“Just go.” I turn away and look at the destruction.
“No, I didn’t do this.” Nick picks up his phone and calls someone. “The tenant in unit 281 was flooded out earlier today. Yeah, this is his son, I have the unit across from her. What happened?” He’s quiet for a moment, and the longer the silence stretches the narrower his eyes become. His jaw tightens until it looks like it’s going to crack. “Thank you.” He hangs up and looks at me. Nick sloshes through the sewage, yanks one of my signs off the glass and marches outside.
The only reason I follow is because I can’t breathe inside. Nick walks to his studio, opens the door and flips on the lights. I watch him grab a razor blade and scrape the name of his studio off the door. When he’s done, he takes a piece of tape and hangs up my sign. When he comes out, he tosses me the keys. “It’s yours.”
I catch them, but I don’t believe him. “Very funny.”
“It’s not a joke.” He’s storming away, like he’s going to take my car. Nick grabs the driver’s side door and holds out his hand. “I need the keys. I have to go have some words with my father.”
“You’re making this up, Nick.”
“Think whatever you want, Sky, but I need to go take care of this. Right now. And you can’t sleep in your place. You’ll die, the smell is so bad.”
“You did this to me. It happened while we were together. There’s no way you can convince me that you didn’t know or that you couldn’t stop it.” I ball my hands into fists at my sides.
“I know I’ve lost you and I almost lost myself. You brought me back and made me realize I was drifting. You don’t believe me, I know, but I need to go make this right. Please let me.” He holds out his hand, waiting for the keys to my car.
“I’m going with you.”
CHAPTER 33
We drive forever, backtracking out east. Again. Nick puts gas in the beast. I’m barefoot because my shoes absorbed the nasty water. They were stinking up the car so we tossed them in a dumpster. Nick had this waterproof stuff on his boots so all the sewage rolled right off. Someone needs to make that for people. When life gets shitty, you can spray a little on your emotions and they all go back to the way they were before.
I’m not that na?ve, but I can wish. We arrive at the Ferro family mansion in the middle of the night. Nick parks my ugly car right in front and rushes up the steps. Then he’s inside and bolting up the stairs. I’m ready to drop, but I manage to follow him through the twisting halls.
He heads straight into a room with tall ceilings and leather walls. Bookcases are scattered about, along with a few sculptures that cost a small fortune. Nick’s father, Darren, is behind his desk, still dressed, tie loosened and talking on the phone. “Jared, things aren’t that simple and you know it.” When Nick rushes in, his dad stops talking abruptly and says into the phone, “I’ll call you back.”
“What did you do?” Nick asks. His shoulders are tense and he looks madder than he did before.
His dad looks at Nick and then his gaze drifts back to me, dipping to my bare feet. “Secured your position and taught you a lesson at the same time. You had only a few days left and, as of this morning, Miss Thompson’s business was still open. You don’t want to lose your place at the company, do you? Acquisitions are hard and you did very well up until now. Being around the acquired business’s owner is a mistake. You proved yourself to me. We just had to finalize everything to make it look all right with the company. I can’t have people accusing me of nepotism.” He laughs and adds, “Or that the Ferros are going soft.”
“Her business is not closed. It’s been moved to my storefront. I lost.” Nick slams his hands down on his father’s desk so hard that it makes me jump.
A knowing smile crosses Mr. Ferro’s face and he addresses me, instead of his son. “He’s had a crush on you for a long time. Do you have any idea how much determination and stamina it takes to destroy the business you admire the most? I watched my son tear you apart, brick by brick. Why you’re standing in my office in the middle of the night, shoeless, is beyond me.”
I walk across the room and stand next to Nick. “I’m standing here because your son loves me. I’m standing here because he gave me his store. My business’s name is on his front door.”
Mr. Ferro smirks. “You think you can get him so easily?”
Nick cuts in before I can answer. “She doesn’t want me.” The words ring loud and clear. Nick leans in by his father’s face. “And I don’t want you.”
He laughs. “Nicholas, you’re being ridiculous. You’re going to walk away from everything and for what? A girl that doesn’t share your affection?”