Page 111 of Hate to Love You

“When?” I can barely force out the word. My heart beats erratically under my breast.

“Yesterday,” Dad says. “We talked for about thirty minutes.”

Brody stopped by the day after we broke up? That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he do that?

Tears fill my eyes. I couldn’t stop them from falling if I tried.

“Nat?” Concerned, Dad asks, “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head and wipe the moisture from my eyes with the back of my hand. “Nothing.”

“That young man really cares about you,” he comments. “Is he your boyfriend?” He watches me carefully from across the table. I’m sure he’s trying to figure out what’s going on.

“No,” I whisper. “He’s not.” Saying those words feels like being knifed in the heart. Pain floods through every part of my body. For the second time, I bolt from the bench and gather up my bag. “I have to go, Dad. I’m sorry.”

He rises with me, his face marred with concern and confusion. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

My mind is so filled with Brody that I can barely concentrate on what he’s saying. “I’ll be fine.” I’m no more than a few steps away from him when I spin back around and blurt, “Is it possible for me to borrow your car?”

“Sure.” He doesn’t even hesitate, just fishes the keys from his pocket and throws them to me.

I catch them in my hand and start walking backward. “How will you get back to work?”

“I’ll Uber it.”

The edges of my lips lift. “Do you know how to do that?”

“I’ll figure it out.” He shrugs. “How difficult can it be?”

I smile. “Thanks, Dad.”

He points toward the street. “I’m parked up a block on Denison. Now, get moving. I’ll see you later when you drop the car off. Maybe then you can explain what’s going on.”

“I will!” With those words shouted over my shoulder, I take off running.

I only hope that when I find Brody, he’ll hear me out and give me a chance to explain. Maybe it’s too late for us to get back together, but he needs to know that my feelings run so much deeper than I let on.

Chapter Forty-Four

Natalie

I throw my dad’s Honda Accord into park and cut the engine. Butterflies swarm my belly, giving me a nauseous feeling. On the way over, I rehearsed everything I wanted to say. I had the whole spiel worked out in my head. But now, as I sit in front of Brody’s house, I can’t remember a single word.

I’m concerned that he won’t give me the chance to explain myself. And I can’t really blame him for that. Even now, two days later, the look of pain that flashed across his face when I told him that I didn’t have the same kind of feelings for him leaves me cringing.

Coming here feels like a huge risk.

A mistake.

But…

I can’t not tell Brody how I feel. I can’t let him think that I don’t care about him, because I do. So much that it hurts my heart.

I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and suck in a deep breath before expelling it slowly.

Okay. I can do this. I can—

Knuckles rap loudly on the driver’s side window.

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