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“Celeste, I said I’m fine.” I didn’t meet her apologetic gaze. “You deserve to be happy.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want it to change things between us. I’ve really liked having you around, Harleigh. I don’t make girlfriends easily, or at all, really.” She toyed with the ties of her shorts.
“I’ll be here,” I said.
It’s not like I had anywhere else to go.
“I think I’m going to head up to the roof.”
“Are we that bad?” Guilt glittered in Celeste’s eyes. But it really wasn’t about her, it was about me.
“It’s new and exciting and you don’t want me cramping your style. Besides, I—”
The doorbell rang and we both glanced down the hall toward the door.
“Expecting someone?” I asked her, and she shook her head.
“I’ll go see who it is.”
I used the moment to grab a bottle of water and a granola bar and head for the stairs. But a voice gave me pause.
“Mulligan invited me.”
“Nate?” I spun around and marched toward the door. “Seriously?”
“I’m guessing Mulligan didn’t tell you he invited me.”
“No, he didn’t.” I ground out, glancing at Celeste.
She balked. “Don’t look at me, I had no idea either. But now that you’re here, I guess you can—”
“Celeste!”
I didn’t want to hang out with Nate again. Not after last night. But the overbearing ass stepped into the house and held up beers and a bag of snacks. “I grabbed a bunch of stuff.”
“We have food, Nate.” Celeste smothered a laugh.
“Yeah, but it’s rude to turn up empty-handed.”
They both looked at me expectantly.
“Fine.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “Whatever.”
“‘Nice to see you too, Maguire.” He smirked, slipping around me, and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Sorry. I didn’t know,” Celeste said.
“It’s fine.” It wasn’t, but whatever.
Something told me even if I took off up to the roof, Nate would only follow me, so I let Celeste slip her arm through mine and lay her head on my shoulder. “He’s not so bad.”
“You’ve had a change of heart.”
“Yeah, it’s weird. I thought he was another Marc Denby type. But I don’t know, there’s something about him.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” It pained me to say the words, but she was right.
There was more to Nate Miller than met the eye.
