Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 7

NICOLE Roman pushes himself off the wall and lazily strides toward me. He’s dressed casually in denim pants and a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up so his strong forearms are on show. His hair is damp and hasn’t been brushed at all. He’s never looked sexier. But that’s not the point. “So, you think you can just leave the way you did?” he asks, each word a stab to my chest. He stops a few inches away from me, his eyes hard as they scan my face. He tends to have this look on his face like the Cheshire Cat—there’s always a mischievous or sly gleam in his eyes. Roman’s not ill-tempered. In fact, more often than not, he’s smiling or smirking. But right now, he’s as serious as ever, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this way before. Anger is emanating from him. “I thought it was the best decision, and that I was doing both of us a favor,” I try to explain, hoping I won’t stammer because I’m nervous. A little too much at that. “How…how did you even find this place?” “Why the hell would it be the best decision?” he asks angrily, stepping closer to me. “I thought last night meant something to you, Nikki.” “I…” For a moment, I have no idea how to answer him. Roman keeps staring at me pointedly, and I can just feel his disappointment. It’s practically palpable. “I don’t know what to say, Roman. What happened between us is complicated.” “Really? Because it was simple to me. Pretty simple at that.” I didn’t plan for this. He’s not even supposed to be here. I have this urge to pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh but decide against it. “Roman…” I can’t finish my sentence because I genuinely have no idea what to say. I thought he’d be happier if I left without saying a word. That’s how one-night stands usually go. He keeps searching my eyes and waiting for an answer from me. I throw my arms in the air, giving up. “I don’t know what you want me to say! I’ve already given you my reasoning.” Roman’s even closer now. “I want you to admit to me that last night meant something to us both. It wasn’t a one-night stand, Nikki. You know that as well as I do.” For some reason, his words make me a little angry. “I know? What do I know, Roman? We haven’t seen each other in years. You’re practically a stranger to me. Last night should never even have happened!” “Well, it did, and there’s nothing we can do to take it back.” I sigh, at last, and for some reason, I lose all my strength. I never thought he’d come after me and that we’d have this discussion. His shoulders sag and the look in his eyes becomes almost desperate. “Come on, Nikki. Don’t do this to me.” I have to get away from him. I’m aware that I have this habit of running from the things that are way too intense for me, and that’s not about to change now. I walk past him without saying a word and unlock the door to my office. The entire time, I feel his eyes on me, but I don’t return the look. Once the door’s open, I head inside. At first, I think he’ll leave, humiliated by my coldness even if it isn’t intentional. I never thought Roman would come looking for me—I don’t know what kind of answers he even wants from me, considering last night was a mistake. But he barges into the office and immediately grabs my arm before pushing me against the wall. My heart starts beating a lot faster. “Ignoring me won’t make me go away. I know what you felt—I was there, remember?” This might just be the most difficult moment of my entire life. I’ve always had a crush on this man and at this point, I don’t think that’s a secret anymore. Last night was mind-blowing, and the truth is that I enjoyed it more than I should’ve. I’ll never forget it. Not ever. But I have to be sensible. Roman is practically a stranger to me. Everything happened too quickly and without a single thought behind it. He’s always had a reputation with women. Even in high school, he was a certified heartbreaker. Truth be told, I’ve already had my heart broken by him. Crawling into his bed has changed me completely, and the devastating part is knowing I’ll probably never again in my life meet someone like him. I knew it wasn’t something that would lead to a relationship or anything like that—why would it? He’s had countless women in his bed. Beautiful, rich, successful women. Heiresses. But that’s not the point. “Roman, I already explained to you that Mason is my number one supporter. I can’t betray him more than I already have. I know I might be coming off as cold but that’s not at all what this is. Yes, last night meant something to me. Hell, Roman, it was amazing, and I always felt something for you. Maybe you know that by now.” He doesn’t answer, and I look down at the ground before my eyes return to his face. “But it can never be more than it was.” Roman narrows his eyes at me. “You’re blowing me off, is that it?” “Oh, you wanted to do the honors?” Roman shakes his head at me in disbelief, and I know I’ve taken it a tad too far. I’m kind of in shock at the moment, so all of this will hit me a lot later. “Nicole, I’m—” The sound of Haley’s voice from the doorway leaves me cold. I look over Roman’s shoulder at her and find her staring at the scene before her wide-eyed. And why shouldn’t she be shocked? I’ve literally been pushed against the cream-colored wall of our small office, and this bear of a man is standing over me. Roman turns his head and gives her a look. His facial expression shifts and he seems even angrier, perhaps at being interrupted. After what feels like an eternity, he looks back at me and grits out, “Have it your way, then.” Haley steps aside to let him pass, and then her wide eyes are back on my face. I genuinely don’t know what to say to her—Haley stepped into the picture a year after Mason and Roman stopped being friends, so I’m not sure if she knows who he is. Mason refuses to talk about him at all, so maybe she doesn’t. I don’t know. I have to find out. “Are you okay?” she asks as she walks into the office. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’m fine.” Haley doesn’t ask me about the guy, which I find strange, but then again, she’s always been a very discreet person. We start working on the event, and though I push my interaction with him to the back of my mind, I can’t stop going back to it. Yes, I definitely came off as more aloof than I am, but I still think it was the right decision. What if Mason had been the one to walk in here and not Hales? How would he look at me then? God, I don’t even want to think about it. Mason would never forgive me, not in a million years. I don’t know what Roman did to him, but whatever it was had to be awful. My heart is already breaking at the realization that I might never see Roman again, especially after the stunt I pulled, but I can’t take anything I said back. This is for the best, no matter how much it hurts.