Six Weeks of Seduction by Ellis O. Day
CHAPTER 76: NICK
Nick had no idea how to fix his relationship and if he couldn’t fix it who could? That’s what he did. He was a fixer. He pulled into the parking lot of Patrick’s office and walked into the building.
“He’s expecting me,” he lied to the receptionist.
She smiled and pressed the button that led to the upstairs suite of offices. He stopped at Patrick’s door and knocked.
“One minute.”
He shouldn’t have come. It wasn’t like he could tell Patrick everything. These were Sarah’s secrets, not his. The door opened.
“Nick, is everything okay?” Patrick was rumpled—his hair, his shirt. Annie was behind him, also rumpled.
“Shit. I’m sorry.” He turned to leave.
“Wait. Is everything okay?” repeated Patrick.
“Nick, you look terrible. Did something happen to Sarah? Your family?” Annie pushed in front of Patrick and grabbed Nick’s arm, pulling him into the office and closing the door.
“No. Everyone’s fine.”
Patrick had moved to the bar and poured several drinks. He handed one to Nick. “Sit. Something’s wrong.”
He took the drink and dropped onto the couch. “Sarah and I…I think it’s over.”
“Oh, Nick.” Annie sat next to him and gave him a quick hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah. Me too.” He was more than sorry; he was numb, empty.
She glanced at Patrick. “I’ll leave you two.”
“No.” Nick grabbed her arm and then dropped his hand. He didn’t need Patrick punching him again. Right now, he wouldn’t fight back. “Stay. I could use a woman’s opinion.”
“Okay.” She settled on the couch.
Patrick sat on his desk. “What happened?”
He sighed. “It wasn’t only one thing. It’s a lot of little things.”
“Like what?” asked Patrick.
“She doesn’t trust me.”
“Of course, she does,” said Annie.
“No. She doesn’t. She never tells me anything. She won’t let me in.”
“You guys haven’t been together that long. She may need more time,” said Patrick.
“I get that, but I…I can’t keep fighting with her about it. She’s always pushing me away. Shit, I wouldn’t even be living with her except I just kind of moved in.”
“She didn’t invite you?” Annie sounded a little appalled.
“No.”
“So, how did it happen?” asked Annie. “Did you just bring your stuff over and never leave.” She didn’t sound like she was on his side.
“Yeah, kind of like that.”
“You actually did that?” She looked at Patrick. “Who does that?”
Patrick shrugged. “Nick’s a pushy guy.”
“No kidding,” said Annie.
“Hey. I know what I want and I go for it.” There was nothing wrong with that.
“Everyone else be damned,” said Patrick.
“It wasn’t like that. She wanted me too.”
Annie took his hand. “That’s true, but was she ready for you to move in with her? That’s a big step.”
“I don’t know.” He pulled away. “That doesn’t matter. Not now. She’s fine with me living there. She’s just not fine with telling me anything…like where she goes three times a week.”
“You think she’s having an affair?” asked Patrick.
“No. I mean, I did wonder about it at first but I don’t anymore.”
“That’s good,” said Annie, “But why don’t you still think that?”
“Because I know where she’s going and before you ask. I can’t tell you.” He tossed back his drink. “Sarah’s had some…problems in the past and I can’t talk about them. If she wants you to know, she’ll tell you.”
“I know.” Patrick looked at Annie. “We know.”
“She told you?” He pushed off the couch. “She’ll tell you, a stranger, these things but she won’t tell me she’s going for counselling. This is exactly what I’m talking about.”
“She didn’t tell us, dumbass,” said Patrick. “I have her file. My company does the background checks for the Club, remember?”
“You knew before the Viewing. That’s cheating.” He was going to kill Ethan. If he’d let Patrick have an interview with Sarah, she would’ve chosen him and Nick would’ve never touched her, kissed her…
“I hadn’t seen the file then. Believe me, Ethan made sure of that. You know him and his rules.”
“Then when?” He still wasn’t sure he believed his friend.
Patrick’s gaze fell on Annie. “When someone I know decided that you should have a chance to talk to Sarah and let her explain why she didn’t agree to meet you after four months.”
“Oh.” That actually made sense. He dropped back onto the couch.
“I took the file home because I wanted to make sure there wasn’t a good reason that she hadn’t contacted you and”—Patrick sent Annie a disgusted look—“someone is kind of nosey.”
“Hey! You left it on the table. Open. What was I supposed to do?” said Annie.
“Not look at it.”
“Please.” She made a face at him and then turned toward Nick. “Sarah is wonderful and she’s crazy about you. You just need to have patience.”
“Well, I don’t. I did but I don’t anymore.”
“What are you saying?” asked Patrick.
“I’m saying that I’ve put up with enough of her crap. I dealt with her damn dog. I’ve even kept my mouth shut about her not letting me help her with practically anything. Even suggestions about her business and that’s what I do, but this…this lack of trust….A relationship can’t work without trust and she doesn’t trust me.” He stared over Patrick’s head for a moment, trying to get himself under control. “I took her to a party.”
“Oh, that probably wasn’t a good idea,” said Annie.
“No shit and I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known, but she didn’t tell me.” He almost shouted the last part. “Instead, she had a panic attack. I thought she was fucking dying.”
“Oh Nick, I’m so sorry,” said Annie.
“And then what happened?” Patrick was watching him closely.
“This is when it gets really good. At the hospital, when she was having tests done, her shrink came by. Sarah’s sister had called her and the good doctor lectured me because I haven’t made time to come and see her.” He snorted. “I would’ve made as much time as needed if Sarah would’ve told me.”
“Did you explain that to the doctor?” asked Annie.
“Yeah. Of course.”
“And then what happened,” asked Patrick.
“You’re repeating yourself,” said Nick.
“Because you’re not getting to the part where you fucked up,” said Patrick.
“I didn’t fuck up.” But his conscience whispered that maybe he had.
“I know you. You’re a good guy but once that temper goes, you’re a jackass.”
“Like you can talk.”
Patrick shrugged. “Fair enough but I’m not at your office looking like my world has ended.”
“She never told me. It’s been almost two weeks and she still hasn’t told me about the panic attack or the doctor. She said she passed out because of not eating.”
“Give her time,” said Patrick.
“I have.”
“Give her more.”
Annie took his hand. “It’s good that she’s getting help, but you’re going to have to have patience. These kinds of things are hard. People don’t get over them in a flash. My brother is going through something similar and he’s getting better, but in baby steps not leaps.”
“I don’t need her to get better overnight but I do need her to trust me. Me. Not everyone in the world. Just me. Is that too much to ask?”
“Well, no.” Annie spoke hesitantly as if suspecting a trap.
“What did you do, Nick? Why are you so sure it’s over?” asked Patrick.
“I told you.”
“No. You told me some problems the two of you are having, not why it’s over.”
“I left. Is that what you want me to say?” He stood. “I came home, found more things she was hiding from me. We fought and I left.”
“You left?” asked Annie. “You know she has issues trusting men, trusting you to not leave her and you left? You did the exact thing she feared.” Her voice had risen to a high pitch.
“I told you he did something stupid,” said Patrick.
“It’s not fucking stupid. Relationships need trust.” It wasn’t stupid. It wasn’t.
“And, since she’s not moving at your pace, trusting you when you say she should, you threw a fit and left.” Patrick clapped his hands. “Bravo. You won. You walked out and ended the best thing in your life.”
“Fuck you.” He strode out of the office.
