Damage Control

Chapter 67

It was around noon when we finally decided it was time to go home. We spent most of the morning having mind-blowing sex and afterward took a shower in the beach house before heading back to the canopy and playing a couple of fun board games, not daring to talk about his long trip that was arriving soon.

Nathaniel eventually got tired of winning and letting me win, and that's when we finally decided to end our extended date.

"Wait, where's your painting?" I asked frantically after settling in the car with him getting ready to pull out of the beach house driveway.

"Home" was all he said, and even though I didn't understand whose home he was talking about or how it got there in the first place, knowing the beautiful piece was in a safe place instantly eased my anxiety.

During the silent ride back to his place, I allowed my mind to wander back to the conversation about him leaving.

In all honesty, four weeks wasn't that long at all but to me, it seemed like an eternity, and the thought of having to be apart for that long was enough to make my stomach churn with uneasiness. But, deep down inside, I knew the main reason I didn't want him to leave was because of that selfish part of me that relied on him too much; I relied on him to be there for me whenever I needed anything.

He's my crutch, the reason I don't have nightmares about Brandon anymore, why I'm able to wake up and smile every morning with genuine happiness despite my troubling past. So to go four weeks without him, four weeks without the one person that has made me feel so alive and loved, is going to be torture, but if this trip weren't necessary, he wouldn't have even thought to leave in the first place.

Despite him appearing to be this ruthless CEO billionaire who couldn't care less about anyone or anything around him, I knew the real Nathaniel, and in reality, he relies on me and needs me as much as I need him, which is why I knew him having to be away from me that long was going to tear him up inside, on top of his mother's death date coming up soon.

I suddenly felt a large hand on my leg, and when I looked up at Nathaniel, he squeezed my thigh gently with his eyes still focused on the road, silently telling me that everything was going to be okay.

I sighed heavily, already feeling better, and grabbed his hand, interlacing our fingers as I closed my eyes, relishing having him here with me until the time came for him to leave tomorrow. I accidentally ended up falling asleep, not even realizing how tired I was and when I woke back up, we were sitting in the grand driveway of Nathaniel's mansion with my hand still in his.

I glanced over at the time on the display screen, seeing that it was well after 3 PM, and when I looked at Nathaniel still sitting in the driver seat unbuckled, he was gazing over at me with a smirk.

"Good morning," he joked, leaning over the armrest and pressing his lips against mine gently.

"How long have we been here?" I asked, running fingers through my wild hair.

He shrugged and let go of my hand to unbuckle my seatbelt. "Two hours."

"Two hours?!" I shrieked, causing him to chuckle deeply. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked peaceful, and I enjoy watching you sleep."

"Creep," I mumbled under my breath, widening Nathaniel's smile as he slid out the car and made his way to my side, opening the door for me as always.

As soon as we stepped foot inside the mansion, it was as if a warm blanket wrapped around me, making me feel right at home.

Nathaniel cleared his throat, peering down at me, hurt evident in his eyes. "I need to go pack, but—"