The Hardest Set (Willow Son #4/Brothers of Rock #19) (15 page)

Van grinned.
“
First one to get coffee
…”

Since Vanessa. Like I always
used to do.

Natalie
’
s cheeks turned red.
“
Oh.
”

“
Yeah.
So why don
’
t you just spill
your guts to me. You came here last night to talk. And other things. I
’
ve got nowhere to be, sweetie.
Other than a major concert coming up soon, I
’
m
good to go. I can sit here in bed all damn day and not care about a thing.
”

Natalie sipped her coffee.
“
You know, for a rockstar, you
should get some better coffee. Something a little more expensive maybe.
”

Van laughed.
“
Sorry about that. I
’
ll put it on my grocery list.
”

“
You
grocery shop?
”

“
No.
Someone does it for me. Someone does everything for me.
”

“
So
you
’
re lazy.
”

“
No,
I just use my time wisely.
”

“
Wasting
it with me?
”

“
You
’
re not a waste, Natalie,
”
Van said.
“
I promise you that.
”

Are you flirting? Are you trying
to
…
to do
what right now?

“
You
know, this is going to sound sad, Van, but what you just said
…
that was the nicest thing
anyone has said to me in a long time.
”

“
You
need some new friends then.
”

“
Thanks.
”

“
Honesty,
sweetie.
”

“
I
don
’
t even know how it all
happened,
”
Natalie said.
“
I was getting busy with my
dream. A few people were buying my art and spreading the word. So I got a
payment and decided to feel fancy and went out. There was a guy and he was
eyeing me the entire night. He bought me drinks and we talked. He wasn
’
t sexy, but he was handsome. Like
in a business way. Like the kind of guy that you could see yourself marrying.
”

“
Wow,
”
Van said. "So you look at
men and determine if they look like you could marry them?
”

“
It
sounds worse than it is.
”

“
I
wonder where I line up,
”
Van said.
“
Rough past.
Tattoos. Bad attitude. I say
fuck
a lot. I drink way too much. I
’
m not afraid to fight. Oh, and I
don
’
t dress up.
”

“
You
’
re screwed,
”
Natalie said.
“
I would never marry you.
”

“
Remind
me never to ask.
”

Stop fucking flirting.

Van laughed at himself. Stop flirting?
Natalie was wearing nothing but his t-shirt, in his bed, and he had been with
her last night.

“
Anyway
…
do you really want to hear this
or not?
”

“
Of
course I do,
”
Van said.
“
I
’
m
drinking really shitty coffee in bed with you. I could easily toss your ass out
and go get something better. You know, coffee.
”

Christ, man
…

“
Yeah,
coffee, right,
”
Natalie
said.
“
So Mark paid
attention to me all night. There were so many other women in that club that
were better looking than me. I should have known then.
”

“
Impossible,
”
Van said.
“
How could someone be
…”

Van cleared his throat and drank
more of the shitty coffee. He couldn
’
t
believe he was actually talking to this woman. Actually showing a different
side of himself.

“
There
was no reason for Mark to want me,
”
Natalie said.
“
It intrigued
me. I couldn
’
t stop
thinking about it.
”

“
Kind
of like when you found a drunk rockstar. You were intrigued.
”

“
You
dragged me to the ground, Van.
”

“
You
stayed there.
”

“
For
a minute. Then I stormed away.
”

“
But
you stormed right back,
”
Van said.

“
Fine.
You win.
”

“
I
always win.
”

“
Lame,
”
Natalie said.
“
Anyway
…
Mark told me he had a crazy life. He was a busy
lawyer and had a weird schedule. I bought it. I bought it all. He
’
d make plans and break them. I
went along with it. He
’
d
call me late at night and I
’
d
meet him. Dark clubs and bars. He
’
d
tell me those were his favorite places to meet to unwind. Then we
’
d get a hotel. Or just go to my
apartment. He
’
d always get
a call and have to leave. I got angry a few times, but then he
’
d stay. All night. As it would
turn out, his
…”

Natalie turned her head and sucked
in a breath.

“
Hey,
it
’
s okay,
”
Van said.
“
I
’
m
not here to judge you.
”

“
Other
than you calling me names when you were drunk.
”

“
I
spoke the truth. And I think I was right.
”

“
I
hate you for that.
”

“
I
know,
”
Van said.

A few seconds passed by.

“
His
wife
…
is some executive or
something. She had conferences. She
’
d
leave and that
’
s when Mark
would actually sleep over. Because he knew she wouldn
’
t find out.
”

Natalie gritted her teeth. Van
reached over and took the coffee mug out of her hand. He put it down and
touched Natalie
’
s cheek.

