The Wedding Contract

Chapter 30





Nick’s been lying on his side, totally naked, brushing my hair away from my face. “Are you all right?”

I nod. “I’m perfect.” I kiss his cheek and he grins at me. I’m feeling light, floating away like a little cloud.

“I’m going to get a drink. Do you want something?” There’s a mini-bar in the room, and neither of us has touched it until now.

“Water, please.” I lie on my back and smile at him as he pushes off the bed.

He leans in and kisses the tip of my nose. “You made me fly, Sky.” Smiling, he watches me for a moment and then walks across the room.

On the way, he begins to pick up our scattered clothing. When he lifts my pants, something falls out—the bottle of super glue. Nick picks it up and before I can notice what he has, he looks back at me, suspiciously. “You did this?” He holds up the bottle.

It isn’t until I sit up that I see what he has. For a second I’m afraid, very afraid. “No, I was going to do something, but Sophie chewed me out and I never had the chance.” Damn. That came out wrong. After we realized we were locked in a room together, I decided against sabotaging his equipment. We both fell down a slippery slope, but this looks so bad.

Nick takes the glue and quietly places it on the desk. When he looks at me, his eyes are narrowed, and he doesn’t speak. Instead of going to the mini-bar, he pulls on his jeans, boots, and an old T-shirt. Then Nick walks over to the door and kicks it so hard that the jamb splinters.

“Nick, wait!” I jump up, taking the sheet with me. “Wait!”

But he doesn’t stop. He turns the corner and runs down the staircase without a word.

I’m still standing in the door, wearing nothing but my sheet and feeling like scum, when my phone rings. I walk toward it. AMY is flashing on the screen, so I answer. She never calls. “Hello, what’s wrong?”

“Sky, I’m glad I caught you. We have problems. I tried to handle everything else, I mean I did handle everything else, but there’s been a shitstorm of crap since you left.”

“What do you mean?” I sit down hard on the edge of the bed as she fills me in.

“The fire marshal showed up a month early and fined the hell out of us. I knew you were strapped, so I paid it. Don’t say anything. I know you’re too proud to accept help, and besides, you helped me when I fell flat on my face. But since then it’s been non-stop. I’ve handled everything, Sky, but this—I can’t do it. I mean, I tried, but you’re going to see it as soon as you come back.” Amy sounds like she’s ready to crack.

“What happened?”

“The sewer line to the shopping center backed up and ruptured in your store. It must have happened during lunch. I only left for an hour, but when I came back I found two inches of sewer water all over the floor. It was gushing everywhere. I called the city and they said it was the landlord’s issue, so I called the landlord and he shut it off, but Sky—everything is ruined. I called the insurance company. I swear to God, I tried to handle it, but they said your policy lapsed. I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford a clean-up service and no one can be in here right now.”

I blink rapidly as she speaks and try not to cry. Nick did this, I’m sure of it. While he was covering me in kisses a pipe broke and destroyed my store. I manage to ask, “What about Nick’s store? And the rest of the shopping center?”

“The break in the line was by your store. They weren’t affected.”

My chest feels hollow. He ripped out my heart and stomped away. I don’t cry when I say it. “Flip the sign to closed and leave. I’m sorry, Amy, but I’m not going to be able to recover from this. You’ll have to find a job somewhere else.”

Amy gushes apologies and tells me that I might be able to come up with something when I see it, but I know she’s just trying to keep me in one piece until I get home. “It’s okay, Amy. I knew this was coming. Thank you for everything. I’ll see you when I get back.” I end the call and cry into the pillow. It still has the scent of the man who told me he loved me, while he stabbed me in the back.