Silence settled again.
This time, it didn’t feel heavy. It felt…bearable and when she finally drifted off in his arms, Adair didn’t move. Didn’t chase the sleep she’d found. He just stayed. Holding the only woman he’d ever wanted.
He didn’t sleep.
He just held her.
And prayed that next time she woke up, she wouldn’t regret letting him stay.
SABINE
“I’m sorry, Best.”
Sabine looked up from her laptop, startled by the voice at her office door. Narri stood there, hand on the frame, lips already twisted like she was bracing herself.
“A heads up woulda been nice.” Sabine leaned back in her chair, rubbing the space between her brows. Narri dropped into the seat across from her and crossed her legs with a sigh.
“I know, I know but I’ve been talking to Adair, as you probably realize by now and as much as I hate to admit it, his bitch ass is...he’s really sorry, Bine.”
“He finally got you,” Sabine scoffed.
“No!” Narri denied. “No, you know I’m the first one to call him out and never let him forget the way he hurt you. Betrayed you…I just…I think even if you don’t take him back, which you ain’t obligated to, he still wants your forgiveness. Likerealforgiveness. Not the polite nods at Ade exchanges kind either. That man in a lot of pain.”
“Pain he put himself in.”
“Oh, no doubt,” Narri said quickly, holding her hands up. “He earned every ache in that dumbass chest of his. I’m justsayin’…he’s suffering too. Not that it’s yours to carry or care about, but…he is.”
Sabine finally looked at her best friend, something bitter and fragile sitting right behind her eyes. “He told me Corrine’s on the Aderra deal.”
Narri grimaced. “Yeah…he told me too.”
“And you didn’t say anything?”
“Of course I cursed his ass out, but he wanted to tell you himself and I thought that you should hear it from him too, Bine,” Narri reached across the desk grabbing her hand. “I know we don’t keep secrets but…” she sighed. “He was just so pitiful with his ugly self,” she pouted causing Sabine to chuckle. “I told his ass he had forty-eight hours to tell you before I told you myself.”
Not responding to anything else, Sabine latched to, “he is ugly, isn’t he?”
“Oh, girl please!” Narri snatched away flagging her off. “Your ass didn’t think he was ugly last night.”
Gasping, Sabine’s hand went to her chest. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t, your sneaky slutty ass just told me! You slept with him Bine?!”
“Shhhhhhhh,” she hopped up, going around the desk, racing to the door to close it all the way. “Let the whole office know why don’t you.”
“What? That yousleptwith your ex-husband last night.”
Looking down at her pump, Sabine avoided eye contact, responding, “and the night I went out with Harlan,” she mumbled.
“WHAT?” Narri hopped up.
“Will you hush!”
“Sorry, sorry, sorry.”
“Come here,” Sabine waved her over to the sitting area of her office and they took a seat on the sofa.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”