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“You okay there, Iz? You look green.”
My attention snaps back to Evan who was in the middle of telling me about his plans to stick around Dallas for a few weeks of vacation. He’s an airline pilot and basically works year-round, but he’s got some time saved up and for some reason wants to use it now.
“I’m fine. Just sleep-deprived,” I say. Nathan smirks, because he knows exactly why I got no sleep last night. “It’s just been a long day. That’s great. We’d love to hang out with Uncle Evan for a few weeks.” I try to keep the suspicion out of my voice, but he’s up to something. I can tell.
“Great,” Evan agrees “Starting with Rory and my trip to the mall tomorrow while you two shop.”
I roll my eyes. “Thanks for reminding me.”
We chat for a while longer. At some point, I notice that Rory has passed out on the couch, probably from the stress of the day—stitches and all. Evan makes an excuse that he has to be up early and leaves—I know this is on purpose, but my pleading looks go ignored, and soon it’s Nathan and I, alone, in his weirdly empty house.
“I’ll help put this all away. Then we’ll get out of your hair.” I gather the to-go boxes, needing to keep busy so I don’t have to think too hard about how domestic this all is— Rory on the couch, Nathan throwing a ball for Murphy in the yard—nope, not going there.
“Izzy…” He tosses the ball one last time and trots after me into the kitchen like a golden retriever—or a golden wide receiver…. see what I did there? Ugh, I need sleep.
I shove the boxes in the fridge beside a dozen others. Clearly, Nathan doesn’t cook. I feel him come up behind me, but I can’t bring myself to turn around. I’m too worried he will see the guilt in my eyes. “Thank you for being there today. I appreciate it.”
He touches my shoulder, turning me around to face him. He gives me one of his soft looks that he so rarely shows, his square jaw set in concern. “Don’t rush off again. You’ve been rushing off for years, now. Just stay.” His fingers brush down my bare arms and fall away. “Have a drink with me. Tell me what happened.”
“What do you mean what happened?” I ask, playing dumb. Maybe if I play dumb long enough he’ll just give up.
With a roll of his eyes, he reaches past me, grabbing two beers from the fridge. “You know exactly what I mean. Come on, we’ll go sit back on the deck and you can tell me more about Rory.”
I feel numb as I follow him back outside. Everything this week has moved so fast I’m getting whiplash. I sit on the sofa and take the beer when he offers it. “What do you want to know?”
The sofa dips as he sits beside me. There’s nowhere to sit but right beside me. He truly needs more furniture. I can feel the warmth coming off his body, that’s how close we’re sitting. It makes my skin tingle despite my mind’s protests. This man has a girlfriend, it’s the last protest I have and I’m clinging to it like a lifeline, because without it I could just fall into his arms here and now.
“Start at the beginning,” he says, popping open his beer. “Why did you run off without even saying goodbye?”
“That’s the beginning?” I say, choosing to watch Murphy playing instead of looking at the man beside me.
“Good a place as any.” He leans back, draping an arm along the back of the sofa behind me.
I sit forward, avoiding any contact, because I can’t let myself forget that I have a secret that will crush this man. There’s no use pretending there could ever be anything here between us. I’d seen to that. Not that I still want him or anything…
Who am I kidding? I’ll always want Nathan Sterling, but I made my choice a long time ago. “Uh, I met someone right after graduation… it didn’t work out… are you sure you want to hear about this? I mean… you know how this story goes. I got pregnant. Ran away to Dallas. Nothing more to tell.” Despite my best efforts, my eyes dart to him, needing to see his reaction to this.
He presses his lips together, eyes narrowing, as if the thought of me with someone else matters to him. “Who was he? Rory’s father. Anyone I know?”
“No,” I say, already not liking where this is heading.
“He isn’t a part of Rory’s life?”
Finally, a question I can answer honestly. “No, he isn’t.”
It’s not until he asks his next question that I truly think he might’ve figured me out… and suddenly it’s here again. The moment I’ve been silently dreading for seven years. A moment I’d come to think would never happen. I can’t breathe.
“So, Rory is seven… when’s her birthday?” Nathan waits for my answer, eyes doing that thing where they take apart my face feature by feature. He’s holding his breath just like I am.
“March,” I say, my voice cracking in my dry throat.
His brows shoot up. “Wow… you really did move on fast.” My heart sinks. I’m not sure what’s worse. Him thinking I used him like that, or the thought of him knowing the truth.
I should be relieved that he didn’t ask me point blank if Rory is his… but, weirdly, I’m not. My thoughts on all of this are so turned around that my migraine from earlier is returning, pounding at my temples.
I shift so I’m facing him. “What even happened that night? You never showed any interest in me. Then, you just swoop in like a knight in shining armor on prom night?”
“Never showed any interest?” Those bottomless eyes widen, swirling with emotion. “Izzy, I was always interested. You made me so nervous I could barely think straight when you were around. I still can’t—” He takes a calming breath. “I couldn’t stand the thought of your prom being ruined by that jerk you went with. You should’ve been there with me in the first place.” He reaches out, hooking a finger beneath my chin. I allow it, because his eyes have cast that familiar spell on me. The one that holds me captive and makes me forget everything else. When he looks at me like that I’m the only girl in the world. “That night meant everything to me.” His fingers fall away. “I thought you felt the same… but then you acted like it was nothing.”
