Chapter 24

Get out of the car. Get out of the car. Get out of the car.

Maybe if I repeated it enough in my head, Nathan would hear my thoughts without having to actually say something. This was the last place my parents were alive, so bringing him here was hard enough.

After their bodies were extracted and identified, I was called out. The scarring on the tree had faded considerably, as it was mostly grown over with moss. But I'd always know this spot. There was no forgetting the sight of the twisted metal when Drew had driven me out here to verify that it was their car.

I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. Feeling the ache in my chest once more, I battled against the burning sensation behind my eyelids.

As if by some miracle, Nathan must have heard my thoughts. His arms wrapped around me, and I sank into his body. In this place, I couldnt fight the tears. He didn't say anything, but words weren't needed. His presence alone was enough to comfort me. I soaked in the scent of his body wash, and the smell that was so uniquely him.

Once the tears finally calmed, we sat and looked at the tree until my throat had unclogged enough to form the words.

"Mom and Dad had gone shopping. It was so stupid because we didn't really need anything. I think they just wanted to get out for a bit." My chest constricted, but I kept powering on. "It had snowed the day before, and this stretch of road was pretty icy. I don't know what happened because Dad knew how to drive in it. The police said the tires on the car were worn, which probably didn't help..."

I knew the exact second Nathan realized what I was talking about and the significance of the marks on the trunk of the tree. Gently, he kissed the side of my head while his arms tightened around me.

"When did this happen?"

"Three years ago."

His whole body locked up, and it was as if he knew why I'd freaked out when he didn't return, why his poor excuse hurt just a little more.

"How come no one told me?"

I wanted to laugh. Instead, that anger simmered beneath the surface again. I wanted to shove his arms off me and march all the way back to town. I didn't give a damn that it was a good ten miles away.

"Why would they? You proved that you didn't care when you never came back."

"Oh, God. I'm so fucking sorry." His arms tightened, even though I didn't think it was possible. I was suffocating in his embrace. His apology wasn't good enough. It would never be good enough, but it didn't change what I'd said to Daniel in my drunken haze the other night. I was very much still in love with Nathan Grant, despite the shitty circumstance we found ourselves.

I didn't acknowledge his apology. I pushed out of his arms and stood. Even if it made me look like some sort of strange hippy, I walked right up to that tree and hugged it. This very tree had taken everything from me, but it was all I had left of them, besides the house I didnt even own. This tree would forever be a part of me and a part of my life.

"Can you take me home?" When I turned, Nathan stood there, arms wrapped around his middle like he was unsure. He nodded, reaching a hand out for me before retracting it and walking back to his car. I should have been seeking comfort from him, but I needed him to understand why I was so mad. That what he did was beyond hurtful and selfish. It would take a lot more than an ‘I'm sorry' to fix what he'd broken. That this was why I couldn't let him in further than what I had this summer.

When we were back on the road toward the beach, he finally broke the silence. "The house?"

I sighed. Since we'd already gone there, there was no reason not to tell him about it. "It's still there. I don't own it anymore. Your uncle does."

As we drove back into town, Drew's old truck was parked in the driveway. He must have been doing maintenance again, which would explain why he hadn't been at home when we'd woken up this morning. It was an all-day adventure whenever he was there to work on it.

"Uncle Drew?"

I nodded. "I work for him so I can buy it back."

Nathan said nothing, only drove me the rest of the way to my camper. It made my stomach feel queasy that he didn't want to talk about things any further, but it was also better this way. He needed his own time to digest what had happened to my parents. It was unfair that I hadn't told him until now. He'd been fairly close to them, and I'd denied him the chance to say goodbye.

Sitting there in his car as it idled outside of my home, it was difficult to reach for the door handle and climb out of his car. My breath caught when Nathan cut the engine and pulled his keys from the ignition. What the hell was he doing?

I stumbled out into the bright, sunny day, slamming the passenger door behind me. When the car alarm set behind me, my pulse picked up, but I dared not turn to see if Nathan followed me. I knew he was. Where the hell else would he go? He could easily walk down to the beach from here, but it would be pointless. No, he was staying here with me.

Oreo greeted me the second the door was open. She meowed and purred, rubbing against my legs to seek attention. When I bent to pet her on the head, Nathan shut the door behind us. There was a strange ball of tension around us, like delicate sea glass. Any moment now, the waves of uncertainty would come crashing down and smash everything to pieces.

When I reached for the cabinet with the cans of cat food, Nathan's hand shot over my shoulder and beat me to it. "Can I feed her?"

I turned, our faces much too close, and I blinked at him. His deep, soulful brown eyes tempted me to drown in them. I couldn't form words. The man had rendered me stupid, which was dumb, considering I was supposed to be mad at him. I nodded my approval for him to feed my cat.

Nathan smirked, grabbing the can. When he bent to pick up the food dish, Oreo skittered away to a corner. He kneeled close to the floor and held his hand out. It wasn't the first time he'd been here, but it was the first time he interacted with the only family I had left. Maybe that was more important.

"Come here, pretty girl. I'm not going to hurt you." Nathan's tone was so soothing as he dangled his fingers in invitation. Oreo made her way to him and sniffed his hand before tentatively rubbing her face against him.

Something warm spread through my chest. Even though I wanted to keep being angry, it was like Nathan knew exactly how to worm his way back in. He always knew.

Nathan opened the can of food and dumped it into the dish, setting it next to Oreo on the floor. Her purrs were so loud it sent a small vibration through the space. She obviously approved of him. The little traitor.

I couldn't fight the laugh that came out of me. It bubbled to the surface, no matter how much I wanted to keep it inside. "Well, at least someone likes you."

We were suddenly both laughing. But that laughter quickly died the second Nathan's hand landed on my hip and pulled me close. "I hope it's not just the cat that likes me."

I wanted to tell him I didn't. I wanted to tell him that he should leave, but it was impossible to stay angry with Nathan Grant when he looked so damn good and he'd just won over my damn cat.

"You don't impress me," I teased, leaning in to nip playfully at his lip.

His smirk was a promise of something dirty. Something that had my pulse racing and my arousal rising. My dick pulsed as Nathan claimed my lips with such force that I had to brace myself against the counter, the cat long forgotten. His kisses were addicting, toe-curling, and downright salacious.

When we broke apart for air, his lips damp and bruised, he nipped at me once in return before the words he muttered made me shiver. "Can I fuck you now?"

"You don't even have to ask."