Page 88 of The Devastation You Reap

“Was last night fun?”

I think back, my cheeks heating as images of everything we did flicker through my mind.

“Yeah,” I whisper. “More than I’ve had in… a while.”

“That’s why.” I nod my head as he continues with his reasoning.

“Sometimes letting go of control and dropping your barriers is exactly what we need.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” I muse.

“Maybe next time you can do it with us. I kinda want to see you letting your hair down for once.”

“You trying to say I’m uptight?” I place my hands on my hips and stare him down.

“Oh, never, Mace. Never,” he jokes. “Come here.” He pulls me into a hug. We might be fairly close but it’s not the kind of thing we usually do. “I’ll kick his ass if he hurts you,” he growls in my ear, his voice low and rough.

“It won’t be necessary,” I say, hoping like hell it’s the truth because the last thing I want is Nathan getting hurt because of me.

“I’ve got your back, Mace.”

“Thank you.”

He releases me so that I can grab my coffee and retreat back to my room to the assignment I’m meant to be working on although, if I’m being honest with myself, I spent most of the last hour writing, deleting and rewriting messages to Leon. None of which I’ve been brave enough to send.

I knew he was busy with family stuff this morning, but I kinda hoped he’d reach out after.

My heart sinks as I begin to wonder if last night wasn’t as big a deal to him as it was to me.

Of course it wasn’t. You’re just another notch on his bedpost, a little voice laughs.He’s probably already forgotten all about it.

Forcing my doubts away, I open my laptop to get to work and to hopefully lose a few hours of worrying if I did something wrong or if I just wasn’t good enough.

* * *

By the time the sun rises on Sunday morning, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that anything there might have been between Leon and me has been obliterated. All night I kept my cell close, thinking that he’d send something. But it remained silent.

And this morning… Still nothing.

With a frustrated sigh, I head for the bathroom knowing that I’ve still got all the work to do that I failed to complete yesterday if I want to get a head start on my week.

I’m standing at my mirror moisturizing my face when my cell finally pings. The bottle in my hand clatters into the sink as I run into my bedroom and throw the covers off my bed until I find it.

My heart thunders in my chest, anticipation pulsing through me for what he might have to say.

But that all comes crashing down when I see it’s just an alert from the security company who monitors my uncle’s estate in his absence.

Dropping down onto my bed with my cell in my hands, tears burn my eyes.

I hate myself for it, but I can’t stop the rejection washing through me.

I really want to believe there’s a reason he bailed without a word, but my insecurities are at an all time high after what I allowed to happen between us.

Sucking in a few deep breaths, I finally lift my head and swipe my screen.

The alert tells me that the security alarm was tripped but assures me that everything is okay.

Great.