Chapter 23: : Chapter 23

After driving aimlessly around L.A. for hours, Kris ended up at Marina del Rey.

As far as heartbreak havens went, it was the worst place she could’ve chosen. This was where she and Nate had sex for the first time. Well, where the boat where they’d had sex for the first time had departed from, anyway.

She hadn’t made the conscious decision to come here, but something about the water called to her like a homing beacon.

Kris curled up on a quiet stretch of boardwalk and watched the boats bob on the waves. They resembled life-sized toys.

She wondered vaguely if Nate’s friend’s boat was in its slip, and—

What? She was going to take a field trip over there and reminisce about her and Nate’s short-lived relationship? Play a cheesy mental montage of her favorite moments set to maudlin music like this was a 1990s Julia Roberts movie?

No, thanks.

To take her mind off Nate, Kris brain-jumped to the other male-centered shitshow in her life. Apparently, she was a glutton for punishment.

“I gave you a chance.” Roger’s face was cold with fury. “I’d hoped you would make more of an effort with Gloria, considering she’ll be your stepmother soon. Instead, you set out to destroy something you knew was important to me. How could you, Kris?”

Her contract with Nate waved in the air, flimsy but damning as hell.

Kris stared ahead in mutinous silence. Gloria’s lips had curved into a smug smirk behind Roger’s back, but Kris didn’t bother calling her out on it.

What was the point? The proverbial shit had already hit the fan.

“Well?” An undercurrent of hurt flashed before Roger’s anger swallowed it whole. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

She forced herself to breathe through her nose. She would not lose her cool. “I don’t regret it,” she said flatly. “Gloria is a gold-digging bitch. She would’ve cheated on you, you know. If you hadn’t arrived when you did, she would’ve met Nate at a hotel. She’d already agreed to it.”

“She’s lying!” Gloria’s voice rang with false indignation. “I would never cheat on you, Roger. And did you hear what she just called me—”

“Quiet,” Roger thundered.

The Stepmonster shut up and glared at Kris, who ignored her—for now.

“Do you have any proof of your accusations?” Her father asked in the same icy tone he used to cut down his business opponents.

Kris didn’t, and they all knew it. If she had, she would’ve brought it to him already.

She lifted her chin in defiance. “You have your daughter’s word.”

Deafening silence.

“You gave me your word you would try this summer,” Roger finally said. “Instead, you got fired from your job, threw away $15,000 hiring an actor to break up my engagement, and entered into a relationship with said actor, who used to—” He paused. “Needless to say, your word isn’t worth much to me right now. From this moment forward, you’re cut off. Indefinitely. No credit cards, no access to your bank accounts. I’ll also be calling the lawyers tomorrow to adjust the terms of your trust fund. Clearly, you haven’t learned how to control your spending—to say nothing of your scheme to frame Gloria for infidelity.”

Moisture gathered in Kris’s eyes, but she would not, could not cry. Not here, in front of the gloating Stepmonster.

She didn’t bother trying to convince her father Gloria had been planning to cheat on him or how evil his fiancée was to her when he wasn’t looking. He wouldn’t believe her, anyway.

“Fine,” Kris said, steel masking the tremble in her voice. “You caught me. I hired someone to break you and Gloria up because I hate her. You can cut me off all you want, but I will never consider her part of this family.”

Disappointment settled into every groove of Roger’s face. “Then perhaps you shouldn’t be part of this family at all.”

Something warm and salty trickled down Kris’s cheek. She swiped it away with the back of her hand.

Her blowout with her father over the contract had been bad enough. Then she found out about dear old dad’s bribe. She’d snuck into his office while he and Gloria enjoyed the oh-so-harmonious sounds of the L.A. Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl last night, unsure what she was looking for but determined to find something that could bring Gloria down.

It was only fair; Gloria must’ve snooped around in Kris’s room while Kris was out and found the contract buried in an old Jimmy Choo shoebox in the closet. Kris had already searched her father and Gloria’s suite—no dice. Her father’s study was the next best bet.

No one went in there except Roger, which made it the perfect hiding spot.

