Elastic Hearts (Hearts #3)(87)

His house was dark except for the porch light when we got there, and I was so worked up I was sure if he touched me I would jump out of my seat. He switched off the engine and sighed as he glanced over at me.

“Let’s go.”

I nodded and stepped out of the car, taking caution with my heels in the gravel of his driveway. He seemed to notice, or maybe he’d had many women in heels over, because he came over and grabbed my arm to steady me and help me inside. I thanked him and let him open the door and switch on the inside light for me. I looked around and crossed my arms as he locked the door behind me and gasped when he walked back over and dropped a kiss on my shoulder.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he said, his voice a rasp behind my ear. I closed my eyes to savor the moment. “Turn around.”

I opened my eyes, my heart pounding in my throat as I did.

“I’m so mad at you, I don’t . . .” He sighed. “Maybe we should talk in the kitchen.”

I felt like I was being sent to the principal’s office on the first day at a new school, like everything was riding on this conversation. My nerves were shot to hell because whatever I’d done would never truly be forgiven. But I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not really, anyway. I’d tried to save his job, and he was possibly being demoted anyway. We sat beside each other on the barstools after he served us each a glass of water.

“So you’re meeting with my dad and the other guys on Monday,” I said, figuring I’d start where he left off earlier.

“Right.”

“How’d that come about?”

Victor looked down at the floor for a long time before tilting his face to lock eyes with me. “I’m not sure I want to start at that part.”

“Okay,” I said, lifting the glass of water to my lips to take a sip and setting it down. “Start, then.”

He clasped his hands on his lap, his leg bobbing rapidly. “What’s going on with you and Gabriel?”

“Nothing.” I paused. “You’re handling my divorce. Why don’t you tell me?”

His eyes narrowed. “It wouldn’t be the first time you kept something from me.”

“That was different, and there’s nothing I’m keeping from you. Everything’s on paper,” I said.

“Him holding your hand, putting his arm on your shoulder, hugging you, kissing you, that shit is on paper?” he said, his voice rising.

“He didn’t kiss me,” I said, but he ignored my comment and stood suddenly, the top of the chair hitting the edge of the counter with a little bang. I flinched. He started pacing, taking off the pirate sword and vest, and I watched.

“If I knew that shit was going to be part of the agreement, do you really think I would have let you sign? What else was part of the f*cking agreement, Nicole? Did you f*ck him too? How does one get into that kind of contract with you? Is being an * a requirement? Cheating on you? Being a drug addict? Treating you like shit? Tell me. Tell me because I wanna know where the f*ck I’m going wrong.”

I blinked. And blinked. Trying to make the stupid tears I felt forming in my eyes go away. I swallowed the lump in my throat and swung my legs to and fro to distract myself from crying, because I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t cry.

“Tell me,” he seethed, walking over and placing his arms on either side of me, his face at a reachable distance from mine. I swallowed again.

“If those are the requirements, I’d say you fit at least two of those categories,” I whispered. His eyes widened as he stood straight and rubbed his face with both hands. “You know what? Fuck you, Victor. Fuck you for putting this on me when you pushed me to it.” I seethed, feeling hot tears burning my eyes.

“Just like I pushed you to marry him five years ago?”

I flinched again. I’d seen Victor angry. I’d seen Victor annoyed. I’d seen Victor let loose and have fun. I thought I’d seen Victor in all of his elements, but I’d never seen him like this. I wasn’t sure what to do with this version of him, so I stayed silent and let him work out his issues in front of me. If this was his ugly, I wanted to see it. I wanted to see all of him. I needed to see all of him before I could decide whether I would stay or leave. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before coming over to me again and standing in front of me, farther than before, but still close enough for me to reach out and grab him. Or slap him. I took a deep breath. Long, deep breath.

“What happened to your face?”

I hadn’t asked him when I saw him last. Whatever it was looked like it was almost healed, but the scar was still there. He let out a chuckle, although it sounded anything but amused.

“I had a difference of opinion with someone.”

“A difference of opinion . . . Care to expand on that, or are we here to keep harboring secrets?”

“I don’t know, Nicole. You tell me. You tell me what we’re harboring.”

“I flew to Argentina with Gabriel because he was going and I wanted to go see my mom. I only saw him that one day. After that I spent the rest of the time with my mom. Look at the f*cking pictures. We’re wearing the same thing in all of them.” I paused, taking a breath and letting it out, trying to calm down.

“I’m here because you asked me to come. I’m here because I want to know what happened with you and my dad and your job, because the only thing I’m guilty of is helping you keep your goddamn dream alive.”