“Hey, man.”

“Hey.”

Nate held the door open for Samir and shoved his annoyance down. Nate was hungry, it was time for dinner, and Cara was still gone. All he’d had was one, single text from her about shopping with Ellie, and that was it.

Ellie wasn’t replying to him either.

What the hell was she doing?

Why was she trying to hang out with Cara?

“Earth to Nate?” Samir waved his hand in front of Nate’s face.

“Sorry, long day.” Nate trudged away from the door. Thinking about Cara wouldn’t summon her home. If it worked like that, she’d have been back hours ago.

“You look like shit. What’s going on?” Samir set the canvas bag on the rolling cart island.

“I don’t know, man.” Nate scrubbed a hand over his jaw.

Everything had seemed so simple. Of course, he and Cara could make things work. They loved each other. What else mattered? Now... What if Ellie spouted off the unvarnished truth? What if...fuck, what if something else happened?

“Do you...want me to leave so you can cry into the cushions?”

“Fuck you.” Nate flipped Samir the bird.

“No, thanks. That’s how half my problems start.” He held up his hands and laughed.

Nate rolled his eyes. Samir was a smooth talking light weight who had a bad habit of falling into bed with women. Usually, the wrong ones.

“Do you need a shoulder?” Samir held his arms open.

“Get out,” Nate snapped.

“Wow, okay. So what gives?”

“Nothing, man.”

“What’s up with everyone lately? Is Josh going to fire me?”

“What? No.”

“Okay, I just thought...never mind.”

“No.” Nate sighed. “It’s...Cara and Ellie and Bryan and Josh and it’s a mess.”

“You guys have an orgy and not invite me? I didn’t know you swung that way, man.”

“Fuck you. I don’t.”

“I know you and Ellie have been...close?” Samir’s brows lifted.

“Yeah.” Nate glanced away, even thinking about it ramped up his guilt.

“You and Cara...?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Nate leaned against the kitchen counter.

“Okay, you have to throw me a bone. Something.”

“I don’t know, man.”

“You don’t know what’s going on?”

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Are you sleeping with Ellie?”

Shit. Did everyone know? Was it that obvious?

“I saw her phone once, some text she’d sent you about panties.” Samir shrugged.

“Oh. Um. Yeah.” Nate sighed.

“But then there’s Cara...right?”

“Fuck. Yes.”

“So...you like Cara, but you sleep with Ellie? Is that it?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.”

“Well...” Samir flashed Nate his phone. “They’re hanging out together and it’s on Facebook, so, you might want to figure out what’s going on.”

“Ellie knew. I was straight with her the whole time.”

“And Cara?”

“Doesn’t know everything. But, apparently, everyone else does. God damn it.” Nate was going to have to tell her. He hadn’t realized his involvement with Ellie was obvious to everyone else.

“So, what’s Josh and Bryan’s deal? They’ve been super pissy all weekend.”

“Josh and I talked. Everything’s cool. Bryan...it’s not my business to go there.” Even if Bryan was making Nate’s business his.

“How’s this all going to go down? I mean, we work together. The hostility is going to leak out if we don’t handle it. You get that, right?”

“Yeah.” Nate sighed. “I’m going to have to talk to Cara and figure out how to make her understand how things were aren’t how they are now.”

“That’s great and all, but...coming as a guy with sisters? You might want to have done that before Cara hung out with and became sort of friends with Ellie.” Samir shrugged. “That’s not going to go well.”

“I’ll...explain it to her.” Maybe Nate could get Ellie’s back-up on this?

Except Cara wasn’t wired like he and Ellie were.

Fuck.

And then, what about Bryan? His threats?

Nate needed time. He had to figure out how to make Cara understand and smooth everyone’s feathers.

“Well, not to be a dick and change the subject, but I had some ideas for on-location shoots with Tamara, if you’ve got a second? I wanted to run them by you before I pitched the segments to Josh.”

“Sure, man, sure. Oh, hey, when are you guys doing another MonsterGo update? I was going to take Cara out to the nests.”

“Unofficially? No new updates for another two weeks, so you should be good, but I don’t work on the nest code, so I’m just telling you what I’ve heard. Off the record.”

“Are you going to be able to do MonsterGo segments?” Nate paused and tilted his head to the side. That was a quandary he hadn’t thought about yet.

“Probably not, but Tamara could.”

“Okay, cool.”

Samir pulled a notebook out from the bag he’d brought Nate and spread it open on the island.

This was what Nate could use. A project. Something to wrap his brain around and chew on for a bit.

Laughter from the stairs brought Nate’s thoughts to a complete stop.

He tilted his head to the side.

Cold, invisible fingers stroked down his back.

“Or maybe another time.” Samir clicked his pen a few times.

That was Ellie’s cackle and Cara’s chuckle. He could pick the notes apart without thinking about it.

