Page 78 of Electric Touch

Adrestia: Me too

Adrestia: I’d like you to come

Nash: Then I’ll come x

I let him know the time we’re due to land and where. Once we’ve seen everything, the chopper turns around and heads back to where we set off from.

Ariella waves at Mama as the chopper settles. “Her hair is a mess,” she laughs. She’s right, the wind from the rotor blades have blown her hair all over the place.

We take off our headsets and Ariella hugs me tight. The door opens and Marshall is there to help us out. My legs are like jelly as Mama and Hank come over. Ariella tells them everything we saw. I hand her my phone so she can show them pictures as we head back to the car.

A familiar car is parked a little further back with an even more familiar man standing beside it. He holds up a hand when he spots me. I ask my family to excuse me for a second and head over. Nash has a soft smile on his face, but I can see the tension too. I don’t hesitate. I throw my arms around him as I reach him. For a second, he is too shocked to do anything, then his arms come up around me too.

“You have no idea,” I say against his neck. “I can’t thank you enough.”

Nash leans back and lifts his hands to cup my cheeks. He wipes an errant tear away with the pad of his thumb. He doesn’t understand why I’m so emotional. When he opens his mouth to ask, Ariella screams my name. Followed by, “Is that your boyfriend?”

I put a hand over my eyes and laugh. Nash still has one arm around me. He smiles, a brow raised as he pulls me into his side. I don’t care who is watching right now. I lean forward and kiss him. It’s brief, but it’s not the kind of kiss you would give a friend.

“You ready for this?” I ask. “I should have told you my mama and Hank would be here.” I cringe a little that I didn’t forewarn him.

“It’s fine. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone.”

“Ariella is going to ask a million questions, but Mama will be worse.”

“Should I be afraid?”

“Very,” I grin. “You want to run?”

“Nope.” He lowers his arm, but takes hold of my hand. “I’m a dick. I know I messed up.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, I’m a dick?”

I mock shrug as if to say, you said it, then shoulder nudge him.

“I want to talk about it, to apologise properly. Later, if that is okay?”

“I’m far too happy to be mad right now,” I pull on his hand. “Come on, I’m starving. And you don’t want an entire family of Greek women getting hungry.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

It’s been a long time since I’ve been a part of a family dinner.

Adrestia’s family is… different. Her sister is feisty and loves nothing more than to wind her sister up. Once she realised who I was, she gave Adrestia so much shit for keeping it a secret from her. She also thanked me for the trip of a lifetime, as she kept calling it. And for putting the huge smile on Adrestia’s face. She winked when she said that, making sure her sister wasn’t looking. I like her, but can tell she’s trouble.

Like Adrestia warned, Dafni, her mom has asked me a million questions since we sat down. I’m pretty sure she is going to call my mom and thank her for raising such a wonderful man. She’s told me more than enough times. Adrestia tries not to laugh. Especially when Dafni keeps making sure I’m eating. Not only what I ordered, but some of everyone else’s meals. And she keeps pushing bread and olives at me, ordering more before I even get to say I’m good. I’m going to be so stuffed up on carbs I won’t eat for days. I’ll need to go do a serious workout at the gym.

Hank, her stepdad, tells me to go with it, patting his stomach, which is a little more padded than mine. I’m having a great time. I haven’t laughed so hard for ages. Adrestia is a different person with her family, but nothing less than I would expect. She is super attentive to Ariella, and very close with her stepdad. Although she bickers with her mom, it’s all good natured.

My brother and I are close. We couldn’t work and live together twenty-four seven without killing one another if we weren’t. Dylan is still pissed with me. Before, he was irritated with Riley. Now he’s angry at me. Riley has been distant and aloof since the night at the club.

I’d expected her grovelling, wanting to make it up to me. That was my ego talking because she’s not said a single word to me. She’s been standoffish, done nothing to approach me and talk about it or apologise. I’m not sure if she is attending the therapy the label suggested. I know my weekend away with Declan cleared the shit up in my head.

Being out in Montauk was an eye opener. After I arranged the surprise for Adrestia, I pushed everything else out of my head. The amount of songs I’d written while we were there still shocks me.

I couldn’t escape the shit altogether, and did a lot of soul searching and thinking about societal norms. People will tell me it’s too soon, especially given I’ve been bemoaning the fact Riley moved on so quickly. I can’t say this is serious between me and Adrestia, but I also don’t want to dismiss it as something to bide my time. Or get over my ex. If she’ll let me, I want to see where it goes.

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