About Last Night (About Last Night #1)(79)

He watched her so closely that I felt her squirm beside me. I was extremely grateful when he jerked his chin to the booth seat. “Sit. We’re just talking about the Maginty deal and what we can do to improve their outdated Christmas dinners.”

We all watched in complete silence, holding our breaths as to how she would react. Addison stood there a moment before breathing deeply then exhaling slowly. I took a seat in the booth and she sat beside me. Then she started, “Well, the first thing we can do is try to persuade them to update their logo. I think they’ve had the very same one for about fifty years.”

Nick’s eyes smiled. “I was just saying that.”

Addison blinked down at her hands. “Oh, sorry.”

Nick shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. What else?”

She sipped her fluffy duck. “I thought maybe Ella and Mia could find a new and exciting venue. They’ve always had it at the same venue. The problem is that the venue is about as dated as the company is. Ella and Mia work well together.” She smiled at me then at Ella. “It’s remarkable.” She grinned at him and said without thinking, “Sort of like how we work together.”

Nicholas immediately stiffened. The booth went silent and he downed his beer in one long gulp. “Goodnight all. Thanks for the nightcap.”

He stood and walked toward the exit. Addison lowered her head and hissed quietly, “Shit.” Then she stood and followed him out, leaving her drink at the table and the rest of us watching her back as she walked away, completely perplexed.

I took in the expressions of the rest of the guys. “Well,” I started. “That was fun.”





Chapter ThirtyNine



Addison




“Nick,” I called as I followed him. “Nick, wait.”

He turned to me, avoiding my eyes, scratching at the sexy scruff at his neck. “Yes, Addison? Something you need?” His cold eyes met mine. “Maybe my family home? More alimony? Perhaps the car I just bought to replace the ones you claimed you needed?”

Yikes. I probably deserved that.

When Nicholas had told me he’d cheated on me, I was more than hurt. I was completely heartbroken. The only thing I wanted for a long while was for him to feel how I had felt when he told me about it. I wanted to watch him suffer, because I was suffering.

I still was.

My throat thickened. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He eyed me hard and smirked. Lifting a hand, he uttered a bored, “Goodnight Addison,” then started to walk away. Again.

I needed to talk to him. There was no time like the present. Taking a deep breath, I rushed out, “I want to sell my half of the company.”

He stopped walking and his back went rigid. It took a few minutes for what I’d said to sink in, and then he turned to face me, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t know what you’re playing at…”

I shook my head slowly. “No games. I want out. I want to sell it to you. Cheap.”

He took a single step closer. “Why?”

I looked to the ground. “We had a great idea when we started this business, Nick. I loved this company. It was my baby.” I paused a moment before I admitted my weakness. My voice faltered. “But it changed me, and I don’t like the person I’ve become.”

The harsh angles of his face softened. “Addison…”

My eyes closed tightly and I begged, “No, don’t say anything. Please. Let me finish.” I held my eyes shut as I confessed my truth. My heart raced. “I love this business, and it’ll be hard to let go.” Here goes nothing. “But it couldn’t be harder than losing the person I love the most.”

I opened my eyes in time to take in the stunned disbelief on his face. He moved to step closer. I raised my hand. “Just let me talk. Let me get this out. It’s been a long time coming.” I puffed out a breath, not really knowing where to start. “I sabotaged our marriage.”

Confusion marred his face. “What?”

I shook my head. “Not intentionally, but I did sabotage it.” I wrung my hands together nervously. “I’ll regret that most of all, and I’m sorry.”

He blinked. Then he looked at me in a way I’d always loved. In a way that made my insides flutter, still, to this day. “Addie…”

I laughed humorlessly, pushing my hair behind my ear. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”

Nick stepped forward, inching closer. His eyes never leaving mine, he uttered softly, “You haven’t been Addie in a long time.”

My smile was sad. I was suddenly tired. “No, I suppose not.”

Finally, he stood right in front of me. He hesitated a moment before he asked, “Why did you keep my name?”

The emotions hit me so hard that I felt my knees almost give way. My eyes stung from unshed tears. I blinked them away and swallowed past the thickness in my throat. My lip trembled and I uttered my quiet but hoarse response. “It was all I had left of you.”

His eyes flashed then burned. He reached for me, the tips of his fingers brushing mine. “Do you still love me?”

Tears fell from my eyes. I tried my hardest to not break down. “Always.”

He stared at me, blinking in shock. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Then he asked, “Do you know why I kissed Amber?”