Solving For Nic (23 page)

“Maybe,” he admitted, turning to gaze out at the city that had always been his refuge. Now it was overwhelming. Too busy. He should never have left the Keys.

“Oh.” She brushed his concern aside. “I did two years ago. But I could have refused the job offer and everything would have stayed the same.”

Nic chuckled. “I made you the offer because I knew you were tired of me.”

“You were getting too old.” Her smile was indulgent and clearly amused. “If this girl is different, you may want to make some adjustments in how you approach relationships. In fact, whatever your first instinct is, you should do the opposite.”

“I’m that bad?”

Her smile never flickered. “At some point, you are going to have to let your walls down. Not everyone is waiting outside for a chance to steal part of you.”

“She’s not waiting for me.”

“I find that hard to believe.” She waved a hand at him. “Go home. If she’s not waiting, find her.”

“Chase after her?”

“What is your first instinct?”

Nic’s jaw tightened as he realized his first instinct was to say the hell with her. If she didn’t want to talk to him, fine. Anger burned in his gut and the excruciating hole in his chest expanded.

She shook her head, before he could answer. “Do the opposite.”

“You want me to crawl on my knees and beg?”

“Will it make you feel worse than you do now?”

Nothing could feel worse than this black despair clawing at him. “I hate when you make sense.”

“Go home. Everything is under control here. You can fly out tonight.”

When the door shut behind her, he checked his phone. No texts. No missed calls. Nothing. He started to hit redial and stopped himself. Calling was doing no good. Instead, he called Pam to see if she could get the next available flight time for his jet. With any luck he’d be in the air before morning.

“Every slice of cheese doesn’t have to be straight, Lizzie.”

Jen stepped up to the kitchen island where Lizzie had a line of bread slices spaced across the island. She blinked back tears. She couldn’t put cheese on sandwiches right.

“Lizzie,” Jen whispered, moving to hug her again. “You can’t keep up like this.”

Lizzie backed up quickly, her arms going up in the air, palms out. “You knew better than to ask me to help. I’m hopeless in the kitchen.”

Jen’s shoulder’s sagged. “That isn’t what I meant.”

Jen was getting fed up with her because she wasn’t telling her about Florida. Lizzie couldn’t talk about it yet. Not without her skin peeling off.

Jared leaned over her shoulder and started moving cheese slices so they were uneven again. “They’re like Stepford sandwiches.”

“Who are you again, you bald-headed freak?” Lizzie meant to sound snappy and sarcastic but snappy eluded her. She sounded tired.

Jared rubbed his super short hair and grinned. “You don’t like it?”

Lizzie sighed. She was so tired. She couldn’t get enough sleep. “I didn’t say that. I don’t know why you cut it.”

“He lost a bet.” Jen snickered. “He won’t say which one.”

Jared grinned and went back to disrupting her carefully placed cheese. It should have all felt familiar, despite Jared’s freakishly short hair, but Jen and Stefan’s home didn’t feel like her home anymore. Jen and Stefan were married. The knowledge kept ringing through her with a sharp edge she hadn’t expected.

Everything was different. They were different. Closer. Lizzie wasn’t used to feeling like a third wheel with her best friend and brother but they weren’t a trio anymore. Jen and Stefan were best friends and she was the little sister. She’d wanted Jen to be her real sister all her life, another one of her childish dreams had come true and bitten her on the ass.

She was never going to learn. She dashed back a stray tear and realized the room had gone quiet. Jared and Jen were watching her too closely. Concern softened their expressions and it undid Lizzie. They felt sorry for her? Could she be any more humiliated?

“The cheese will melt anyway,” Jen reassured her and finished piling turkey and roast beef on the bread. “Here, you can have extra smoked gouda.” Jen added another slice to Lizzie’s cheese sandwich.

“Why don’t I get extra smoked gouda?” Jared snatched a slice when Jen wasn’t looking.

“You can have extra.” Jen added extra cheese on Jared’s sandwich.

“If he’s getting extra cheese, then I’d better get some.” Stefan stepped into the doorway, caught the upper jam with both hands, and stretched.

