My mind is unable to think about anything else besides Kate. I recheck my cell, and still, nothing. Heading to my room, I hop in the shower to wash today’s stress off, but the more I linger beneath the hot water, the tenser I become. What if Kate did fall into this trap again? Who the hell is going to pull her out and save her from the misery?
I turn the water off, hopping out quickly and grabbing a pair of jeans and a tee. With my hair not even styled and still dripping wet, I grab my cell and check the screen. Nothing. Opening my search engine, my fingers type profusely with a sudden urgency.
American Airlines—leaving ten forty-five.
I book the ticket without hesitation and grab my wallet, Charlie’s car keys, and head toward her bedroom. Gently knocking on her door, she tells me to come in.
“I’m going to New York.”
Laying inside her bed, I watch relief wash over her face, her shoulders relaxing instantly.
“Thank you, Noah,” she says with an exhausted smile. “Please make sure our girl is okay.”
“I promise she’ll be fine.”
***
I bang on her apartment door, calling her name. After the fourth attempt and no answer, I yank the key Charlie gave me out of my pocket. I only managed to get to this level after Charlie called security to inform them I was coming. Since she owns the apartment Kate stays in, they don’t question her request and let me up.
It’s just after seven in the morning, and with the change in time zones, my body is out of whack, having not slept on the plane. Some old dude kept snoring, plus I couldn’t shut down my thoughts, desperate to land and get here.
Placing my key inside the keyhole, I turn the lock and open the door to be met by silence. The sun is shining through the drapes, lighting up what appears to be the living room. There’s no sign of her here, but I’m quick to notice a black clutch purse sitting on the coffee table. Taking small footsteps, careful not to startle her, I find the bedroom door. It’s wide open, and there, on the left side of the bed, is Kate curled up still in her evening gown.
She’s asleep, tiny snores escaping her perfect lips. Even in her sad state, she looks beautiful. I let out a breath, relieved she’s okay until I notice a bottle of Valium sitting beside her nightstand along with a bottle of tequila.
Fuck.
Okay, stop panicking.
She’s fucking snoring, so she’s alive.
I sit on the edge of the bed, the mattress moving slightly with my weight. With a small moan, she slowly opens her eyes and notices me sitting beside her. She doesn’t appear shocked to see me, but behind her tired expression, only sorrow surrounds the dark circles shadowing her normally vibrant eyes.
“Noah,” she barely breathes.
“Kate…” I stroke her hair away from her face, running my thumb down her cheek.
“Why didn’t he choose me?” she whispers with a tremble in her voice. “He’s getting married.”
I move in closer, removing my shoes and climbing into bed. Wrapping my arms around her, I hold on tight, allowing her to sob into my chest. It dawns on me she just said he’s getting mar
ried. This can’t be the same man who supposedly didn’t date, let alone engage in a relationship.
Her sobs come hard and fast, a stream of pain she needs to release to move on. There’s nothing to do but hold onto her, reassure her in our embrace that she’ll be just fine.
“He was there last night with his fiancée,” she mumbles, swallowing her tears. “He told me he got scared… I scared him.”
The nerve of this fucking dickhead.
“He’s a fucking idiot, okay?” I almost growl, holding her close. “You get scared, you fuck someone else. You don’t get hitched.”
“That’s what I thought,” she gulps, clutching onto my chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going and would see him?” I ask, slightly hurt she held this information back from me.
“Because you’re busy… I know Morgan has—”
“Hey,” I interrupt her, pulling back slightly to look her in the eyes. “I’m never too busy for you. You got me?”