Hold Me Close (Ryker Falls #5) - Wendy Vella Page 0,28
give me that crap.” His eyes studied the long, angry line that ran up the inside of her forearm like Fin had earlier. “That is not nothing!”
“Calm down, Nash.”
He released her to stare out the windscreen.
“You never hid things from me, Maggie. I usually knew what you were thinking before you did.”
Suddenly, the reasons she convinced herself were good ones for not telling people about what had happened to her didn’t seem good anymore. In fact, she felt guilty and just plain wrong for keeping her secrets now. In London, with no friends or family around, she’d made her decisions, but here it was different. These people knew her well. Loved her, as she loved them. Her guilt grew.
“Can we just say I’ve changed and move on?”
He gave her a quick look. “You really think I’m the type to do that? Just move on and not question why my baby sister has changed? What happened to your arm?”
“I got it in the shooting. It was from a glass.” She could tell him that much.
“You said you weren’t hurt.”
“As you can see, maybe that wasn’t entirely the truth.”
“What else are you not telling me?”
“Nothing. Now let it go, Nash. It’s the first time I’ve seen you in two years, so stop growling like a bear.”
He started the car moving again but was still frowning.
“So, are you seeing anyone? Has some woman dropped you to your knees and you can’t think straight when she’s around?”
He snorted. “No. You?”
“No, and if I was I wouldn’t be telling you, because rarely have you played nice with any man I’ve introduced you to.”
“I can be nice!”
Maggie laughed. It felt good. “You’re like a super hairy Scary Spice.”
“There is no way I’d fit on Mom’s spice rack.”
“The girl group, you idiot.”
He frowned.
“They were a huge success.”
“Still nothing.”
“Honestly, it’s like you live in a vacuum, Nash. Be more aware. How the hell will you ever find a woman if you don’t upskill yourself?”
“I do all right, and don’t change the subject. What’s the deal with you?”
Maggs looked through the window at the late afternoon sun. She had to tell him something.
“I’m all right, I promise. That day, the shooting, it really shook me up, okay?” Maggs nearly laughed at the understatement. “I don’t want to go into details or explain. It’s done with, and coming back here means I can forget it and never speak of it again.”
“Were you hurt worse than the arm?” His voice was cool, but the bunching of muscles in his jaw told Maggs he was not happy.
She didn’t want to lie, so she said nothing.
He slammed his fist down hard on the steering wheel, making her jump in her seat.
“How the hell am I to leave it alone, Maggs, when whatever happened was big enough to put those shadows in your eyes, and God knows what else you’re hiding from me! Christ, we thought you were all good over there. Calling every few weeks, laughing and telling us about this big adventure, and all the time you were hurting. ‘No, I’m all good, it was a bit scary, but I’m fine,’ I believe your words were.”
“I wasn’t hurting all the time; don’t be dramatic. It happened; it wasn’t personal. Just something I got caught up in.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better, is it? I suppose you’ve told the clan in Ryker Falls all about it. Your besties!”
“No. I haven’t told anyone. I just didn’t want to bring it back here with me,” Maggs said quietly.
“And that’s bullshit too. If it happened to you and changed you, then odds are you’re fucking still carrying it inside you!”
“Stop roaring. There was nothing you could do from here, and I didn’t want to worry you,” Maggs said, feeling like crap as they rolled into Ryker Falls.
“Don’t think that makes it right, Maggie. It just means you didn’t need us. Didn’t respect us enough to let us hurt right alongside you.”
“No! That’s not what happened.”
He shot her a look that told her how much she’d hurt him.
“That’s how it feels.” His laugh held no humor. “I wanted to show you my big surprise. My dream that I wanted to share with my little sister. But now I’m pissed off and considering just turning around and heading home.”
“Nash.” She touched his arm, and the muscles were clenched tight. “I never meant to hurt you, and I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“Whatever. Now shut up so I don’t look like I want to murder