Jen shook her head and added more cheese to Stefan’s. Lizzie couldn’t work up a smile when Stefan grabbed one of the sandwiches off the pan and bit into it before Jen could get it back.

“Those aren’t finished!” Jen yelled at him, surprising Lizzie.

It was strange seeing Jen so unguarded with Stefan. He’d gotten a lot more than he bargained for with Jen. He was enjoying it too if his expression was any indication.

Lizzie smiled as Stefan held his sandwich over his head. “Tasted good to me,” Stefan insisted, waving the sandwich before taking another bite.

Disgusted, Jen dropped her arms and went back to finish the others. “I was going to toast them.”

“I’m starving and you’re making me two, right? The hippie’s sourdough is better untoasted.”

“See.” Jared smirked at Jen. “What did I tell you?”

Jen eyed them with disgusted amusement. “I liked it better when you two hated each other.”

“I still hate him,” Stefan assured her around another mouthful of sandwich.

Jared batted his eyelashes at Stefan. “Not as much as I hate you.”

Stefan rolled his eyes and ate his sandwich. What planet was she on? Stefan hated bread. He never ate carbs. Now he swallowed down a sandwich and grabbed a handful of homemade potato chips.

“What did I tell you, Lizzie?” Jen smirked. “Total bromance.”

Jared made gagging noises while Stefan almost spit the food out of his mouth. Normally Lizzie would have enjoyed their banter. She normally would say something like
have you two picked out your china pattern yet?

Now, she was too tired and all of it seemed to be happening at a great distance. She was so disconnected. Panic slicked up her throat as she realized it wasn’t everyone else. It was her. She’d changed. She was the one who was different.

It took her a minute to realize they were all staring at her again. They were concerned and sympathetic. Lizzie couldn’t stand much more of it.

Stefan broke the strained silence. “So you got nothing?”

“What?”

“This is the part where you back up Jen with some smart-ass comment we all pretend to understand.”

“Oh.” She tried to think of something to throw him off but wasn’t quick enough.

“What’s going on with you?” Stefan demanded, shaking off the calming hand Jen put on his bicep.

Lizzie forced a cough, not wanting to lie but not wanting to have the conversation she knew would follow an honest answer. She wasn’t sure where to start or if she could explain it anyway. “I don’t feel good. Allergies?”

“That’s what you’re going with?” Stefan opened the refrigerator and grabbed bottled waters. He tossed one to Jared, who caught it without looking. “Allergies?”

“She does look kind of sick.” Jared grinned.

“Don’t help me,” she snapped back, then took the first painless breath she’d had all morning.

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with the voice mails and text messages from Nic Maretti asking if you’re okay and why you won’t answer your phone, would it?”

Lizzie coughed for real, then choked on air. “Messages?”

“Yeah, messages.” He tipped his water back but his eyes never left her as he drained half the bottle.

Lizzie shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Nic.”

“Nic’s in Hong Kong.”

Lizzie flinched. She knew where Nic was and she knew who Nic was with. Angie hadn’t been lying. A photograph of Nic and Xia Chang had appeared on an Italian gossip blog. She couldn’t read the article but she didn’t have to. There were enough photographs to tell the story.

Xia Chang was everything she was not. Tall, sleek, elegant with a thick curtain of glossy black hair and a face so beautiful, Lizzie couldn’t blame Nic.

They were at a formal black and white charity ball. Nic was dangerous in the jet black tuxedo and long black tie. Xia leaned on his arm in a white gown glossier than her hair. Lizzie couldn’t fault the dress. It skimmed her perfect figure but was neither tight nor revealing. The sheer long sleeves and high neck suited her regal bearing.

And her shoes. Lizzie had tortured herself by enlarging the photograph so she could see the understated pointy toe white pumps with razor thin black heels. They were perfect too, offering nothing for Lizzie to sneer at.

Lizzie had examined the photographs in detail, drowning in a sharp and jagged jealousy that had hacked so deep it felt like a poison she would never be able to rid herself of. With her now, it made her want to run away and never stop.