Nate crossed to the door and opened it, just in time for Ellie to lead the procession of bags and whatnots into the apartment.

“What’s...all this?” he asked.

“Ellie took me to a few thrift stores.” Cara grinned up at him.

It was difficult to hold onto his anxiety in the face of her smile. Nate glanced at Ellie giving Samir a quick squeeze.

Maybe everything was fine?

“Are you done? Do you need me to leave?” Cara shuffled the bags between her hands, still hovering in the doorway.

“No, this is your home, too, now. You never have to leave.” He’d paint her damn name on the door if it’d help.

Cara smiled, tipping her chin down in that secretly pleased way.

Nate took the bags from Cara and nudged her toward the kitchen with the other two. He stashed her new stuff in the bedroom next to the table they’d set up for her to sew on.

He’d like nothing more than to shove Ellie and Samir out the door so he could have Cara all to himself, but that was rude.

Somehow, he needed to sort everything out. Get Cara on the same page. But how did he do that and not push her away? Would she understand?

“Okay, so Samir is going to walk me out,” Ellie announced. “Give me a hug.”

Samir glanced over Ellie’s head at him. He didn’t have to say anything, Nate got the signal loud and clear.

The longer he waited, the worse this would get. What’d seemed so simple yesterday or two days ago wasn’t anything like that.

Maybe he could hold off telling her until after this week. If he was going to convince her to stay, to move out here, she had to see the promise. They could save the hard times for later. There were always growing pains. Theirs could happen later. After she’d made the choice to move in.

Was that wrong?

Maybe.

But he was willing to do anything to keep Cara now that he’d gotten her, and that included shutting out his friends.

Cara strolled down the sidewalk, tipping her chin up to bask in the California sun.

She was convinced that L.A. was her Neverland. A week here and life was different. Better. Happier. She was more content with life than she’d been in years. A big part of that had to do with Nate. She was living her dream, and he was in it.

And tomorrow she’d have to go back to reality.

She was doing her best not to dwell on that. This week had been more fun, more freeing, more than she’d dreamt possible. The idea of leaving Nate was enough to crush her spirit, but the way they were talking, this separation would be temporary.

Her phone buzzed and she smiled even before she glanced at it.

Since it was her last, full day in L.A., Cara had stacked her schedule with back-to-back chances to see people for the last time. Ellie had picked her up to make a mad dash for a thrift store sale across town, followed by an actual salon appointment. Cara had never had her hair professionally cut, but Ellie had insisted on treating her before she was thrust back into the dismal, real world of what had to be done.

For now.

The way Nate was talking gave Cara hope.

She’d sent out a dozen applications in the last two days.

Maybe Nate was right and she could land a new job. Here.

Hell, if she had to pack up and move with only one bag to her name, she’d do it. This was crazy and wild, but she wanted it.

Cara glanced at her phone and smiled at Nate’s text.

It’s lunch o’ clock. Where are you?

Knowing Nate, he likely wanted sex with his sandwich.

Her skin heated at the thought and she glanced around at the people, oblivious to what she was thinking.

Bryan wanted to have lunch. I’ll be home later. Josh is taking me to some game store soon.

She pocketed her phone and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. It wouldn’t do to show up to lunch with Bryan, blushing because she couldn’t stop thinking about last night. She touched her wrist, still a bit sore, in a good way, and smiled.

Cara pushed the door open to the diner and glanced around.

Bryan waved at her from a corner booth.

She scurried over and dropped her bag onto the bench before giving Bryan’s shoulders a squeeze.

“Hey, I wasn’t sure I would get to see you again.” Cara slid into the booth.

Bryan’s smile was brittle and didn’t reach his eyes. If Cara hadn’t known Bryan for much of her life, she might not have noted it as anything weird. But this was Bryan. He wore his heart on his sleeve.

“What’s up? Something wrong?” Cara leaned forward. He was the person she’d seen the least this week, and that alone was enough for concern.

“I’m worried about you,” he said.

“Me?” Cara straightened. And here she’d been concerned about him.

“Yeah.” Bryan reached out, palm up.

She took his hand, more out of habit than needing the connection.

“No one else will say anything, and you need to know,” he said.

“Know what? What’s going on?” Had Cara missed something?

“Nate’s lying to you.”

“What?” Cara flinched, those four words so unexpected she didn’t know what to do with them.

“Look, Nate’s a good guy, but he’s not like me or you. He’s not like any of us.” Bryan clamped his lips shut as the waitress approached.

Cara went through the motions of ordering a drink and food, because that was expected, but all the while, her mind was on those words.

He’s not like any of us.

Nate had told her about Josh and Bryan’s disproval. Was this how Bryan was going to address it? In a public restaurant?

Cara swallowed and folded her hands in her lap.

