“Damn it, Nick.”
With that, he disappears back into the house. Jessa stares at me with pity in her eyes and then shuts the front door without saying a word.
Three days later, the bell to my shop rings. I don’t go into the office because I assume it’s Duke and the kids. He’s been a godsend the last few days, helping me out. Lord knows I can barely take care of myself, let alone three needy children. All I do is think about Nora, talk about Nora, and call Nora.
She finally shut her phone off. I hope and pray every night that she doesn’t change her number, because then I’m really screwed.
When I don’t hear the typical pitter patter of little feet, I walk into the office to find Nick sitting at my desk, scribbling something on a piece of paper.
He sees me and stands up. “You look like shit.”
“I feel worse.”
He purses his lips and nods. “I can tell. You love her?”
“I’m madly in love with her.”
“You’ll never hurt her again?”
“I’d die before I let that happen.”
“Here.”
He shoves a piece of paper at my chest.
“What’s this?”
“That’s where you’ll be able to find Nora. She’ll be at a pub tomorrow night in Nashville for a concert.”
“She told me about it.”
“Well, there you have it.”
“Why are you giving me this?”
“Because you’re a pathetic sap, and I’m sick of listening to my sister cry every night on the phone.”
There’s a painful twist in the center of my chest. I hate the thought of her crying. I hate it even more knowing I’m the cause of her tears.
“Don’t fuck this up,” Nick adds.
“I won’t.”
“This is your last chance, Grayson. I won’t be so forgiving next time.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
35
Nora
I stare out the window of my Nashville hotel room, grateful for the change in scenery. After leaving Grayson’s the other night, I knew right away I couldn’t stay in Hope Falls. I’d be too tempted to go to him and beg him to take me back. So I called Marnie, drove straight to the airport, and once I was on a plane, I called Nick. I knew if I called him sooner, he’d try to convince me to stay.
Marnie met me in Nashville. She set me up with a recording studio where I’ve spent the last seventy-two hours pouring my heart out, laying down tracks to songs I’ll perform for the first time tonight—songs that are wildly different than anything I’ve sung before and speak of my love for Grayson…as well as the heartbreak we both caused.
Writing and recording has kept me busy, and I’m so damn glad for that, because the last thing I need is time to think. But when nighttime falls, it’s a different story.
After a few nights of lost sleep, I can admit that paying off Lorelei wasn’t the right decision—not only because I went behind Grayson’s back, which I shouldn’t have, but because he’s right. I gave a drug addict half a million dollars, and that makes me sick to my stomach.