Page 20 of My Fault

Two blue irises focused on mine.

“What do you want?” he asked, letting go of my wrist and sitting up.

I got out of the bed immediately.

“What did you do to me last night while I was out of it?” I asked, fearing the worst.

If that bastard had done something to me…

“Oh, I did it all,” he said contemptuously and then laughed. I struck him on the chest.

“Moron!” I shouted, feeling the blood rise to my cheeks.

He ignored me and stood up.

Then someone or something entered the room: a creature covered in hair dark like his owner’s, dark like that damned room.

“Hey, Thor, you hungry, boy? Have I got a tasty treat for you.” He grinned at me as he said this.

“I’m going.” I walked toward the door. I never wanted to see that idiot again, and knowing that I’d have to made my mood even worse than it already was.

Nicholas intercepted me in the middle of the room, and I almost ran into his bare chest.

“I’m sorry about what happened last night.” For a few miraculous seconds, I thought he was sincerely apologizing. How wrong I was: “But you can’t say a fucking word, or I’m screwed.” Now I knew all he wanted was to save his ass. As for me, he couldn’t care less.

I laughed bitterly. “So says the future lawyer.”

“Keep your trap shut.” He ignored my comment.

“Or what?”

He eyed me up and then jabbed a finger under my right ear, in a place that meant something special to me. “Or else that knot might not be strong enough to hold you.” What did he know about my tattoo or about how strong I was?

“How about you ignore me and I’ll ignore you. We’ll deal with the brief moments when we have to be together. Sound good?” I walked around him and left.

Thor wagged his tail, watching me go.

At least the dog didn’t hate me anymore, I told myself by way of consolation.

I went straight back to my room. I didn’t like not rememberingwhat had happened—not at all. Nicholas could have seen something in me that I never wanted to show him, and that was what made me hate him in that moment. I’d struggled to understand how I could manage to reject him so forcefully in so little time, but it was normal if I considered that Nicholas Leister represented absolutely everything I hated in a person: he was violent, dangerous, an abuser, a liar, threatening…everything that made me take off running in the opposite direction.

I saw my purse had been slung down on the bed. I grabbed my phone and plugged it in. Dammit, Dan was going to kill me. I’d promised him I’d call him last night. He must have been climbing the walls. Fucking Nicholas Leister! Everything was his fault!

When I turned on my phone and opened my messages, I saw that there were no new ones—no missed calls, either. That was strange.

It was beautiful out, a perfect day for the beach or to take a swim for the first time in that amazing pool. If I’d been in a better mood, I’d have gone outside to sunbathe, read a good book, and try to forget what had happened or, even worse, what might have happened. With those thoughts in my head, I walked into my big fancy closet. In a drawer, I saw a ton of swimsuits, but I didn’t stop looking until I found a one-piece.

I looked at my naked body in the mirror, with special attention on that part I felt mortified about. But I decided to put it out of my mind. After all, I was at home.

In a sundress and with a violet towel, I walked out of my bedroom to face my first breakfast in that house.

It was unsettling walking around here. I felt the same as I had when I was a little girl and would sleep over at a friend’s house and at night I’d want to go to the restroom but wouldn’t because I was scared I’d run into someone from their family.

Downstairs, I found my mother in her white-silk robe and sandals with Will, who was wearing a suit, ready for work.

“Good morning, Noah,” she said. “How’d you sleep?”

Fabulously, considering I was unconscious and with a fiendish headache.