Nate had stood by her through some of the worst stuff in her life. If he was different, if he was weird, well, she wanted to be the same kind of odd as Nate. And if something was wrong with Nate, then the same thing was wrong with her. She liked what they did together.

“What are you saying, Bryan?” Cara asked. She didn’t want to air Nate’s private life—and now her’s—if she didn’t have to.

“Nate...he’s into some weird, kinky shit. I’m afraid he’s going to unintentionally hurt you.” Bryan was so serious, his face creased with lines, the worry etched into every bit of his being.

Cara took a deep breath.

She could handle this.

She was an adult.

“I know,” she said as calmly as she could.

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do, Bryan.”

“You do? About...?”

“I think I know better than you do.” Cara swallowed. Heat crawled up the back of her neck and she resisted the urge to slink under the table.

Bryan stared at her.

This was the moment she’d worried about. It...actually wasn’t as mortifying as she’d thought it could be. Oh, she so was not into the idea of having a conversation about sex, her inner horndog or the nature of her relationship with Nate, but if she’d learned anything in this last week, it was that things were not always what they appeared. Nate’s adventurous tastes in the bedroom weren’t all that crazy. Their relationship was everything it should be. And this conversation wasn’t all that bad.

“Did you know that up until you came here, Nate and Ellie were together?”

Wait—what?

“Nate did that stuff to Ellie,” Bryan said softer.

Nate...and Ellie?

Cara’s boyfriend and her friend?

She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. Her mind was blank, empty.

Was Nate cheating on Ellie with her? But...Ellie knew about Cara. What the hell was going on?

“I’m sorry, Cara.” Bryan stretched out his hand toward her again.

She stared at it.

Her heart hurt. Why, she didn’t know.

Nate hadn’t told her.

Cara had hung out with Ellie.

No one had said anything.

It was like there was some big joke and she was the center of it.

“Shit.” Bryan stared past her and pushed out of the booth.

“Bryan—don’t you dare,” Nate yelled across the diner.

Cara flinched at his voice.

Nate had never intended to tell her, had he?

Did Nate and Ellie plan on still being together when Cara wasn’t around?

“I told her. She has the right to know.” Bryan jabbed a finger at Nate’s chest.

They were a literal David and Goliath picture.

“Cara?” Nate turned toward her, eyes wide. “Don’t listen to him, please?”

“Is it true?”

Nate flinched.

“You weren’t going to tell her.” Bryan gestured at Cara. “You’ve let her and Ellie hang out, and you’re both keeping her in the dark. It’s not fucking fair.”

“Excuse me?” The waitress with their food approached. “Can you either keep it down or take this somewhere else?”

“We should go,” Cara blurted.

She was already the butt of this joke. The last thing she wanted was an audience.

Nate followed close on Cara’s heels, his shadow enveloping her small form as they exited the diner and circled around to the parking lot. He needed to talk to her, preferably alone. She’d understand. He needed her.

“Cara? Cara, give me a chance to explain, please?” Nate grasped her hand and tugged her to a stop.

Cara turned, her eyes still large, mouth open. He could still get through to her. He knew it. If it weren’t for Bryan, if he’d just stayed out of Nate’s business, this wouldn’t be happening It was all Bryan’s fault, the bastard.

“What the hell is there to explain?” Bryan shoved at Nate’s chest.

Cara tugged out of his grasp and took a step back. That physical separation hurt, but not as much as the creased look of hurt on her face.

“Cara—please?” Nate took a step toward Cara.

Bryan braced his forearms against Nate’s chest and pushed.

“You and Ellie aren’t being honest with Cara,” Bryan said.

“This isn’t about Cara. This is about you. And Ellie.” Nate jabbed his finger against Bryan’s shoulder. “You don’t give a fuck about Cara. I do.”

“Then why didn’t you tell her about Ellie? You’re a selfish asshole. You’re using her.”

Selfish?

Using Cara?

Nate would never do that.

Where did Bryan get off saying shit like that? Because he cared? Yeah, fucking, right. Bryan was a jealous little bitch.

Nate grabbed a handful of Bryan’s shirt, his vision going fuzzy around the edges. His head was about to explode from the pressure built up inside of him. He could envision decking Bryan in his perfectly stuck up nose. Damn, it would feel good.

Where the hell did Bryan get off thinking he was better than Nate? That he should look out for Cara? He hadn’t even cared about Cara until she’d come to visit Nate. The only reason Bryan cared was because he wasn’t the one Ellie had wanted.

Nate and Cara had been happy.

Why would Bryan want to destroy that?

“Nate! No—Nate! Stop!” Cara’s voice, her scream, broke through the pounding in his head.

Nate glanced at Cara’s face, gone completely white, then to Bryan.

Oh, fuck.

Blood trickled down Bryan’s nose. The cartilage wasn’t pointing the right way anymore either.