Unfortunately, Kris hadn’t found anything of the Stepmonster’s. She had, however, stumbled on—irony of all ironies—a contract her father had drawn up, stipulating Nate would receive $50,000 upon the termination of his relationship with Kris. Date of contract: the night of the dinner party, aka the night before Nate broke up with her.

Kris had been too shocked and devastated to check if Nate’s signature had been on the document, but the timing had aligned perfectly. When she’d went to his house that morning, she’d known how much his father offered him, but she wanted to hear him say it. Wanted him to admit how much he thought their relationship was worth.

Funny. A Carrera contract had started it all…and a Carrera contract had ended it all, or so she thought.

I swear on my mother’s grave that I didn’t accept a cent from him, but some of the things he said…made sense. Like how we’re from different worlds, and how we don’t fit.

Kris squeezed her eyes shut, to no avail. Memories of Nate’s voice, face, and presence consumed her, so vivid he might as well be standing before her. She could even smell—

Her eyes popped open.

Nope, that delicious scent hadn’t been her imagination. Nate was really here, his big body blocking the sun, his face cast in shadow. Then he stepped forward, and she could see his red-rimmed eyes and tense jaw.

“You’re here.” Relief drenched his features, brightening his otherwise weary expression.

Kris tensed. “How’d you find me?”

“Educated guess. During our night on the boat, you mentioned how much you liked being by the water and how it calmed you. I went to the slip first, but you weren’t there, so I kind of just walked around until I found you.”

“You walked around the entire harbor until you found me? What if I hadn’t been here?” Kris asked, disbelieving.

A sheepish shrug. “Then I would’ve wasted a lot of time. But I had a sense you were here. And you are. Guess the soul knows what it’s doing.”

“What?”

“Never mind.” Red stained Nate’s cheeks.

She shook her head. “Whatever. I told you back at the house that—”

“You love me.”

Her cheeks flushed to match his. “No, I said I was done. And I meant it.”

“Yes, but you also said you love me.”

Grrr. He was insufferable.

“It doesn’t matter.” Kris scrambled to her feet, a wave of dizziness overtaking her at the sudden movement. She paused and blinked away the wooziness before continuing, “We’re already broken up, remember? We’re not the ‘right fit.’ We’re H&M and Hermès. Gap and Gucci. Forever 21 and Fendi. You made your point. Now leave me alone.”

“No.”

She was this close to tearing her hair out in frustration, but Kenji, her stylist in Seattle, would kill her.

“Then what the hell do you want?”

Nate looked her straight in the eye. “I want you.”

He had to be joking.

Don’t get excited, you floozy, she told her foolish, no-sense-of-self-preservation heart, which had perked up at Nate’s words like a golden retriever who’d spotted its owner for the first time after months apart. Or did you forget there are still pieces of you lying around L.A., courtesy of the jerk you love so much?

“Are you kidding me?” Kris planted her hands on her hips. “You gave your little ‘different worlds’ spiel just a few hours ago, and now you want me again? Make up your damn mind.”

“I’ve always wanted you.” Nate didn’t back down from the force of her fury, and a tiny seed of respect sprouted in her stomach. This was the man she’d fallen in love with. The one who gave as good as he got, who was kind and understanding but wouldn’t hesitate to call someone—aka her—out on their bullshit. “But I haven’t been totally honest about what happened with your father.”

The opening salvo of a migraine attack set in. Kris pinched her temple and reminded herself to take deep breaths.

“Tell me.” It wasn’t a request—and Nate’s reply was a fifteen-kiloton nuclear bombshell.

He told her about his family’s rash of bad luck two years ago—multiple home repairs needed, car breakdowns, a workplace injury that put Michael out of commission for two months—that sent them into particularly dire financial straits. Nate’s income hadn’t been enough to cover all their expenses, and he’d been desperate. So when a now ex-friend of his that he’d met through acting dropped hints about a side gig that would pay enough to take care of Nate’s short-term money problems, he’d jumped at the opportunity.

Said side gig was escorting and providing Beverly Hills’ rich, bored, and sexually unsatisfied with whatever they needed—dates to fancy events for those who were unattached, company and a listening ear for those who were lonely, physical pleasures for those whose husbands either neglected them or couldn’t get it up without a healthy dose of Viagra.

