"Not when you're this sick." He responds and he's right.

I'm sick.

Sick with fear, anger, sadness, betrayal and longing.

"Wake up, Jules."

Someone is jostling my shoulder and squeezing my head with a vice. I try to open my eyes, but the light is too bright.

"Go away," I croak.

"It's almost noon."

I moan and turn onto my back. My body is sore from stress and grief. My eyes are swollen from crying and my head is killing me.

"Here," Will holds out a gla.s.s of water and some pills. "Take these and get in the shower."

"I think I'll just stay in bed." I frown and look around. I'm still in my work clothes from yesterday, and I don't remember climbing into bed. I just remember crying, long into the night, and Will holding me.

"No, you won't."

"I'll do whatever I want," I respond defiantly.

"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 s.h.i.t out of something."

Beating the s.h.i.t 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 f.u.c.king 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 s.e.xual hara.s.sment."

"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 a.s.s. 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 a.s.s 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 p.i.s.sed Nate would be if he saw me standing here, in my bikini, being ogled by these men, and it makes me somber.

d.a.m.n 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 Sat.u.r.day."

"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 G.o.d. 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.

"f.u.c.k," 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, f.u.c.k 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 f.u.c.king 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 f.u.c.king kill for you. Take your few days to lick your wounds and be p.i.s.sed. You have a right to them. But then give him a chance to explain."

"Let's go to dinner." I start to pull myself up but Will stops me with his hand on my arm.

"Jules..."

"I heard you. I'll think about it." I kiss his cheek and pull away. "I'm hungry."

"Let's go then."

Will takes me to one of our favorite burger joints in North Seattle called Red Mill Burgers. It's nothing fancy, but the food is to-die for. We place our order and find a seat, waiting for my name to be called so we can go collect our food.

"I haven't been here in ages." I look around the restaurant and back at Will and giggle when I see him pull his baseball cap down lower on his face. "Do you really think that's much of a disguise? Dude, you're like six foot four, all built, and your ugly face is on a billboard in downtown Seattle. People are going to recognize you."

"Shut up," he murmurs, making me laugh again.

"Jules?" I look to my left and see a gorgeous, pet.i.te woman smiling down at me with beautiful hazel eyes and long auburn hair with chunky blonde highlights.

"Meg!" I quickly jump up and pull her in for a big hug. "Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you in years! How are you?"

Meg steps back and smiles at me, then glances nervously over at Will. "I'm doing very well, thanks. It's great to see you."

"Will, this is Megan McBride, a friend of mine from college. Meg, this is my brother, Will."

Will stands, towering over her, and offers his hand. Meg's face sobers, but she shakes his hand politely. "I know who you are."

He just nods and takes his seat again.

"What have you been up to?" I ask her.

"I'm a charge nurse at Seattle Children's Hospital in the cancer unit." Meg smiles shyly, her dimple in her left cheek winking at me, and I grin back at her.

"That's awesome! Good for you, girl. Are you still singing?"

"Uh, no." She shakes her head and blushes, looking down at the table. "Not since college."

"You sing?" Will asks.

"She has a fantastic voice," I reply and smile encouragingly at Meg.

"Thanks, but you know how it is, life takes over and things get busy." She shrugs and smiles at me again.

Will catches my eye and he raises an eyebrow. Yes, she's hot, moron.

"Are you married?" I ask her.

She giggles almost cynically. "h.e.l.l, no."

"Can I get your number?" Will asks, straight out, and I frown at him.

Meg gapes at him for a moment, but then glares at him. "h.e.l.l, no," she responds coldly.

Wow, what got her panties in a twist?