Love Renewed (Entwined Hearts #3) (14 page)

I’m too old for this shit.

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” she tells me seductively.

“Yeah, but what she does know might hurt you, especially if that girlfriend punches you repeatedly in the face,” Nova announces stepping in front of me. I can’t help but smirk at my little firecracker. I move my hands and place them on her shoulders, feeling her tension.

The blonde, what was her name…Sarah? Saffron? Fuck…Sasha that’s it. She looks Nova up and down and I can see Pea and Soph pulling the boys away, trying to get them out of the club and I know why. ‘Cause shit’s about to kick off and we need to get away before someone ends up in trouble, that’s the last thing we need with the wedding tomorrow.

“I didn’t realise your taste was whore, sorry, if I’d have known I would have dressed appropriately,” Sasha says and before I have a chance to do anything, Nova moves at lightning speed and punches the blonde square in the cheek. I hear the crack and know that she’s going to have a shiner tomorrow. I watch almost in slow motion as Sasha stumbles backward clutching her face, tears stinging her eyes. Nova tries to move forward again, I grip her, spinning her body to face me and before she realises what’s happening I lift her up, throwing her over my shoulder, fireman style and run, literally run out of the club. Once outside I can’t see the other four anywhere, but I can hear the bouncers coming so I sprint down the street with Nova still over my shoulder.

“Seriously, I can run big guy,” she tells me with a slight slur. I don’t say anything, but when I think we’re no longer being followed, I slow down to a walk, still not dropping her down. Nova reaches down and grabs my bum cheeks in her hands.

“Mmm…you have a tight ass, big guy.” I smile but say nothing. She continues to squeeze my arse, massaging my cheeks and it’s kind of uncomfortable while I’m trying to walk. I smack her arse.

“Yum, I bet you love slapping my butt, huh?” she says still rubbing her hands over my cheeks.

“Are you gonna stop grabbing at me?” I ask.

“Nah uh,” she answers like a child and I can feel her shaking her head no.

“Come on funny lady, I need to get you back to the room so I can rescue Soph from a very drunk Saul, and she can get some beauty sleep before her wedding day,” I say smacking her arse lightly again.

“Why didn’t you marry Soph?” she asks and my body jolts.

“Why would I?” I reply, my voice tight.

“I know you dated, it’s not a secret between our group and it shouldn’t be either. It’s just she’s so beautiful and funny and feisty, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t have wanted more than a relationship with her,” she mumbles.

“We never had a relationship. We were dating, I’ll give you that, but that’s all it was,” I answer hoping that’s the end of it.

Of course, it isn’t.

Firstly this is Nova so she will ask whatever she wants, and secondly she’s drunk, so it’s like Nova in stereo. “But dating or not, I still don’t get why you wouldn’t make it more?” she asks me.

“Because she wasn’t you,” I snap. “Because she wasn’t you,” I repeat in a whisper this time.

Nothing more is said although Nova still continues to squeeze my bum and randomly giggle as we make our way back to the hotel. When we arrive, I call her name but quickly realise she’s asleep. Making my way through the hotel, the night receptionist eyes me quizzically when I tell her that the woman over my shoulder fell asleep. But then she quickly laughs and nods as Nova proceeds to snore, loud enough to wake the whole hotel. When I arrive at our room, I move to the bedroom and place her on the bed, pulling off her dress and shoes. I tuck her in and sit on the edge. She shuffles in her sleep, laying on her side in the foetal position. Stroking her hair behind her ear, I sit and watch her. She’s like a dream come to life for me. A second chance at the me that I lost all those years ago.

“I love you,” I whisper. Then leave to sort out my brother so his bride can have a peaceful night.

Oh, shit me…no…this can’t be me. I haven’t done this for years
. I pry one eye open. Oh Lord deliver me from this white light currently blinding me, it’s trying to kill me. Ugh!

I hear the bedroom door thunder open and manage to put my finger over my mouth, but as soon as I make a “shh” sound, it feels like I have a thousand belly dancers jiggling their bits in my head.

An earthquake type rumble comes from my side. I open one eye slightly and see Dane laughing at me. I wish I could junk punch him a few times. I’m not sure I could move anything at the moment, though.

“You need to have some water Nova and Advil. I got some for you. If you sit up I’ll help you take it,” he tells me.
Does he think I’m a fucking contortionist?
‘Cause right now that is the only way my head is moving from this pillow. I don’t want to speak, so I give him a dirty look out of my one open eye. Which seems to make him laugh more. Realising this is a losing battle, I apprehensively reach my arm out to him. Dane seems to work out what I want when he holds me with one hand and slips the other around my back, easing me into a sitting position. Gently he releases my arm and grabs the Advil placing two on my outstretched tongue. Even that feels like fucking sandpaper in my mouth. Leaning back he clasps the bottle of water and brings the open top to my mouth, helping me drink it like a baby.

“More,” he rumbles when I stop drinking and I finally open my other eye just to shoot him daggers. He smirks but doesn’t move the bottle. I roll my eyes.

Oh, Satan’s asshole, what fresh hell is this?

Why the fuck did I roll my eyes?

Douchebag. Ugh. Okay, just breathe.