Turned out Linda, Teague’s newish stepmother, fell into the former category. She’d been dating Steven, Teague’s father, but he’d been so caught up with work that she’d felt lonely and overlooked. So she’d sought other male company—specifically Nate, who got the shock of his life when he saw her at Roger’s dinner party. She asked him to keep their past indiscretion a secret; Roger overheard and subsequently brought Nate into his office, where he’d made his five-figure offer.

Kris realized that given the timeline and the fact that the contract had already been drawn, Roger must have decided he wanted Nate out of Kris’s life before he learned about Nate’s past as an escort.

“I never had actual intercourse with Linda or any of my other clients,” Nate said, his cheeks brick red. “But…we did other stuff. I tried to avoid potential clients who were married, but obviously, I didn’t have a way of verifying their relationship status. It wasn’t through an agency, either. It was more of an independent thing, set up by my friend—ex-friend—and a couple of acquaintances of his. Anyway, that’s the full story. I want you to know before you judge your father too harshly for what he did. Hell, I wouldn’t want a daughter of mine dating someone like me, either. There’s nothing wrong with sex work, but when it’s your kid…” Nate cleared his throat. “You were right. I had a shit ton of insecurities about who I am, what I did, whether I deserve you. I still do. That’s why I let your dad get to me, and why I ended things between us. But someone…someone gave me the kick in the ass I needed and reminded me that things like money and distance and past mistakes are nothing compared to love. So yeah. Here I am, rambling like an idiot for the past ten minutes without getting to the point, which is that I love you. Hold-a-boombox-over-my-head, write-you-a-letter-every-day-for-years love you, and I’m sorry I’ve been too much of a coward to own up to it until now. I want to be with you in any way I can, and if that means living in different cities, or turning down fifty grand, or working through my fear of flying so I can see you more often, I’ll do it. I’d do anything for you.”

Kris stared at Nate, her mind racing a million miles a minute as it tried to keep up with all the new information thrown at her while her heart danced like a maniac at Nate’s confession.

Say something. Anything.

Nothing came out.

“Unless it’s too late,” Nate said, his voice cracking. “Which I understand. I really fucked things up. Or if the escort thing is too much, I understand that, too. But I wanted you to know before you left. See if maybe…” He trailed off.

Kris’s silence hung heavy in the air, muffling the other sounds from the marina. She wanted to move and speak, but something held in her place, trapping her emotions in a glass bottle until they screamed for release.

The flare of hope in Nate’s eyes dimmed the longer she stayed quiet until it snuffed out completely.

“Anyway, yeah.” He took an awkward step back and avoided her eyes. “That’s what I wanted to say. But I won’t, uh, bother you any longer.”

A pause. Then his shoulders slumped, and he walked away, his tall, powerful frame cutting a dejected figure against the bustling marina.

Maybe it was the sight of Nate leaving that triggered the release valve on Kris’s emotions, or maybe her brain had finally caught up with her heart. Whatever it was, she broke free of the strange paralysis that had gripped her from the moment Nate started speaking and ran after him. It was the first time she’d run in years. She was more of a yoga and Pilates person; all the perspiration that came from pounding the pavement beneath a scorching sun? No, thanks.

But now, she didn’t think twice of putting her Manolo Blahniks through their paces until she passed Nate and spun around, blocking him from walking any further.

A frown marred his forehead. “What—”

He didn’t get a chance to ask the rest of his question before Kris grabbed him and kissed him. If she had any doubts about whether this was the right thing to do, given everything that had happened over the past two weeks, the kiss confirmed it: it abso-freaking-lutely was.

Their mouths moved against each other, softly at first, and then with a heated passion that stole the breath from her lungs. Kris greedily drank him in, her blood pumping at the taste and feel of him—richer than any wine, headier than any drug.

It seemed love imbued embraces with a special magic because she would’ve floated right off the ground if Nate’s strong arms hadn’t anchored her to the earth.

