Wild Nights With My Brother’s Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59

NICOLE

Katie greeted me with a warm smile as I stepped inside her cozy home, and I felt an immediate sense of relief seeing her so well. There was something about her happiness that radiated effortlessly—it was infectious, and I doubted I would ever meet anyone quite like her again.

“You look fantastic!” she said cheerfully.

I returned her smile. “I could say the same about you.”

She ran her fingers through her short hair, her grin widening. “I’ve always believed that, no matter what chaos surrounds you, life should be lived fully. So, tell me—how have you been holding up?”

As she gently closed the front door behind us, we made our way toward the living room. I hesitated before answering, “So much has happened… I honestly don’t even know where to begin.”

Katie settled onto the couch, her eyes searching mine. “You’ve been pretty quiet lately. I sent you an email, but you never responded.”

Taking a deep breath, I began to recount everything that had unfolded since we last spoke. Katie listened intently, her expression shifting from concern to shock. Her mouth parted slightly, and I could see disbelief flickering in her eyes.

“Nicole…” she started, clearly at a loss for words, which was unusual for her. “I had no idea. This is just… awful.”

The miscarriage was the hardest part to talk about. Deep down, I realized I hadn’t truly faced it yet. I’d shoved the pain to the far corners of my mind for so long that when it finally hit me, would it be so overwhelming that I’d never recover?

“I think I’m responsible for most of this,” I confessed quietly. Admitting that weighed heavily on me—it was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. “I was warned over and over. But I ignored every single warning, especially about Dan. He was a walking red flag, and I just stood there while he tore me apart.”

Katie shook her head gently. “It’s not fair to blame yourself for something so tragic. You were trying to be fair, but he took advantage of your kindness and generosity. What about the other man? Has he reached out since everything happened?”

I decided to be honest. If I didn’t say it aloud, I felt like I might lose my grip on reality. “Yes. I actually saw him at a festival yesterday. He came at me with all sorts of lies about my brother’s girlfriend—claiming she was lying about the sexual assault.”

Katie’s gaze remained steady and calm. “Did you believe him?”

I hesitated, feeling a flicker of doubt that I hated. “No, I didn’t. I know Haley well enough to trust that she would never lie about something so serious.”

“You know her better than I do,” Katie said thoughtfully.

“Why do you ask?” I questioned, suspicion creeping into my voice. “What do you think?”

“Honestly? I don’t have an opinion. It’s easier to judge when you know someone personally. Do you trust your own judgment?”

He was a good man, but he was my boss. Besides, nothing could ever happen between us. I’d be too scared of messing things up, and what proof did I have that he was even interested? There had been mixed signals early on, but since I returned to work, everything between us had been strictly professional.

“There is someone,” Katie said, a mischievous sparkle lighting up her eyes.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. He’s too good for me.”

“That’s for him to decide. Who is he?”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell her it was her godson. What if she thought less of me? I didn’t want to disappoint Katie. “Oh, you don’t know him,” I replied evasively.

Katie didn’t press further. Instead, she offered me tea and stood up to prepare it. I rose as well, intending to follow, but she raised both hands, smiling gently. “No, stay here. I’ll take care of it.”

Left alone, I watched her head to the kitchen before sinking deeper into the couch cushions. My mind replayed our conversation over and over. I longed for someone to help me heal, but I refused to be deluded again.

I’d made enough mistakes already. My life simply couldn’t handle any more.

Suddenly, the front door swung open. I turned my head toward the sound, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Sebastian standing there. He hadn’t noticed me yet, so he didn’t react. Calling out softly, he said, “Katie? I’m here.”