“Lizzie.” The concern in Jen’s voice dragged her back to the present.

She opened her mouth to reassure them, but nothing came out. Her throat was too tight. Breathing was starting to be an issue. She wiped her hand across her face. Great. She was crying again. Damn it.

“I’m going to kill him.” Stefan hissed.

She shook her head, managing a weak, “I’m fine.”

“You are the exact opposite of fine.”

She flinched at the harshness of Stefan’s tone. He was angry at the situation, not her, but she was so raw it still hurt. She forced her mouth into a painful smile. Her facial muscles were ready to shatter. “I don’t have time to be anything other than okay, besides, he already has a girlfriend and—”

“Wait. What?” Jen’s concern dissolve into anger. “You went to Florida with him when you knew he had a girlfriend?”

“You went to Florida with him?” Stefan exploded, then turned on Jen. “You knew she was in Florida?”

Jen’s apologetic grin didn’t help.

“What if I did?” Lizzie snapped, pulling his attention back to her. “I’m not a kid anymore and I didn’t know he had a girlfriend until Angie told me. That’s why I won’t call him back. Satisfied?”

“Angie?” Jen’s surprise caught her off guard. “She may not be the most reliable source of information, you know. You should talk to Nic.”

Should she talk to Nic? Would she be able to without humiliating herself? Not likely. “No, it’s better this way. I can’t get involved with anyone right now. I have to teach this fall and I’m trying to get into Dr. Pak’s research group. I have way too much I need to focus on.” She sucked back another ragged breath. She backed up, holding up her hands in defense when Jen tried to move toward her. “Please, don’t. I promise you. I’m going to be okay.”

She knew they didn’t believe her but before they could say anything the back door slammed open and Rogan exploded into the kitchen breathing fire and brimstone. “You! Hippie!”

“Chill.” Jared caught the envelope Rogan slammed against his chest. “What is your damage?”

“I want a divorce. Right fucking now. Do whatever it is you lawyers do.”

Lizzie relaxed, grateful all the attention had swung away from her. Then happy, fun Jared left the building. Scary Jared appeared as he flipped through the papers. “Is this for real?”

“Yeah. Delivered by special courier less than an hour ago.” Rogan caught the long neck beer Stefan tossed him.

“Divorce papers?” Lizzie swallowed. “I thought everything was okay.”

Rogan’s chin dropped. “Yeah, after I dropped you off World War III broke out. I’m done. She’s gone too far this time.”

“Adultery is hard to prove.” Jared shoved the papers back into the envelope as the room went silent.

“Adultery?” Stefan threw his empty bottle in the trash. “With who? Lizzie? Did they name her?”

“Yes.” Rogan turned toward Lizzie at the same time, regret and shame darkening his green eyes. “I’m so sorry, kiddo.”

“What?” Lizzie whispered, as she quietly stepped out of her body. “Because she saw us dancing together?”

“I’ve seen you dance, Lizzie, and it’s hot,” Jared teased.

She turned on him. “You are not helping!”

“You told me not to help you.”

Lizzie groaned as Jared grinned at her.

Jen grabbed the papers from Jared. “It really names Lizzie? Do people still do that? Has Angie lost her mind?”

“It’s not true.” Her stomach twisted. “No one will believe it.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Jared was serious again. “With everything going on with Judge Robicheaux and your family, if the news media gets a whiff of this, it’ll be all over the news. The media will lap it up because it will keep the Robicheaux case interesting in the news.”

“So now you’re a media expert too?” Lizzie groaned, sitting down hard on a barstool. This couldn’t be happening.

“I won’t fight her for custody if she agrees to stay in New Orleans and we can work out visitation,” Rogan said.

“You can’t do that,” Lizzie said. “I don’t care what they say about me. I don’t want you to lose your son because of me.”

Rogan shook his head. “It’s not because of you.”

“No,” Stefan snapped. “This is all Andreas Maretti bullshit. I’ll bet you money he’s behind it. He’s angry we got the Volikovneft deal. Now, he’s bailed Judge Robicheaux out of jail.”