When they finally broke apart, she couldn’t help but laugh at the dazed shock on his face.

“I should’ve made you work harder for it after that bull you pulled the night of the MentHer gala and this morning,” she said. “But you’re right. We’ve already wasted so much time, and I don’t want to waste any more playing games. Your past as an escort doesn’t affect my feelings for you in the slightest. No, scratch that. It makes me love you more, because you care about your family so much, and you are so strong, and brave, and resilient. You did what you had to do, and you should not feel ashamed about it. Ever.” Emotion clogged Kris’s throat, and her chest pinched when she thought about everything Nate had gone through—his mother’s death, his father’s battle with alcoholism, the things he’d had to do to keep his family afloat. It made Kris’s problems seem trivial in comparison, and she felt like a spoiled, whiny brat for complaining about her father’s love life and her money “problems.”

So what if Gloria was a gold digger? She wasn’t the first and she wouldn’t be the last. Kris had done what she could to make her father see the light, but he was a grown man. It was his life, and he had to learn his own lessons. If he and Gloria stayed married until they were both gray of hair? Great. If Gloria left him after a few years and took half of everything he owned? It wouldn’t be the end of the world. Fifty percent of the Carrera fortune was still a lot, and Roger would bounce back. He hadn’t climbed his way to the top of the cutthroat corporate world because he couldn’t handle adversity, and Gloria was nothing compared to hostile takeover attempts and crooked business partners.

Kris was done trying to meddle in her father’s life and battling with the Stepmonster, who so didn’t deserve her energy. Let them do what they wanted.

As for her financial situation, she’d figure that out later.

Right now, all that mattered was her and Nate.

Nate exhaled a gust of relief at her words. “You’re amazing,” he said hoarsely, cupping her face with his hands. “I can’t believe I was lucky enough to find you.”

“It’s the other way around.” They were veering dangerously close to cheesy rom-com territory, but who cared? Nate was her harbor in the storm, her anchor in all the insanity, and she wanted him to know, in no uncertain terms, what he meant to her. “I love you.”

Damn it, she was going to cry. In public, no less.

“I love you, too. So freakin’ much.” Nate brushed a strand of hair out of her eye before he kissed her. Slow, sweet, tender.

Whatever remained of the walls around Kris’s heart crumbled into ashes, carried away by the butterflies soaring in her chest.

In that moment, she didn’t care that she only had a few thousand dollars to her name and that her father may or may not have disowned her. She had everything that mattered, and it was perfect.

“Have you broken up with Teague yet? If you haven’t, I’ll do it for you,” Nate mumbled into hair sometime later. His hold tightened possessively around her waist. “With my fists.”

She huffed out a laugh. “We never dated.”

“But at Sky’s game—”

“I lied. You were being such an ass, and I wanted to get to you.”

Pure, unadulterated relief spread across Nate’s features. “I deserved that.”

“Yep,” she confirmed. “Don’t worry, I lied about the kissing part too.” She tapped him on the mouth. “You’re the best kisser I’ve ever had.”

Smugness saturated Nate’s resulting grin. “Damn right I am.”

And he kissed her again to prove it.

Kris and Nate stayed at the marina for a while longer, watching the boats go by and discussing what would happen next. Kris had two weeks left in L.A., after which they’d go long-distance. Lots of phone calls and Skype. As much flying back and forth between California and Seattle as they could manage—luckily, it was only a couple hours’ flight, and tickets for that route weren’t too expensive. Now that Kris didn’t have access to her bank accounts or credit cards, she was also limited in how much money she could shell out on non-essentials. Plus, they agreed to be honest and tell the other up front if something wasn’t working.

Communication was important for all relationships, but it was crucial for long-distance ones.

By the time they finished hashing things out, and kissed some more, and grabbed a late lunch, and kissed some more, the sun hung low in the sky, and a slight evening chill rippled through the air.

“So.” Nate flashed a crooked smile as they meandered down the walkway running parallel to the water. “Think it’s time for another of our classic ‘seal the deal’ nights?”

Kris laughed. “How long have you been holding that in?”

“Only since the first time you kissed me today.”

