Page 17 of Unexpected Ever After

Nolan nods. “Yes, thank you.”

He reaches forward, slides the window closed, then draws me next to him, his body pushed against mine. We pull away from the curb and head toward the loop, and he stares out the window with an almost forlorn look in his eyes, so different from the playful and flirty attitude he’s had so far this evening.

“It really is a beautiful city.”

His words hold a melancholy that makes an ache form in my chest. I look out the window, too, trying to see what he does, instead of the place I feel trapped in.

“It can be. It can also be dirty, violent, and harsh.”

He offers a sad smile. “That’s all true, too, even so, I'm going to miss it.”

Miss it?

“You’re leaving?”

It shouldn’t matter. After tomorrow morning, I won’t ever see him again, regardless of whether he’s in Chicago or not. Still, the words make me shift restlessly on the seat.

“Yeah.” He brushes his fingers across my exposed arm slowly. “I leave Sunday. Now that I'm done with law school, it’s time to return home.”

I don't ask him where home is, even though the question sits on the tip of my tongue. “Wow. Not hanging around too long. Huh?”

Nolan shakes his head. “We have a family business. Well, a lot of them, actually. And my father is the attorney for all of it. Dealing with the family shit is more than a full-time job. He really needs me there.” His hand stills against my skin, and he gets a faraway look for a moment, like he’s seeing his future. “I'll take the bar in July and will start appearing in court as soon as I’m sworn in, but there's enough for me to do in the meantime that doesn't require me to have my license yet. Dad needs my help.”

It sounds like it’s all laid out nicely for him—so different from where I find myself, constantly wondering what my life can be when it feels like a noose keeps tightening around my neck.

“Shouldn’t you be packing instead of hanging out with me tonight?”

He lowers his head to mine, grazing his lips against my ear. “There’s no place else I’d rather be.” Pulling his head back, he grins. “Besides, I already have my place packed up and the movers scheduled to come Monday. My landlord will let them in and get them sent on their way.”

“Wow. Anxious to get home, then?”

Something flashes across his eyes—a look of longing mixed with trepidation, and he offers me a tight smile. “Sort of. My family can be…demanding.”

I chuckle and shake my head, pushing my hair back behind my ear. “I feel you on that. I've lived here my whole life under the very watchful eye of my parents, who treat me like a child no matter how old I get.”

He raises his eyebrows. “You don't seem like the type to let anyone keep you on a leash.”

I interlock my fingers with his, where they rest against my exposed thigh. “I appreciate you saying that, but really, it's a constant battle. More often than not, I lose.”

“I’m surprised you lose at anything after the way you just ran that table.”

That draws a laugh from my throat, and I shrug. “To be honest, some of my parents’ concerns are warranted, so it’s hard to fight them on certain things.”

He nods, but no one will ever be able to understand it unless they live it. And no one lives the way I do. No one should have to. I won’t waste my breath, trying to explain it to Nolan, though. It would give away too much, and tonight isn’t about any of that.

We stop at a red light on the corner near the Chicago Cultural Center, and he leans forward slightly, staring up at it.

“Do you know the history of the Cultural Center building?”

I glance at it as we pass. “Yeah. Fascinating, isn't it?”

“The history and architecture here are two of the reasons I chose Chicago to come to law school when I had plenty of other options. There’s just something about these old buildings that draws me to them.”

Another question sits on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it back.

Don’t delve too deep.

Getting too interested in the man I’m walking away from in a few hours isn’t a good idea. I curl my fingers into my hand to stop myself from asking and instead focus on the other major draw to this city. “Do you ever spend any time down by the lake?”

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