“You’re not going to bury yourself in this bed for days, Jules. You’re stronger than that.”

“No I’m not,” I whisper as yesterday’s events run through my head. I don’t need to cry anymore, but I’m drained.

“Yeah, you are. Come on, get up. Shower, get some food in you, and then you can go to the gym with me and beat the shit out of something.”

Beating the shit out of something sounds really good. I take the pills he’s holding out to me and climb gingerly out of the bed. “I’ll be down in fifteen.”

Chapter Thirty One

“So let me get this straight,” Will says as he jogs next to me on a treadmill. “They pulled you into the room, the CEO confronted you with the whole fucking around with your boss thing, you got the axe, and Nate didn’t say one word in your defense the entire time?”

We are at his gym, an exclusive training center near Seattle for the Seahawks to come and train. It’s the off season, so many of his teammates have left Seattle for their hometowns, but there are a few guys working out in the state-of-the-art facility.

“That’s pretty much the way it went.” I confirm and boost up the speed on my treadmill. “Then he came to my place while I was packing.”

“What did he say then?”

“He told me to calm down and he’d tell me what happened before they pulled me into the room.”

“And?” Will asks and takes a swig of his water.

“And nothing, I didn’t let him talk.” I feel Will’s eyes on me, and when I meet his gaze his eyebrows are raised. “What?”

“Why didn’t you let him talk?”

“Because I didn’t want to hear it, Will.  It doesn’t change that he sat in that chair and let them fire me without saying one word to me. He had no emotion in his face at all. It was like I was a stranger who was being fired for sexual harassment.”

“Has he tried to call?” Will asks.

“I don’t know, I haven’t turned my phone on since I left the house yesterday.”

“Maybe you should hear him out.”

“Maybe not.” I shake my head and increase my speed again. “I don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t have my back.”

“Maybe…”

“Maybe not, Will.  Shut it!” I glare at him, done with the conversation and he rolls his eyes at me.

“Fine, brat. You’re a complete pain in the ass. But if you want me to have him killed, I’m sure I know someone who knows someone.” He grins at me and I find myself grinning back.

“I’ll keep it in mind. For the rest of today, I just want to put it out of my head.”

“Okay. How about if I kick your ass in the pool, and then I’ll take you to dinner and a movie.”

“That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.”

We slow the treadmills down to a walk and finally climb off them. After changing into swim wear, we walk out to the pool area to swim laps.

“Hey, Williams, who’s the honey?” A very tall, very muscular man with mocha skin and long black dreadlocks approaches us, looking me up and down in my bikini.

“This is my sister, dude.” Will frowns at him and stands in front of me and I snicker.

“I’m Jules.”

“Terrence Miller.” I shake his hand and smile kindly. Any other day I would have been flattered by the attention and definitely would have flirted with the handsome football star, but I can’t help but think about how pissed Nate would be if he saw me standing here, in my bikini, being ogled by these men, and it makes me somber.

Damn Nate.

“Nice to meet you. Shall we?” I ask Will and we dive in, swimming back and forth down the long pool. I tire out long before Will, so I boost myself up on the side of the pool and dangle my feet in the warm water, spreading my toes, enjoying how it feels.

I wonder if Nate has tried to call or text. I miss him. It hasn’t even been a full day and I miss him.

It’s disgusting.

Will finally boosts himself out of the water next to me and we sit there for a while, dangling our feet, while Will catches his breath.

“When did you get the tattoo?” Will asks.

I gasp and look down, noticing that my bikini bottom has slipped down, exposing my tattoo.

“On Saturday.”

“You’re not supposed to be swimming until it’s healed, you know.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t thought of that. “Well, I won’t swim again then.”

“What does it mean?” Will asks and looks down at me. I avert my eyes and shake my head, not wanting to answer him. I still don’t regret the tattoo, but it’s a sore spot for me right now, both literally and figuratively.

“Are you ever going to talk to him again?” Will asks.

Oh God. The thought of never talking to Nate ever again makes my blood run cold. Is that the decision I’ve made? I said goodbye yesterday. I gave him back his mother’s necklace.

It’s over.

“Fuck,” I whisper.

“I’m sorry, kiddo. Take a few days and calm down. Maybe you’ll be able to give him a chance to explain things. If you don’t like what he has to say, fuck him. Maybe he’ll be able to give you some insight.” Will shrugs and looks down at his feet. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this…”

“What?” My gaze whips up to his and he scowls and shakes his head.

“He called me last night.”

“What? How do you know? You were with me all night.”

“No I wasn’t. When you fell asleep I tucked you in like a good big brother and let you sleep. He’d left a message earlier in the evening.”

I don’t respond. I don’t know if I want to know what Nate said. I don’t know if I can take it. I’m missing him so much, and I’m starting to feel weak in my resolve, and I don’t like this new quality in my personality.

“Don’t you want to know what he said?”

“No.”

“Jules.” Will laughs and looks down at me with humor. “You’re so fucking stubborn.”

“Learned it from you, big brother.”

“You really don’t want to know?”

“No.”

“Let me just say this, kid.  And this is coming from me, your big brother, who would fucking kill for you. Take your few days to lick your wounds and be pissed. You have a right to them. But then give him a chance to explain.”