She hesitated long enough to get his hopes up and make him believe that she might have a change of mind…a change of heart. Then she squared her shoulders and met his gaze, tough and strong and courageous.
“It’s what I think is best,” she whispered, giving nothing away, “for the both of us.”
* * *
Despite Natalie’s request that they go their separate ways, Noah couldn’t stay away from her. Client cases consumed his days, especially since Cole and Melodie were still on their honeymoon, but he spent his evenings at Murphy’s, just to be near Natalie, no matter how awkward and reserved things were between them now.
During the course of the past few nights it had been Gina who’d served him and Bobby their drinks, while Natalie handled a different section of the lounge. The times he came face-to-face with Natalie their conversations were friendly and polite, and he could have sworn he’d seen longing darkening her gaze. Or maybe it was all wishful thinking on his part.
All she had to do was say the word and he was hers, but so far she’d held true to her resolve to return their relationship back to the status quo of acquaintances. And he knew he had no one to blame for her decision but himself. He’d made the choice to entangle her in a fabrication that had destroyed any chance they might have had of a future together.
“Hey, Noah, it’s your shot,” Bobby said, snapping him out of his depressing thoughts and back to the game of pool at hand. “You’ve got solids.”
Noah gave the front of the establishment one last quick glance for Natalie, who hadn’t yet started her shift though it was nearly 7:00 p.m. Gina was working part of the lounge, while another waitress who usually worked a different shift covered the other section of the bar. Blowing out a tight breath tinged with frustration, he returned his attention to the placement of the billiard balls on the table. He lined up his cue, made the shot, and completely missed the pocket he was aiming for.
He swore beneath his breath, though he wasn’t surprised that he’d missed his mark. His game sucked lately.
Bobby lifted an amused brow his way. “Are you sure you don’t want to trade in that soda you’re drinking for a beer to loosen you up a bit?”
A wry grin canted the corners of Noah’s mouth. “I doubt a few beers will cure what ails me.”
Bobby leaned against his cue stick and studied Noah for a long moment before coming to his own conclusion about his friend’s mood. “Man, you’re in way over your head with Natalie, aren’t you?”
I love her. The inescapable thought came automatically, though Noah kept the private words to himself. Bobby didn’t know the extent of his relationship with Natalie—the intimacy they’d shared and the emotional depths in which he’d plunged.
Gina made her way to the back of the establishment and breezed by their table. “Either of you need a refill?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” Bobby said, then made his shot, sinking two striped balls into two separate pockets.
“I’m good, too,” Noah added, then dredged up the one question he knew Gina could answer for him. “Is Natalie off tonight?”
Gina cleared a nearby table and wiped down the surface. “I guess you could say that,” she murmured.
Noah frowned, sensing much more to Gina’s comment. “What do you mean by that?”
She glanced at him, searching his expression, then shook her head. “You don’t know, do you?”
Witnessing the rueful look in Gina’s eyes, Noah’s stomach twisted into a knot of apprehension. “Know what?”
Gina hesitated, then finally said, “Natalie turned in her resignation this afternoon.”
“She quit?” he asked incredulously. “Why?”
Gina chewed on her bottom lip, as if uncertain she should divulge any more information. She must have seen his desperation, because she finally put him out of his misery. “She told Murphy that she’s moving.”
A fresh wave of panic reared inside of him. “To where?”
Genuine regret filled Gina’s eyes. “I honestly don’t know, Noah.”
“Order up, Gina,” Murphy called from the service area, and she gave Noah a soft “I’m sorry” before hurrying over to the bar to pick up her drinks and deliver them.
Noah scrubbed a hand along his taut jaw and stared at Bobby, as if he could make sense of what was happening. “Where in the hell would she move to?” And why? Was she putting even more distance between them, or escaping memories of Chad’s attack? Or a combination of both?
“I have no idea what goes on in the minds of most women. Maybe you should ask Natalie for yourself,” Bobby suggested pragmatically.
Did he even have the right to question her choices? Noah wondered. After all she’d been through, after all he’d put her through, didn’t she deserve to make the kind of decisions she felt were the best for her future? Even if that meant he wasn’t a part of it?
Bobby came up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t let her go without telling her how you really feel. If you don’t at least try to bridge the gap between the two of you, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”