CHAPTER TWELVE
Cat
I ran again.
My throat was closing up, and if I didn’t leave that rooftop, I was going to turn into a blubbering mess. I couldn’t let Seth continue to see what his words were doing to me. I couldn’t be around him without thinking of a future with him. Especially when he was telling me words I’d wanted to hear for the past eleven years. I couldn’t let my heart try to beat again for him because I knew it was only temporary.
I caught Nathan’s gaze, and he moved from the table he was sitting at. When he got to me, he handed me a glass of champagne. “Are you okay?”
“I need to go. I need to find Joss and tell her goodbye, and then we need to leave.”
“Okay,” he agreed, not pressing me for more info. I wasn’t even sure what had just happened. It was surreal, as though I was dreaming and Seth was telling me how much he loved me.
I downed the flute and looked around searching for the couple of the hour. Joss and Paul were out on the dance floor dancing to Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. They were so happy, and while I watched the lovebirds laugh, kiss and hold each other, I felt as though I was going to crumble into a heaping mess.
Nathan pulled me to him and wrapped me in his strong arms as if he knew I was about to fall apart. “It’s almost over. This is their final dance.”
I nodded against his chest and closed my eyes, not wanting to see anything. I needed to only feel the comfort of someone I trusted. Even with my eyes closed, I knew Seth wasn’t far. It was as though I could sense him lurking—watching—waiting.
After the song ended, Paul grabbed Joss’s hand, lacing his fingers with hers and then they walked toward us. We were by the kitchen door that was as long as the room and had a rolled up door. It gave the house an open feel, and it was another reason I loved this place. I’d never forget the roof and what happened up there. All the guests moved to the door, forming a jagged line. Joss and Paul hugged and made their way through everyone.
I moved away from Nathan when Joss got to me, a smile on my face as I tried to mask my emotions. Did Seth even know what he was doing to me? Did he want me to cry? Did he care? Did he expect me to run away with him or something? Leave Nathan to find his own way home?
“I’m so happy for you,” I gushed. “And Paul, you seem like a really good guy. I’m happy for you both.”
Joss engulfed me in her arms. “When are you going back to Miami?”
Not soon enough. “Tomorrow afternoon.”
Joss grinned. “Paul and I are staying at the Bellagio tonight. If you want to meet us for breakfast in the morning—”
“No.” I smiled. “I’m not going to impose on the only day you have for your honeymoon.”
“Well, we better go somewhere after we’re done with the case.” She looked to Paul.
“Oh, we will, gorgeous. I’m taking you far away, and it will just be the two of us.” Paul kissed the side of her head.
“You guys go. Have a good night. We’ll stay in touch.” I hugged her again, then Paul.
“If you find some extra time, Seth should be at my place tonight. You two can catch up.”
Me go see Seth? Nope. We’d caught up enough for one trip.
“We have plans once we leave here,” Nathan cut in. Thank you, fake boyfriend.
“Okay, well, I’ll call you, and we can plan a girl’s trip or something.”
“Sounds good.” I waved to them, and then they were gone.
Happy and in love.
“I think we should go get drunk. Stay up all night. We can sleep on the plane. We’re in Vegas after all.”
I groaned as I used the keycard to enter mine and Nathan’s hotel room. “You can. I’m going to put my pajamas on and call room service. I need to veg out.”
The door closed behind us as we entered the single room. “Baby girl, tell me what happened.”
I groaned again as I fell backward onto my queen sized bed. “Seth told me he was still in love with me.”
“What?” he screeched. I felt the bed dip next to my side. “Why are you not with him right now? This is what you’ve always wanted.”
“Is it, though? I didn’t even know he loved me to begin with, and now he’s saying he’s still in love with me.” I sat up and faced him.
“As long as I’ve known you, you’ve always slipped in little things about him.”
“I have not!”
Nathan chuckled and mocked, “This one time we were having a water fight at Seth’s Grandma’s, and when he threw it, it hit me right in the chest. As soon as the water soaked me, he couldn’t take his eyes off of my chest.”
“Okay, first of all, I didn’t say it like that. Second of all, we were kids. And third of all, I never said he couldn’t take his eyes off of my chest. The way you say it makes it sound like he’s a perv.”
“My point is, I’ve heard countless stories about this guy. I know you’re still in love with him. It’s time you finally realize it too.”
“Of course I still love him!” I stood and let out another frustrated groan as I began to pace.
“Then what’s the problem? He told you he loves you.”
“The problem is, is that we live hundreds of miles apart. Everyone knows that long distance relationships don’t work.”
Nathan moved and grabbed my shoulders, stopping me. “They do when both of you have been in love with each other since you were kids. And you both still love each other even though you haven’t seen the other in a fucking long time.”
“What should I do? He’s here, and we’re going home tomorrow.”
He smirked. “Well, Joss told you point-blank that she isn’t home and Seth would be there—alone.”
“Technically she didn’t say alone.”
“I think you should go find out.”
I laughed. “You want me to just show up at his doorstep?”
“I’m sure he’d enjoy it more if you were naked, baby girl.” He smirked.
I pushed him away. “That won’t happen.”
“Seriously, go and talk to him. Give him more than twenty minutes. Tell him you love him too and you’re scared. Just tell him the truth. Maybe even fuck his brains out. You know you wanna.”
I rolled my eyes. I did, of course, want to feel Seth again—kiss him—taste him—smell him. “What if I show up and he’s with another woman—again? I can’t go down that road one more time. I’ll die. I will literally die of a broken heart.”
Nathan grabbed my shoulders again and made me look him in his eyes. “If he’s with another woman, then you can finally move on.”
No matter what Nathan said, there was no moving on from Seth.
It felt as though the taxi was driving at a snail’s pace. So many emotions were going through me as I watched the streetlights pass. I was really doing this. I was going to show up to either find Seth alone or with someone else.
As the cab pulled up to Joss’s house, I took a deep breath and made my decision. If he was with someone, I’d never think about him again. If he was alone …
I was going in for the kill.