only one who understands him? El, if you knew half of what he was into—”
“Maybe he and I aren’t quite as different as you think.” Ellie spoke quietly, waiting a moment for the words to soak in. When Chase flinched, she knew she’d hit her bullseye. “And I’m going to tell you right now, what is or isn’t between myself and Nate is none of your damn business. It’s not Mom’s business, it’s not anyone in this town’s business. Mom never understood about Nate, but I thought you did. He was your best friend and you let him down too.” She shook her head sadly. “Nathan Archer is so much more than any of you have ever given him credit for.”
Tossing the key card at her brother, Ellie slammed out of the room that she’d so neatly decorated, and as soon as she passed through the doors, urgency overtook her. It might have taken her dumbass of a brother to make her see the truth, but the words she’d just spoken?
They were absolutely on point. Nate was the best man she knew, and he’d been so, so right. Who cared who knew about them? Sure, she’d be embarrassed if in the end, he ditched her like he had so many other women. But would he? If she truly believed he was more than what others thought of him—didn’t she owe it to him, to herself, to give them a chance?
Her phone chimed, signalling an incoming text. Her heart leapt into her throat—maybe it was Nate.
It was Meredith.
TEXT:
To: Ellie
From: Meredith
I didn’t mean to sic Chase on you. Don’t be too mad at him.
Ellie narrowed her eyes. She’d be as mad as she wanted. But the second message thawed the ice, just a bit.
If you’re interested, I think Nate is getting ready to leave. I don’t think you’ll be surprised to hear this, since it’s my wedding day, but love is worth fighting for. Go get him. I’ll cover for you.
Urgency spurring her onward, Ellie quickened her pace, and then again until she was running.
Forgoing the elevator, she sprinted down the stairs.
She had to catch up to him, had to apologize for doubting him. She had to make this right.
Downstairs, she skidded to a stop just inside the doors of the hall where the reception was being held. Heart in her throat, she looked around frantically, her gaze seeking out every dark haired man that she could find.
“Are you all right, Ellie?” She looked up at the voice, finding Harry at her side, concern etched on his face. She saw him take in her wild hair, her messy makeup, and winced. “You seem… distressed.”
It was hard to come right out and ask, since asking seemed to be confirmation of her relationship with Nate, but hell. Wasn’t that why she was looking for him? “Have you seen Nate anywhere in the last few minutes? Nathan Archer?”
Harry’s mouth pinched together in a thin, judgmental line that made him look far less attractive than he had earlier. Yes, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but she was damn sick of being judged.
“Spare me the lecture, please.” She smiled politely, but didn’t bother to sugar coat her words. “I know you don’t approve. But if you could just tell me if he’s passed through here, that would be great.”
Harry sipped at his wine, seeming to mull over his choice of words. When he finally spoke, what he said had Ellie’s heart crashing to the floor.
“I’m sorry to upset you.” He set his glass on the table and reached for Ellie’s shoulder in a gesture that was likely meant to be comforting, but instead made Ellie’s skin crawl. “He did pass through here. But then he left. And, ah… how do I put this delicately? He wasn’t alone.”
“What?” That didn’t make sense. At all. It hadn’t been more than fifteen minutes since they’d been together in the honeymoon suite, and Ellie knew, she knew that those feelings he’d shown her there had been real. “Who was he with?”
“I’m sorry, Ellie.” To his credit, Harry squirmed. “It was one of the other bridesmaids.”
Ellie nearly doubled over as the impact of those words hit her. She had seen Nate chatting with Kate, the bridesmaid with the blue hair, earlier, but hadn’t thought much about it. But…
She, Ellie, had just stomped all over the feelings that Nate had offered her. Was it really so strange to think that he’d jump right back into his old ways? That he’d soothe the ache with another woman? And Kate was nowhere to be found, just like Nate. But … her heart just couldn’t bring herself to believe it.
“Excuse me for a second.” Holding up a finger, Ellie pulled out her cell phone. With trembling fingers, she pulled up Nate’s contact information.
It went straight to voicemail. Slowly, she set her phone back on the table, blinking helplessly up
at Harry.
He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. As one might a puppy. “I take it that things in that department are over?” He gestured to Ellie’s cell phone. “With Nate?”
She let a strangled noise escape her throat, not trusting any other words to come out.
“Right.” Harry picked up her phone, Ellie staring after him dumbly as his fingers slid over the screen. After a few seconds, he handed it back to her. “Well, like I said. Now that things have changed, I’d love to take you out sometime. I just added my number to your contacts.”
What?
“You just added your number to my contacts? While I’m sitting here with an obviously broken heart?” Slamming her phone down onto the table, Ellie stood, letting fury guide her actions.
Shock emanated from Harry as she rose to her full height, bristling under his gaze.
Was this really how people saw her? A woman so sweet that she’d put up with something like this—a man making a pass at her while she was feeling low and vulnerable?
Never. Again.
“You need to go, Harry. And don’t ever contact me again.”
“I think you’re overreacting just a bit. You’re upset.” Again, he patted her shoulder, and Ellie almost screamed. “When you calm down, you’ll see I’m just interested in you. Genuinely. And I’ll treat you right.”
Unlike some other men, were the words left unspoken.
And with that, Ellie had had it. She reached for the half full glass of wine that Harry had set on the table, and with one quick flick of her wrist, emptied the contents into his face.
He sputtered, and she gasped as he stared down at her in sheer disbelief.
She was pretty shocked herself, even as grim satisfaction swept through her for having finally, for once, stood up for herself. Even if she had overreacted. Sort of.
Then she heard applause. Turning, she found her cousin Holly standing beside the table, delight written across her face as she observed the scene in front of her.
“Why, you—” Harry grabbed a cloth napkin and started scrubbing at his shirt.
Never Say Love (Never Say Never #1) Page 14