a surgery and it’s not good and he might die and my family isn’t coping and it’s really hard to deal with this far away.”
The words tumble out in typical Nina fashion, but all I can think is lie, lie, fucking lie. And she avoided my question about her necklace.
She twists around and tries to make a dash for it, but I step closer, lifting her chin to search her eyes. They’re red-rimmed from crying, her gaze sliding away from mine, like she can’t stand to look at me. What. The. Fuck?
“What’s going on, Nina? This isn’t you. You’re acting weird. Don’t think for a second I buy that whole dog story. What happened since this morning that you’re lying about?”
Instead of answering, she drops to her knees, crawls between my legs, and then scrambles to her feet.
Jesus, this girl. If she wasn’t doing her best to avoid me, I’d laugh. I clasp her shoulders before she gets too far. “Whatever this is, don’t think I’m letting you pull your bullshit. There’s no avoiding me. So, I’ll ask again, what happened since this morning?”
I press my lips to her ear, and her body trembles. She seems ready to answer me when Leigh appears in the kitchen doorway, a small pack over her shoulder, a familiar scowl on her face.
“Hey, bucko, back off of my girl before I ram your nostrils into your brain.” She flexes her hands and widens her stance.
My breath comes faster. Sharper. “This conversation isn’t over,” I say to Nina before releasing her shoulders.
She hurries toward Leigh, who cocks her head and grins at me so sweetly my teeth hurt. “Always a pleasure, Sam. We’re going paragliding today. Without you. I hope you get hit by a meteorite, or kidnapped by terrorists, or abducted by aliens. I hope you have a swell day.”
The Raging Bitch is back.
Normally, I’d tell her where to shove her charming insults, but paragliding? I step toward Nina, hands held up in surrender. “Whatever’s going on here, we can deal with it. Just don’t go running off on your own paragliding. Nothing about this is a good idea.” When she glances at her feet, I step closer and lower my voice. “Look. We both know the potential pitfalls paragliding holds for you. So it’s pretty simple. You’re not jumping off a cliff. Especially without me there.”
Leigh elbows her. “You want to kick him in the shins? Or should I?”
Next thing I know, Nina hooks arms with Leigh and looks at me dead-on. No shifty eyes, no hunched shoulders. Actual anger blankets her face. Nina? Mad? At me? She squares her shoulders. “I don’t need you, Sam. I have Leigh. And maybe I won’t mess up. Ever think of that? Maybe I’ll win some paragliding award for the smoothest paraglider. Maybe they’ll hire me to teach paragliding lessons.”
I don’t need you. Each word is a sledgehammer to my ribs.
Before I can recover, she adds, “And I’m having second thoughts about the whole Florida thing. Not sure I want to live in the States.” She tugs on Leigh’s arm and leaves me staring after them.
I glance around at the ugly floral room, reality hitting me face-first. Heat sears my throat like barbed wire constricting my neck. She doesn’t need me. Florida’s not happening. I fold forward, trying to suck back air. I have no idea why Nina’s pissed at me, and I’m not sure it matters anymore. She may not need me, but I need her like I need to breathe. That’s it. The plain and simple truth. I need Nina. Fuck. I’m no different than my father after all. His happiness depended on my mother. Without her, he’s a shadow of the man he was, barely functioning, always remembering. This pain, right now—the gaping hole in my chest—it only leads to hurt and anguish. Heartbreak.
Nina’s not worth that. Nothing is.
I storm toward the back doors, desperate for air.
Twenty
Nina
I’m a natural, a paragliding savant. Once I got over the fact that I was attached to some guy’s crotch, and the waves of nausea twisting my belly subsided, I had a blast. The scenery with its majestic mountains, golden beaches, and sparkling sea were stunning. The wind rushed, my pulse raced, and I made it out alive. Me. Safe. In one piece. All body parts fully clothed. That kind of adrenaline was just what I needed to rid my mind of all things Sam.