Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97073 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
She nods exaggeratedly. “You can’t keep track of him. I mean, I swear he’s in one room then the next second, he’s clear across the house. It’s nonstop all bloody day. You’d think I load him up on sweets, but it’s just the way he is!”
“He gives me a run for my money,” Mike adds with a little chuff.
Freya bumps her shoulder into his, smiling up at him. “Mike’s good with him though.”
I’m watching them with a lazy smile, enjoying how sweet they are with each other.
Nate finishes the last of his beer, drops it on the table, and stands. “Summer, you ready?”
Oh.
Right.
I hadn’t even considered the fact that he’d be driving me home. Now that I think of it, I’m not sure how I planned to get home without Nate. It’s dark outside and I have no flashlight other than the tiny one on my phone. I suppose I could have asked Alice for a ride, assuming she has a car, but well…I have no choice but to stand.
“Yes, right. Okay.”
I make sure to grab my bags and offer to pay, but apparently, Nate’s already taken care of it. He’s covered everyone’s dinner, actually. It’s kind and the group thanks him, but he clears his throat like the whole thing makes him a little uncomfortable.
As I do my round of goodbyes, I ask Freya to see a picture of Jack. She’s scrolling through an endless album of photos on her phone when Nate touches my elbow.
“I’m worried about the snow. Let’s set out.”
“Yes, yes. Sorry.”
Alice comes over to give me a hug, and I thank her quickly for inviting me to dinner.
“Of course. Don’t be a stranger. It was nice having another girl around. The testosterone gets to be a bit much with this group.”
I laugh, but I don’t promise to see her again, because frankly I’m not sure what’s about to happen. With Nate’s mood so hard to discern, there’s a chance I’ll never see this lovely group of people again. What a shame that’d be. I can’t remember the last time I had such a nice dinner, Nate’s sulking aside…
Outside, he walks a few yards in front of me, heading for his car like he’s on a mission to leave me behind. I clench my jaw and pick up my pace. I’m forced to rush after him even though the sidewalk is slick with ice and snow. My boots slip out from underneath me once, but I recover. Now he’s even farther ahead, and if only he’d slow down—
The second time my boots lose traction, I’m not so lucky. I land on the ground with a graceless “Oomph,” splayed out like a starfish. If there’s pain—blood, guts, those sorts of things—it takes a back seat to my embarrassment.
I tilt my head to the left to see my bags have spilled open. The book I bought at Alice’s shop today is now soaked through and ruined. My bottom lip wobbles.
Nate rushes back, his face coming over mine. He’s nice again, the Nate underneath the hard exterior, all that concealed emotion evident in his blue eyes. “Are you okay?”
I can’t look at him. I squeeze my eyes closed. “Uh-huh.”
“How did you land? On your elbow?”
On my butt. It will bruise, as will my ego, but everything else is fine. Unfortunately. How nice would a mild concussion be right now? Amnesia, even!
“Can you get up?” he asks gently.
I don’t want to. I want to lie on these cold uneven cobblestones until I freeze into a solid block of ice.
Nate bends down to take hold of my upper arms, hoisting me up until I’m standing and dripping. Melted snow covers the back half of my body. My hair is soaked.
He keeps his hands on my arms, steadying me like he’s worried I’ll topple over again. He leans down, his eyes level with mine. He’s wincing now. “Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have helped you to the car.”
My embarrassment morphs into indignation in the blink of an eye. I yank my arms out of his hold and scowl at him. “Yes, you should have, instead of acting like a jerk huffing and puffing all night. Is it that big of a deal that I ate dinner with your friends? I was perfectly good company. You were the one sulking all night!”
The apology in his eyes disappears in an instant. Suddenly, we’re adversaries again.
He bends to collect my things and shoves it all back into my bags. I want him to go away, but when we start to walk, he stays right by me, making sure if I go down, he’ll be close enough to catch me. Little does he know, if I’m going down, I’m taking him down with me. Oh, and those chocolate bars I bought earlier, yeah…he’s not getting any of them!