Page 95 of Trials of a One Night Stand
I hit send. Then panic hits. I look at my friends, one after another, my heart lodged in my throat. Seeing them gives me an idea. I’ve got an entire brain trust in my office. People who I trust. I may as well see what they think.
I clear my throat. “I have less than twenty-four hours to get this right. What do I say to her?”
“Jayne, I was an idiot,” Hildy says.
Zelda shakes her head. “True but perhaps a little blunt.”
“Way too blunt,” Chloe agrees.
“You need to speak from the heart,” Christina suggests.
Sophie nods. “But not in a cringey way.”
I have no idea what would be cringey or not. Fuck, I’m never going to get this right, and I’ll lose my chance of having a family and being happy.
Sam comes up to me. “Don’t worry. We’ll work with you until you no longer look green and like you want to hurl.”
“Even all night, if need be,” Bradley adds. “That’s what friends are for.”
Ashton smiles. “And family too. God only knows how much you’ve done for all of us.”
Hildy laughs. “Right or wrong in your methods, whatever you tried to do was done with what you believed were the best intentions.”
I nod. “Thanks, because I don’t think I can pull this off on my own.”
I might not know everything, but one thing is clear. I have the best, most supportive people in my life who love me. I only hope I can be that for Jayne.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
JAYNE
I arrive at the coffee shop early, not only to snag a table but also to strategically pick a spot. It might sound silly, but I don’t want to be surprised by Nate’s arrival, so I sit at a corner table where I can see the door. Lottie and Trace brought me pizza and ice cream last night. It was Trace who offered advice about where to sit, which I appreciated, though I wonder how he knew since he’s only dated my cousin. He said he’d read it in a magazine when he got his hair cut. That made sense.
I grab a steamer for myself, stopping myself from ordering a coffee for Nate. No need to buy him anything, right? I have no idea how this meeting will go, and for all I know, it’ll be over before it even begins. Still, I dislike second-guessing myself. I need to be a kick-ass lawyer about to open her own practice, not a brokenhearted woman who cries during commercials and sad songs, though that could totally be hormones.
As I take a sip, I spot Nate entering. My heart speeds up, and I hate that he still has an effect on me. I nervously place my drink on the table, trying hard not to spill anything. I want to be seen as cool and collected, not a blubbering baby-mama-to-be.
He approaches the table. “Thanks for meeting with me.”
I force myself to remain seated and don’t say anything. He looks good—okay, gorgeous—in a blue shirt that intensify the color of his eyes, rendering me speechless.
I motion to the empty chair across from me and clear my throat. “Have a seat.”
He slides into the chair. “I’m not sure where to start.”
“That’s a first. The great Nathaniel Lowe at a loss for words?”
He winces at my sarcasm. “I, uh, want to apologize. I was arrogant and selfish, and I’m so, so sorry,” he says. “I’ve been an idiot. A colossal idiot. An idiot of astronomical proportions.”
“Did you swallow a thesaurus?” He said he loved me twice, yet I can’t help but joke around. I’m acting like a coldhearted bitch, but it’s keeping me from crying while the lump in my throat keeps growing.
Nate lets out a nervous laugh. “No, just the bitter pill of realization. Jayne, I’m so sorry. I got so caught up in my own plans I forgot to consider yours. I assumed I knew what was best for you, for us, without ever asking what you wanted. I have a problem with wanting to control everything, which goes back to being a kid whose parents would rather spend time together than with Ashton and me. I probably need therapy, which I’ll get—you have my word. But I understand how wrong I was to try to control you the way I did.”
I didn’t expect him to dive right into where he went wrong or admit he needed therapy, but then again, Nathaniel Lowe has always surprised me. What he says, however, isn’t enough. I hope he knows that. “And what makes you think a simple apology can fix everything?”
He leans over the table. “It can’t. I know that. But I love you, Jayne. I want to be better, to be the partner you deserve. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove that I can be that to you, if you’ll give me a chance.”
Longing and doubt swirl inside me. He appears genuine, and he doesn’t have a poker face, but I’ve been fooled before. “How can I trust that, Nate? You’ve always put your career first. Why should I believe anything has changed?”
