Ten Days of Perfect (November Blue #1)

“Was it after we kissed, after we had sex?!” Heavy sobs replaced desperate anger. “When was it, Bo, when did you realize that I was the scared shitless girl? Was it right away? Were you thrilled by the coincidence that I walked in to Finnegan’s so you could hold onto me as an insurance policy; that I wouldn’t say anything if I remembered who you were?” My fists pounded harder in to him and my voice was lost in my tears. Bo did nothing to stop the blows.

Suddenly, two hands gripped my shoulders from behind and yanked me away, “Ember! Get off him!” Adrian yelled as he moved one hand around my waist.

Adrian forced me down on to the bed and held his hands on my shoulders as Bo slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands.

“Will someone, calmly tell me what is going on?”

“When the fight behind the garage was done, I walked over to see if the guy who came by himself was OK. I couldn’t see him because of the darkness, the distance, and the fact that I was scared as hell,” I’d never attacked anyone before, and it left me quite breathless, “I’m now finding it quite convenient that it was him and he made himself so available to me.”

“November, it’s not like that, I had no idea it was you until-”

“Until when? Are you honestly telling me that you didn’t know I was the girl at the garage before tonight?” I stayed seated and took a deep breath, which caused Adrian to relax his defensive stance in front of my body.

“When you walked on stage at Finnegan’s you looked familiar, but I couldn’t place from where.” I started to respond but both Adrian and Bo held up their hands. “Then Monica mentioned that you saw some sort of altercation near your house, I thought it was a coincidence . . .”

I remembered Bo’s over-concerned reaction that night, and more pieces fell into place.

“You brushed it off so effortlessly that I had no reason to believe it was you,” he continued.

“When, did you know it was me?” Fresh tears formed and tumbled down my cheeks.

Bo sighed heavily as he stood and walked cautiously toward me, “Ember, that night when I came back early from my meeting here, and we walked on the beach . . .” He reached toward me but leaning back was my only response as he planted his knees in front of my feet.

“When we walked on the beach what?” I said blankly.

“We got to the parking lot, and there was a truck . . . ”

“It was their truck.”

“Yes.” His head was hanging so low I could see the very top of the tattoo on his back where his collar opened.

“And they were in it.”

“Yes,” he mumbled, still looking at the floor.

I stood slowly, brushing off Adrian’s hand, “It’s fine, Adrian.” I paced toward Bo.

My knees were level with the top of Bo’s head as I continued, “I told you that the truck looked exactly like the one that night behind the garage—exactly. So that night you had all the confirmation you needed, and you still didn’t say anything to me?”

Bo lifted his head and his face was twisted in regret. “What would have been the point?”

“The point,” I snarled, “is that you chose not to tell me that it was you the entire time. The point is that the next day, and the day after that, we said we loved each other.”

Adrian wiped his palms on the front of his pants and headed back to the window; this conversation was sucking the life out of the room.

“Ember, I had my suspicions, sure. But, what was I supposed to do? Tell a girl I just met that I was beaten up behind some garage? At that point I couldn’t have told you about the blackmail without scaring you away or risking Rae’s safety - I didn’t know you. By the time I knew it was you, it was too late; I was in love with you.” His shaky hand trembled against my arm, but I didn’t move.

“That’s the reason you should have told me!” I roared as I took one step back, causing him to drop his grip.

“Ember!” Bo raked his hands furiously through his hair as he stood, “I was backed in a corner! You were never supposed to find out about the blackmail, but it was all spiraling out of control so fast!”

“Holy - that’s the reason my dreams of that night didn’t start until after we met . . . it was your voice . . .” My eyelashes touched my eyebrows at the thought. “And even after I told you about the nightmares, nothing? Shit, that bruise you had on your stomach, that wasn’t from helping your friend-that was from that night!”

“Ember, it shouldn’t have ever happened like this! It was too late, I was so fucking in love with you I couldn’t think straight . . .” I answered his step forward with one back of my own.

“You were never planning on telling me, were you? We were talking about forever and you were going to leave that out - forever.”

“November-”

“Don’t! It’s too late.” I raised my hands in defense as more tears plummeted down my face.

“No!” Panic rang through the room with a deafening howl.

I turned toward Adrian to avoid Bo’s face.

“Get out,” I said as emotionless as possible.

“Come on, Ember, it was just-”

I felt a breeze behind me and turned to see him on his knees again, hands clenched in his hair. I looked back at Adrian, who had to turn away.

“November, please, please try to understand,” he pleaded painfully as he reached for my calves.