Caught in the Middle

Chapter 27

"Excuse us for a second," Irene said to Harlan while pushing up from her seat in haste. Then she grabbed my wrist, pulling me from where I sat and headed straight into the kitchen.

Once there, she let go my hand and looked at me as though I grew antlers on my head. I tried my best not to flinch under her scrutiny. "What the heck did you get yourself into?"

This was not what I needed. I wanted to sleep but staying in her place meant that I could at least give her an explanation. "I dated the wrong man."

"Wait." Irene blinked her eyes. "You dated Nathan Pierce?"

Disbelief was evident on her pretty face.

I exhaled a breath while averting my attention to one of the kitchen cabinets. "Yes." I glanced back at her. "It happened by accident. I didn't think he would be in the emails."

"Oh my gosh!" Irene exclaimed while slapping a hand to her forehead. Her voice was so loud that Harlan rushed into the kitchen. Seeing the space occupied by the both of us, he remained standing at a distance.

My friend didn't notice him as she turned to me. "Of all times to start listening to me," she started to accuse me.

"Oh, please don't-."

"Seriously, you always disregard anything I have to say and then this." She waved her hands into the air.

I worked on inhaling and exhaling breaths to keep calm.

"And you're going to blame me for this or this is going to get out into the public and everything I worked so hard for will go down the drain."

Viewing I was of no use, Harlan made his move. I backed up while letting Irene have her tirade. The lawyer put his hands on her slender shoulders, stilling her. Her head titled to him, her eyes widening. "Irene, sweety, let's just sit down."

I took their little moment as my cue to walk back straight into the living room. Taking in the soft and comfortable couch, I took off whatever was on my feet and threw myself on the feathery surface. I gathered one of the pillows and pulled it to me. Not bothering to put the pillow under my head, I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

***

Whisperings and the smell of the most delicious aroma of food, had me opening my eyes. I blinked away the brightness peering from the windows of Irene's apartment.

I took my time to stretch my body, letting the bones cracked at my awkward display of sleep when my feet hit a barrier. Instantly, I sat up and I shook a wave of dizziness.

"You must be hungry," said a low, masculine tone. For a second my heart skipped a beat, but then looking at the male who placed a cup of tea and a plate of hot pancakes, bacon and eggs on the coffee table wasn't the same man I grew close to. There were no glittery blue eyes or that black hair or the hint of amusement on his handsome face.

My heart lurched, and although I was hungry, I couldn't stop the disappointment from overtaking me.

"Not hungry?"

I forced a smile on my face. "Yes, I am."

Shifting my legs under me, I reached out for the plate. I thought Harlan was going to return into the kitchen, so it was to my utter shock that he sat down next to me.

Self-consciously, I reached for the fork and started with the easiest food on my plate to eat. The eggs.

After a while of munching, I put the fork down. Harlan appeared in deep mull to not hear the sound of the utensil clanging against the plate.

"How is she?" I asked, hoping to break the silence.

Not getting a reaction from him, I placed the plate of food on my lap and nudged him gently with my elbow. He raised his head, coming to himself before watching me.

"How is she?" I asked again.

"She's fine." I would believe him if he sounded more convincing.

I sighed, no longer feeling hungry. I removed the plate from my lap and put it on the table. "Look," I began. "I got into something really big. If both of you have change in feelings, then I'm okay with it." It just meant that I had to find Dane and hope he was still willing to help me.

He shook his head. "We are more than okay to help you...."

"But..."

"We weren't expecting to go against him, Nathan Pierce."

"I understand."

"And there's more."

I paused.

"He's a notorious business man, yes. But every case filed against him, he has won it."

My heart faltered.

"There's a good chance we won't win this case."

And everything about Harlan being a lawyer would ride on my case.

I brought my hands to my face to cover the sudden grief I felt. I realized, I didn't take the time to weep about my situation like normal people. I was too busy trying to fight the attraction I felt with Dane and then somehow, he made me forget everything.

I started slightly laughing to myself. Okay, I did cry in jail but in the other moments with Dane....

"When did I start feeling like this?"

"Like what?" the lawyer asked me.

"My life was my own until a few days ago."

My life was boring, safe and it was full of the same routines. But my heart quickened, and I showed a colorful display of emotions. I've ran back and forth through Manhattan, and experienced first times.

My laughter turned into tears. "I'm sorry," I said with a cracked voice.

"I understand, it's normal."

"No." I didn't cry like this. I hardly felt any emotions at all. That was the price of a safe, jaded life where everything was predictable.

And ironically, despite the vivid feelings, I wanted to experience more of them with a certain someone at my side.

"I miss him," I confessed. My mouth opened and I stared at Harlan with wonder.

"You miss Nathan Pierce?"

Did I just say what I least expected?

The lawyer looked lost for words. He, clearly, was thinking that I formed some twisted feelings for the one who was trying to ruin my life.

I laughed again. I must appear like a nut job to him.

But my laughter couldn't stop and before I knew it, my legs were on the couch, my arms wrapped around my legs and my face was buried into the limbs.

The image I presented to him, one could wonder.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard a new voice popped in.

"I don't know," the attorney replied. "One minute we're discussing the possible outcomes of the case and the next she..."

"She's what?"

"She misses him and starts acting like this?"

There was a moment of silence besides my laughter and my fits of hilariousness just wouldn't die down.

"Oh gosh! No way! Tessa fell in love with Nathan Pierce," Irene concluded.