After a moment composing myself I drink more water. With Dr-fucking-Dane satisfied he lays me back down so I can pull the covers over my head and burrow. Hopefully, I’ll feel more human and less drunken whore-tits when I wake back up.

“How is she?” Soph asks frowning.

I take a seat on the sofa opposite her. “She’ll be fine by tonight.”

“I hope so. I want her to be a bridesmaid. I didn’t tell her…do you think I should have?” she asks.

“Since when are you so indecisive and worried Tink?” I question watching her bite at her fingers. “Stop biting your fingers, if you break a nail you’ll go all female crazy bitch,” I say and she laughs.

“Sorry. It’s just Pea and I talked about surprising her when we got over here. I didn’t think it was right that your person, and one of our family members, wasn’t involved in our day. We have no guests remember? And I don’t count Eric and Rich as they will be standing with Saul and me and looking after Eleanor. I didn’t want Nova sitting on her own.” I feel my heart swell, yet again, for this amazing woman in front of me.

“My brother is a lucky fuck,” I tell her with a smirk.

She nods. “Yep, you both are.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” I reply looking back toward the bedroom.

“How are things going with the two of you?”

“Well, I told her I loved her last night.” Her eyes widen at my omission. “She was asleep,” I add.

“You know you only earn brownie points if you tell her when she’s awake, right?” she mocks.

“Yeah. The truth Tink is that I’ve never stopped loving her. So telling Nova comes easily to me. But I can’t risk scaring her off. She’s not there yet, and honestly, I think it’ll be a while until she is. You have to remember to her this is a new relationship, so it’s natural that she will take a normal amount of time to fall in love with me. If she could remember it might be different, but for now,” I shrug my shoulders, “I’ll do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.”

Soph gets up from her seat and comes to sit next to me. She’s in her PJ’s as it’s only just after nine in the morning. I wanted to check on Nova, and Soph was already awake as I could hear gentle movement in the room. She pulls her legs up, resting her heels on the edge of the sofa. Wrapping her arms around her shins she lays her cheek on her knees so she’s facing me. 

“She’s the lucky one really. To have someone who will go to the ends of the earth for her. Someone who would die for her. Someone who has already decided if it’s not her, then it’s nobody.” I flinch at her words and turn away, looking out the window instead. I clamp my teeth down and grind them, trying to ease the tension I feel. “There’s nothing wrong with what you feel, what you would do. Anything that’s real is worth fighting for. Because without it…well, you’re nothing. Just an empty shell.” She sighs and I look back to her. Soph sits silently for a few minutes before she whispers, “I just want you to know Dane. As we sit here, alone. I want you to know that you’re worth it. That you’re worth it too. Don’t sell yourself short, don’t give up on yourself. I can see you, I have seen you. When you don’t know, maybe even little glimpses that nobody else has. The little moments that you don’t like people to see. And Dane, whatever it is that you think of yourself…and I know it’s not good…whatever it is, you’re wrong. I can see. I see you and you’re beautiful, inside and out. And I love you, Dane. We’re all lucky to have you in our lives. And to be clear. Crystal clear. We would die for you, each one of us would die for you too.”

Nodding I get up. I can’t speak. I feel my head throbbing with contained emotion. I’ve been stripped bare by Tink. I need to get to the gym. Or shoot something. No gym, definitely the gym. I lean down and kiss her cheek, squeezing her shoulder. She pats my hand and I make a quick exit. Scared shitless that the ones I care for the most are starting to pick me apart, starting to see beneath my surface.

“You better be all right, I’ll need you later,” Soph shouts from the bathroom. Ugh, I hang my head and groan loudly. “I heard that!” she snaps.

“Is this what people talk about when they use the term bridezilla’s?” I ask.

“Shut up lady,” she tells me through what I assume is a mouth full of toothpaste. I hear her spit, “
nice,”
before she carries on talking at me. “Just because you have the hangover from hell, that’s on you. It’s my day, so you need to suck it up and kiss my arse. If I need you to listen, then you listen, if I need you to make me tea, you make me tea….and you know what? If I need you to go get a monkey costume, put it on and dance like a chicken in front of Elvis at the chapel…then you do it.” I stand to attention, which does nothing for my head and salute that bathroom door. “I see you!” Soph snaps and I can’t help but chuckle at her. There’s a knock at the door and I know this must be my breakfast. I use that term loosely as it’s now after two in the afternoon.

Once the food has been deposited on the table, I sit down and my stomach grumbles.

“Oh God, how can you eat all that?” Soph asks as she walks out of the bathroom and to me scrunching her nose at my table full of food.

“What? I’m hungry,” I answer through a mouth full of syrup covered pancakes.

Soph slides onto the seat opposite me. “Have you got any spare?” She winks and I laugh.

“You sure you should be eating this crap? I mean, you don’t want to ruin your perfect figure…especially on your wedding day,” I tease.

She smiles as her eyes move over the food on the table, alighting when they hit the bacon.

“Bacon…mmm.”

I laugh and pass a fork to her. “Have at it, like you said it’s your day.”

Between us, we demolish the food. “That was ‘lush,” she tells me wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and I smirk at her.

“So, Libby, I have something to ask you.” The words are muttered tentatively.

“Look Soph, I like you and I know gay marriage is legal in the US now, but I’m sorry, I just don’t feel that way about you,” I tell her bursting into laughter.