Oh, fuckity fuck fuck.

Nate’s hand throbbed.

Cara’s clung to his wrist, and not in an I-want-to-hold-your-hand kind of way. Her toes were barely on the ground.

“Fuck.” Nate let go of Bryan and backed up.

Cara dove for Bryan, catching him before he stumbled. They both gaped at Nate.

He glanced at his hand and his already-swelling knuckles.

He didn’t...

Had he?

Growing up, his biggest fear was losing control. Being friends with the others, aware of his size, his strength...he’d never wanted to hurt anyone.

It was why he’d joined the football team, to let off steam. Joining the Navy was about channeling that into something good. Protecting people.

He’d never lost control, not with his friends.

Until now.

“Bryan—I’m sorry, man.” Nate held up his hands.

He could count the number of times he’d hit someone on one hand and have fingers left over. This wasn’t him. This wasn’t what he did.

He was going to be sick.

His knees shook and his stomach knotted up.

Cara pushed Bryan behind her and held up her hand, as though she needed a shield against him.

“You’re scaring me, Nate.” Her voice wavered and her gaze was wary.

A few nights ago she’d scoffed at the very idea of being afraid of him, and now here they were. Cara was afraid, because he’d just lost control.

Bryan braced his hand against the car at his back, the blood still flowing down his chin.

Fuck, there was no question Nate had broken the guy’s nose with a one shot.

“I’m sorry, Cara. Please—let me fix this?” Nate could, couldn’t he?

“Are you going to fix my fucking nose? Ow.” Bryan tipped his head back.

“I’m taking Bryan to the hospital,” Cara said.

“I’ll drive.” Nate reached in his pocket.

“No,” Cara said so fast Nate nearly got whiplash.

The wide-eyed way she looked at him was new.

At least, having it directed at him was new.

Nate had seen it on her face at other times, and hated it then. How many times had he chased away the bullies to keep that look off her face?

It was worse now, because it was directed at him.

Nate stood there, two boxes of to-go food scattered at his feet, powerless to help or fix the situation. Cara help Bryan into his car, all the while darting glances over her shoulder at Nate. As though he’d jump them both.

Cara was afraid of him.

That knowledge was devastating.

She was his world, his heart, his love, and now...she was running away.

Nate watched her get behind the wheel of Bryan’s car and pull out the opposite side of the parking lot, putting yet more distance between them.

What had he done?

Nate stared at the scattered remains of the burgers and fries. Bryan’s blood dotted the concrete like splattered ketchup.

How had this happened? All he’d wanted to do was talk to Cara, explain things. Where had he gone wrong?

Nate gathered the ruined food and tossed it in a trash bin.

Where did he start to fix this?

Cara knew about Ellie. Nate had always intended on telling her, but he’d wanted more time. For them to be secure in their relationship. Plus, Cara knew about his friends-with-benefits. But being friends with one of those people was different.

Why hadn’t Ellie kept her distance?

Nate squeezed his eyes shut.

No, this wasn’t Ellie’s fault. He couldn’t blame her.

Bryan was an easy target. Yeah, if he’d kept his nose in his own business none of this would have happened, but ultimately Bryan wasn’t to blame either.

This was Nate’s fault.

He hadn’t told Cara.

He lost control.

He punched Bryan.

He...didn’t know how to fix this.

Nate reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

He paced the parking lot, phone to his ear.

“I’m supposed to be in a meeting, what’s up?” Ellie whispered.

“Bryan told Cara everything.”

Ellie gasped.

“She knows,” Nate said.

“What—oh my God.” Ellie blew out a breath.

“And then I punched Bryan.”

“Good.”

“I think I broke his nose.”

“I’m going to bust his balls when I see him.”

“What do I do, Ellie?”

“I...I don’t know, Nate. I’m not good with relationships. I don’t have friends. What am I going to do?”

“I need to call Cara and see if I can’t sort this out. Fuck. I punched him, Ellie. One moment we were yelling and then...I just lost it. There was blood everywhere.” He’d never seen Cara look at him like that.

Nate got in his car and leaned his forehead on the steering wheel.

“Okay, Cara knows the truth. Maybe this isn’t a bad thing?” Ellie’s voice went up at the end.

“I should have told her at the beginning.” Nate blew out a breath. Samir was right. This was the worst way to have handled this.

“I’m going to wrap up this meeting and get out of here. We’ll...I don’t know. We’ll figure something out. I don’t want you to lose her, Nate. I like you two together. I might be jealous as fuck, but...I don’t want to lose the two of you, either.”

Nate hung up and stared at his phone.

Cara was driving Bryan to a hospital, which meant she shouldn’t be on her phone. Nate couldn’t call her. Not right now. Not like this. But he needed to hear her voice.

How was he going to make Cara understand there wasn’t anyone else in his heart but her?