Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 88

NICOLE

The plane lands.

And my nightmare begins.

My heart's beating fast. It's the weekend, so I know my brother's home. There's no way I can postpone this, but it's pretty late and he might be asleep by now. Do I really want to wake him up or sleep under the same roof as Haley to then reveal everything in the morning?

That's why when Roman suggests waiting until tomorrow, I agree right away. "You don't have to do it now. You should sleep. Figure things out a little more."

We go to his place instead, and I'm struggling with my anxiety and the memories I have of his apartment and the first time we actually got together.

To think that, at the time, I thought that Mason would be the only problem we'd have.

How naïve of me.

His penthouse has the same smell it had the first time I arrived, minus the aroma of the food. I feel...oddly empty as I walk toward his kitchen counter. I can sense his eyes on me, and in no time, he has his arms wrapped around me and his lips find the back of my neck.

He's really a neck guy.

It's the first place he always goes for a kiss.

"I'm sorry," he claims. "I'll go with you if it makes you feel better. I know that none of this is easy for you."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," I admit. "Things won't get better if you show up. Trust me. I don't want us all to fight about the wrong thing."

Mason might still push me away forever for being with Roman.

And he wouldn't be wrong.

"I'm a part of it all," he insists, making me turn around to face him. "Someone has to unmask Haley, and I'm the only one who knows how. I have all the proof with me."

I sigh. I still don't think it's a good idea, but I feel so exhausted all of a sudden. Roman senses this and says, "Let's shower and get you in bed, okay?"

I nod, and together we head to the bathroom. Roman takes all my clothes off, and he takes his sweet time with it, too. I shiver every time his fingers brush against my skin and his eyes meet mine in that way that sets me alight.

But I'm too exhausted to get into anything. I'm a ball of nerves at this point.

I feel taken care of by him. He washes my hair, then cleans me thoroughly, even going as far as scrubbing my feet. I never thought I'd see this side of him.

As nice as this is, the question of whether or not this will last always lingers.

I have a cup of tea before bed—one he claims will help me calm down. As I sit drinking it in his living room, dressed in one of his tees, Roman watches me with this yearning in his eyes that feels a little misplaced. I'm here, under his roof, and it's unlikely I'll go anywhere. We've done everything we could've ever done.

I don't know if it's the tea or the exhaustion from the day, but I fall asleep in his arms and it's one of the best sleeps of my life. I don't dream of anything in particular.

In the morning, everything feels so grim and I want to give up. It's the first thought that hits me as soon as I open my eyes.

But I can't be a coward.

Roman gives me a look once we're both in his bathroom. I know he wants to say something, but he keeps it to himself. I clean up as best as I can, and minutes pass like this.

Then, we head into the kitchen. He kisses my cheek before handing me a cup of coffee, and I accept it gratefully while wondering how the hell I'm going to see today through.

It's surreal.

I can't be a coward. That's the one thing I keep telling myself. It's for Mason. He can't be fooled. He can't give his heart to a woman who betrayed him. Who used him all these years. God, it makes me so damn angry.

How could she?

"Ready?" Roman asks after a while. It's the first thing he's said since we woke up.

I meet his gaze and nod.