“
I
fucking hate that guy,
”
Van
said.
“
So much. But you
know what? This conversation is
…”

“
Don
’
t,
”
Natalie said.
“
Don
’
t be sweet and romantic.
Whatever. Because when I found out he was married
…
I.
Didn
’
t. Stop.
”

Van felt a twisting in his heart.
He never saw the story from this side before. From the one who couldn
’
t just let go. From the one who
knew the difference between right and wrong and went for it anyway.

“
Why
didn
’
t you stop?
”
Van asked.

“
Because
I didn
’
t. I thought maybe
Mark would keep good on his word and leave her for me. They were forever
getting divorced, but I don
’
t
think they were ever close. Last I knew his wife knew of me and probably
others. And she didn
’
t
leave him.
”

“
So
you competed with her?
”

“
I
guess you could say that.
”

“
For
a guy that wasn
’
t even good
looking?
”

“
Look,
Van, I don
’
t need
judgement.
”

“
Says
the naked woman in my bed,
”
he remarked.
“
You just love
falling over, don
’
t you?
”

“
What
does that mean?
”

“
You
use it for an excuse I bet. That
’
s
your catalyst for never getting ahead.
”

“
Seriously?
”

“
What?
”

“
That
’
s what you want to say right
now?
”

“
I
already said it,
”
Van said.

That little heart racing feeling
from a minute ago was still there, but now he couldn't help but see something -
someone
- else.

“
Let
’
s talk about something else,
”
Natalie suggested.

“
Yeah,
you don
’
t like the truth.
You didn
’
t like it when I
said it before. Just because I was drunk doesn
’
t
mean what I said didn
’
t
come from a place of honesty.
”

“
So
I
’
m a whore?
”

“
You
keep using that word and I never said it. Not even close. Maybe you should ask
yourself why you keep using that word. Is that what you think?
”

Van
…

It was too late now.

Natalie threw the covers off
herself and rushed from the bed. She dropped to her knees and started to gather
her clothes.

“
Leaving
so soon?
”
Van asked,
knowing he was just being a complete ass.

“
I
should have never come over,
”
Natalie said.
“
I just
wanted you to know
…
I
thought you
’
d understand. I
thought you
’
d give a damn.
But you got what you wanted from me. So
…
yeah
…”

“
I
’
m going to grab a shower,
”
Van said. He felt that sting of
regret but refused to acknowledge it. This was better off with Natalie leaving
pissed off.
“
Care to join
me?
’

“
Please,
”
Natalie said.
“
You have a hand. Enjoy it.
”

Van grinned.
“
You
’
re pretty when you act tough. If I want anything
that bad, there
’
s a line
out the door.
”

Natalie gasped. Her face looked
pale.

Yeah, Van, you basically just
did call her a whore.

“
I
didn
’
t
…
I
…”

Van stood up and stormed out of the
room. He was pissed and he had no reason to be. At least not at Natalie.
Christ, hadn
’
t she opened
her heart to him? Hadn
’
t
she confessed a dark secret?

Van took a shower with the frail
hopes that Natalie would still be there when he got out of the shower. Then he
could say something. Hell, maybe he could have his turn to talk about Vanessa.

When Van stepped out of the
bathroom, he looked up and down the hallway. It was way too quiet.

The living room, empty. The dining
room, empty. The kitchen, empty. The expansive apartment was empty. It was
usually how Van liked it, especially after a night with a woman. But when he
walked into the bedroom, he froze. Natalie
’
s
coffee mug was on the nightstand. And she left the long t-shirt that Van had
given her right there on the messy bed.

Van stood there in a towel, in the
empty apartment.

Nothing felt right. Hell, nothing
had felt right in a long damn time.

And then to make matters worse, his
cell phone started to ring.

It was Vanessa calling.

**

Natalie purposely let the day waste
by. There was no need to look out the window. No need to answer her phone. The
day was meant for a blanket, a pillow, and any kind of movie or TV show that
would take her mind away. She settled on some random channel with some guy
talking about the agriculture system and how to sustain an organic ecosystem
…

It was just words. Words were good
as they seeped into Natalie
’
s
mind. For just a damn second she had been considering letting herself get close
to Van. To maybe extend that offer of trust. Hear his story. Be there for him.
Work out some kind of arrangement where they could understand each other
’
s pain. But Van obviously wanted
nothing to do with that.

The only time Natalie moved from
the couch was when there was a knock at the door that woke her. She wrapped a
blanket tight around her body. She checked her phone and saw that it was almost
nighttime already. There was a message from Andrea about another catering job.

Wonderful. I can struggle less to
figure out next month
’
s
rent.