Chapter Nine
“Me,spill? What about you? I come in here expecting you to be sleeping, and you’re half naked with two of the three brothers.” Nisha looks at me excitedly. She is lovingthis.
“It’s not what you think. Bryce and Max were perfect gentlemen, actually. We talked some last night. I explained why I left the way I did. How I felt. Hudson was pretty drunk, but I think he was sober enough to understand. I hope he’s forgivenme.”
“Drunk? What atwat.”
“Being pissed didn’t look good on him, no. But I don’t hate him because ofit.”
“Yeah but he knows your mum was an alcoholic. Getting in that state isn’t exactlythoughtful.”
“He didn’t know I was coming. It’s not really hisfault.”
“Hmm,” Nisha saysdisapprovingly.
“I guess that’s why we’re attracted to one another, we are all broken. I hate that I hurt them. I hate that I hurtme.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Lou. Your mum died, you found yourself falling for not one but three men, who according to what you told me were a bunch of womanisers before meeting you. No wonder you ran. It’s called self-preservation, you and I are both experienced inthat.”
“Yes, that’s the other thing. I care about them all. That’s not normal, isit?”
“Buy one, get two free? If the supermarkets can do it, why notyou?”
“Ha ha,funny.”
Nisha pulls me into a hug. “You know I’m only joking, right? I couldn’t care less who you love. One, three, hell, ten men. As long as they treat you right and they take care of you, then I’m happy. It’s all that matters,yeah?”
I wrap my arms around Nisha and hug her back. “Thanks, Nish, what would I do withoutyou?”
“You’d be lost, girl. Completely lost. Now, it’s a beautiful day. Let’s get up, have some breakfast and check this place out. My room isn’t as massive as yours, but it’s a damn sight better than that pokey hole back at theflat.”
“Speaking of the flat. What should we do? I mean, I don’t know how things are going to work out. It would be stupid to give it up…” My voice trails off. I’ve been here just one night, and I already feel myself wanting to stay forever, but I’m nothing if notpragmatic.
“The rent’s paid up till the end of the month. We’ve got a couple weeks for the shit to die down with that prick who hurt you. Then we’ll decide. Look, Louisa,” Nisha says sternly, sensing my concerns. “For once, stop worrying about everything and let someone else look after you. These men appear to care about you, so letthem.”
“Alright,” I say. “That’sfair.”
Nisha moves to get off the bed, but I grab her arm. “Hold on a minute, talking of men. What’s this between you and Calum? I saw the way you were looking at him, and the way he was looking at you. Did something happen lastnight?”
Nisha’s cheeks blush red. She never blushes. Nisha isn’t one for letting a man get under her skin. That pesky self-preservation preventsthat.
“Honestly, nothing. He showed me to my room, we chatted for a bit. Did you know he’s like the brothers’ security guard, stroke assistant, stroke awesome chef? He lives in the apartment above the garage and has known them for years. Though he didn’t say where theymet.”
“You like him though,right?”
Nisha puffs out her cheek. “Thatobvious?”
“Yep, afraidso.”
“He’s so out of my league. I mean, what hopes do I have of a man like him being interested in a girl likeme?”
I put my hand on Nisha’s arm and squeeze. “Hey, don’t say that. You are amazing, anyone with half a mind can see that. Don’t sell yourself short. Besides, didn’t you see the look on his face a minute ago when he thought you’d been in here last night too. He looked like he was about to breaksomething.”
“Hedid?”
“I thought younoticed?”
“No, I was too busy trying to hide the fact that I’m wearing my shittest pair of pyjamas ever! I mean, look at this,” Nisha says, waving her hands over her top. “This kind of nightwear isn’t going to seduce such a well-turned-out man. Have you seen how he dresses? I bet he even wears bloody Calvin Klein to sleep in.” Nisha flops back on the bed, covering her face with herhands.