Meadow’s POV:
The first thing I noticed when I arrived at Nova’s apartment building later that day, was an expensive- looking bike parked in front of it with a helmet resting on the handle.
I didn’t want to believe it, but deep down I knew. If there was a bike as expensive–looking as this one just sitting here, then it had to belong to the one person I knew who was bloody rich and owned one.
Nolan was here. And this time, he came on his own, without me. To see Nova.
My suspicions were confirmed when I walked through the door, the smell of aftershave and musk assaulting my senses.
“Nova?” I called out.
I heard voices and followed the sound, and right as I was about to turn the corner into the kitchen, I heard a deep, rich laughter. I paused, my gaze narrowing as I watched Nolan throw his head back as he laughed, his eyes crinkling at the edges.
Seeing him like that made me realize that I had never actually heard or seen Alaric laugh before.
I wondered how he would sound, how he would look. Did it sound exactly like Nolan’s or better?
And why on earth was I trying to imagine Alaric laughing?
I shook my head, letting out a dramatic breath as I walked into the kitchen. “Oh god. Please don’t tell me I have to get used to seeing you here.”
Nolan’s gaze shifted to me and Nova turned back from her position on the stool. Her cheeks were tinted pink–I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or something else.
“Meds!” Her eyes widened in shock. “I thought you weren’t coming today.”
“Did I say that?”
“No, but Nolan…” She trailed off like she just realized something, and swiveling her head to face Nolan again, she cursed: “You lying bastard. You told me something came up with Meadow and that’s why-”
“Would you have let me in if I said I just wanted to come check on you on my own?” Nolan’s voice was flat, but light amusement twinkled in his blue eyes.
Nova hesitated. “Probably not.”
“So there you have it, süße.” His gaze dropped to the bowl in front of her. “Eat.”
My brows were raised so high, I was certain they had disappeared into my hair.
I cleared my throat and Nolan looked at me.
“Don’t you have work to do?” I asked.
“Matter of fact,” Nolan murmured, taking out his phone and glancing down at the screen. “I do. Think you can manage without falling on that pretty ass again?”
“You fell?” I asked as I approached the counter.
“I TRIPPED,” she snapped, her gaze pointed at him. “And yes, I’ll manage fine without you and your earth-sized ego.”
Nolan managed a smirk before making his way out of the kitchen, his leather jacket in hand. When I heard the door shut, I finally faced my best friend.
“Feeling better, I see.” I mused.
“A little,” Nova murmured. Her eyes were trained on the wall behind me instead of on me, like she was deliberately avoiding my eyes. “So, does the flu come with memory loss or are you all of sudden into bad boys again?”
Her brown eyes snapped to mine, wide. “I’m not into Nolan–or bad boys. Fucking hate how… self–aware he is. He brought me some soup, though. Says it’s his mother’s recipe. It’s really good.”
At the mention of Alaric’s mother, my stomach twisted. I swallowed, my eyes dropping down to the almost finished bowl of soup. “How… nice.”
Checking on Nova wasn’t the only reason I came over. I needed to get out of that house, especially after what happened this morning.
‘Don’t be delusional, sweetheart. Alaric is only with you because he’s desperate to feel something.’
Fuck.
I so hated how true that actually was. Ingrid’s words hadn’t stopped echoing in my mind, and being in the house was just a constant reminder of it.
“Okay… spill,” Nova demanded, lifting her arm so she could cough into her elbow. “Sorry,” she muttered.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: HIS DOE, HIS DAMNATION (An Erotic Billionaire Romance)