Page 60 of Here In Your Arms

Fuck, what is he doing here? He hates shit like this. Maybe it’s not him. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.

“Let’s go check out another area,” I suggest, pulling Kyle with me toward the exit near us.

He follows along without complaint, and we find ourselves in the exact opposite type of climate. Super humid rainforest type climate. It’s not a hot one, thankfully, but they do have a warm tropical climate room here too. The flowers are gorgeous and in full bloom; we must have come at the right time of the year. All kinds of colors splash amongst the greenery and it’s hard to decide where I want to look.

Kyle is pointing out a bright purple bloom up high when I feel someone bump into me from behind. The momentum forces me to stumble forward a step before I’m able to catch myself. I’m kind of pissed now, but maybe it was an accident. I turn to see who it was and stop cold.

“Nathan.”

He takes a slow perusal of my body, starting at the top of my head, dragging his gaze down to my feet, then back up again. Kyle tenses beside me and his hand lands on the small of my back, a reassuring presence. A sneer appears on Nathan’s face.

“Who’s this, E?”

Kyle, somehow pulling manners from somewhere, holds his hand out. “Kyle, her boyfriend. You are?”

If we weren’t staring at the man who made my life a nightmare for a full year, I’d be swooning at the fact that Kyle essentially claimed me. He’s right, he and Wes have been my boyfriends for a couple weeks now in everything but name.

Let’s be honest, they were mine the first time we had sex.

“Her actual boyfriend.” Nathan sneers, refusing to take Kyle’s hand.

Kyle glances down at me, looking a bit unsure, so I subtly shake my head ‘no’, hoping he picks up on the fact that Nathan is not my boyfriend. I get a small head nod in return, and I focus back on Nathan. The entire exchange takes less than three seconds, but he notices and I can see some red starting to creep up his neck.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, surprised at how strong my voice comes through.

“Just taking a nice, leisurely stroll through the gardens. Why do you ask?”

“You never go to the gardens.”

He clicks his tongue at me in disappointment. “Now, now, I just never wanted to subject you to the crowds. I’ve always enjoyed coming here. I stayed away for your benefit.”

“No, that’s not—”

He holds up a hand to stop me. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind doing what was best for you. I get it.”

Kyle takes a small step forward, putting himself slightly between me and Nathan. “Did you need something?”

“E here hasn’t texted me back. I was getting worried she forgot about me.” Nathan’s eyes don’t move from my face.

“Don’t call me that!” I snap back at him.

“You put up with this attitude?”

Kyle sneers. “It’s called being a person with preferences and opinions. Clearly you don’t understand how that works.”

“Better watch it, or she’ll start disrespecting the wrong person.”

“You should leave,” Kyle grinds out, his teeth clenched together.

Nathan smirks. “See you around.”

He walks off and I can feel the adrenaline leave my body and the shaking starts. What the hell was that about? My mind starts to whirl with worry on how to explain this to Kyle. He’s not dumb; he’ll be able to tell there’s history between us. I don’t want to think about it, and I don’t want to drag Kyle or Wes into things. Nathan stalking me at my job is one thing, but running into him at a place I know he hates is different.

Kyle turns and puts his hands on my shoulders, peering at me before he pulls me in close and wraps me up in his arms. Mine instinctively move to hold him close and we stand there while my shaking subsides. He places a small, sweet kiss on the top of my head, and after a few minutes, we break apart.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurt out, and a tear starts down my face.

Kyle looks horrified. “Why? You have nothing to be sorry for!”

---