“That long, huh?” She tangled her fingers with his, enjoying the warm strength of his hand in hers. They’d agreed not to hold hands earlier in the summer because it was too cheesy, but what do you know, she had a thing for Brie and Gruyere. Judging by Nate’s squeeze, he did too. “I do love a good Seal the Deal.” Their night on the boat would forever remain one of her top three spank bank fantasies. “We’ll have to do it at your house, though. I can’t go home right now.”

A wave of sadness crested over her. Kris and her father had never been that close, but he was her only parent left. While they weren’t estranged, their relationship was at its lowest point in twenty-one years, and she couldn’t bear to look at his face right now. It hurt too much. Even being in the same house as him these past few days had been unbearable.

Nate’s mouth tightened with concern. “How are things with your dad? I don’t want to be the reason you two have a falling out.”

“Too late.” She fiddled with her handbag strap. “We already fell out. He found out about our Gloria contract.”

“Shit.” Nate winced. “How’d he find out?”

“I’m guessing Gloria snooped around my room and found the contract. It doesn’t matter. He knows, and he’s pissed. More pissed than I’ve ever seen him. He didn’t believe me when I told him Gloria had been ready to cheat on him with you, and he cut me off. He even froze my trust fund.”

“I’ll talk to him. Back up what you said about Gloria—”

“No.” Kris shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but he won’t believe you, either. You and Gloria only had a verbal agreement, right? She was too smart to leave a text trail and you’re not exactly my father’s favorite person on the planet.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Nate said reluctantly. “But what are you going to do? About Gloria and money?”

“I’m done with Gloria. I don’t want to waste my time and energy plotting against her. She’s not worth it. As for money, I’d withdrawn a couple thousand in cash before my father froze my accounts. It should last me until I return to campus, where my tuition and board are already paid for. I was going to rent a cheap Airbnb or something until I leave L.A., and maybe find a short-term gig so I can bulk up my finances.” Kris frowned. “I’m not sure if anyone will hire me for only two weeks, but it’s worth a shot. I don’t want to be under the same roof as my dad and Gloria right now.”

Nate was quiet for a minute. “I may have a solution to both your short-term problems,” he said slowly. “I’ll have to double-check, but we could use an extra hand at the cafe, especially since one of the regular servers sprained her ankle and is on leave until she can get back on her feet. Elijah’s dad owns the cafe, and I know him well, so it shouldn’t be an issue, but I can confirm Monday. As for the housing situation…” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking nervous. “I don’t want this to be or awkward or rush things, but you can move in with me. Until you leave.”

Kris’s breath stuttered. “What?”

Pink tinged Nate’s cheekbones. “It’s not a big deal. Sky would love to have you around more, and I’m sure my dad would be chill with it once we explain the situation to him. He’s, ah, the one who kicked my ass this morning for letting you go.”

That was a legit shocker, but it must mean Nate’s relationship with his father was improving. Although her own familial bonds were fraying, Kris was genuinely happy for Nate. He deserved peace in his home life.

“It’s only for two weeks,” Nate continued. “We’re not signing a lease together or anything. I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you into something you’re not ready for. I just hate the thought of you living alone in some random place in the city, especially since the cheapest apartments are in areas that aren’t great for single females, and I don’t want you to waste money on an Airbnb or hotel when there’s room at my house.”

“I appreciate that. Really,” Kris said, fighting back emotion. When was the last time someone had looked out for her like this? Not because they’d been paid to do so, but because they cared? Never. “But I can’t impose.”

“You won’t be imposing. I want you there.” Nate rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “You don’t have to decide now. Just think about it.”

Kris wanted to say yes more than anything. Living with Nate meant more time together, and they needed every second they could get. But she didn’t feel right taking advantage of the Reynolds’ hospitality, eating their food, and using their utilities when they were already struggling.

Maybe she could pay rent? Or help around the house?

Questions for another day. Kris was too exhausted to think clearly right now.

“I will.” She pressed her lips against Nate’s, grateful beyond measure that she had him by her side. “In the meantime…where did you park your car? I don’t think I can wait until we get back to your house for our second Seal the Deal.”