Damage Control

Chapter 50

"We're taking the day off," he revealed lowly, gripping my wrist to stop me from leaving.

"We're?" I repeated, snatching my hand out of his grasp and taking a step back. "Why the fuck would I be taking a day off with you? I don't even want you here; get out."

He sighed and clenched his jaw, not bothering to brush the strands of hair falling into his crystal eyes. "Not until we talk."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"I just need you to listen."

"And then you'll leave?"

He nodded. "And then I'll leave."

"Fine," I huffed, brushing past him to take a seat in the living room.

"You were much easier to talk to last night," he muttered to himself as he took a seat on the far end of the sectional.

My eyes widened in shock. "You were here last night?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You don't remember?"

I shook my head, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.

"You had a lot to say."

I sunk deeper into the couch and hid behind my hair, using it as a curtain.

"Like what?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "You made me promise to keep it a secret."

I glared over at him and crossed my arms against my chest. "You know you're talking about keeping a secret from me, the person who told you the secret?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "It doesn't even matter; what I want to know is why you kept the fact that the person we were meeting was your fiancé."

"Ex-fiancé," he corrected, narrowing his eyes at me.

I continued glaring at him, waiting for him to continue.

"The thing between Emma and I happened so long ago it completely slipped my mind."

I opened my mouth to make a smart remark about him, forgetting that he had a fiancé, but he was quick to glare, warning me to let him continue.

"Luther had just handed Creed Industries over to me, but I was young and reckless, having different women over every day, bringing them to work with me just because I had the power to do so. It was a bad look for the company, so Luther made an arrangement for me to get engaged to make it look as if I settled down, so I was engaged to Emma for six months, but that was it."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"That never stopped me from sleeping around; I was just more discreet about it until the six months were up. Yesterday was the first time I'd seen her since then."

"That doesn't explain how she knew Nonna's nickname," I mumbled, swallowing the large lump in my throat.

"She overheard Nonna calling me that one day when I was on the phone, but I never took her to Italy; I don't even know how she remembered that."

I nodded and ran my fingers through my hair, needing to understand one more thing before I made a decision. "Why were you so quick to tell Emma we weren't dating and act like I was nothing to you except your secretary?"

A look of regret flickered across Nathaniel's face, and I knew he was hoping I wouldn't ask that question.

"I don't know," he finally mumbled, his voice low and filled with remorse.

I sucked in a deep breath, forcing myself to hold back the tears, threatening to escape. "Well, maybe it's best we go our separate ways until you figure out what you want this to be," I whispered, keeping my eyes trained on my lap.

"Anastazi, don't do this."

"I know what I want out of this Nathaniel, can you honestly say you do?"

His jaw tightened as he remained silent, not having an answer to my question.

"That's what I thought," I nodded, reading his facial expressions. "I know I put you on the spot when I forced you to make a decision with me a week away from moving, so now, I'm giving you the chance to really think things through this time without that pressure."

I stood up and made my way towards the door, so I could walk him out.

"I don't need time, Anastazi," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning his forehead against mine.

"Yes, you do," I whispered, pulling back to look up into his dark tired eyes. "I'm tired of playing this cat and mouse game with you. So whenever you figure out what you want, then we'll talk.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I was quick to cut him off.

"I'll see you at work Nathaniel, try not to don't do anything stupid."

He nodded slowly and planted a small kiss on my forehead before turning to leave.

The minute he walked out of the door, my heart began to ache because deep down inside, I knew he wasn't ever going to be ready to let me or anyone else in, but if he was willing to put that blindfold of trust on and fall, then I'd be there to catch him.

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