Page 64 of Broken-Hearted

“After what you just told me?” I snort. “Absolutely not.”

His expression is thoughtful. “I’ll consider it. The twins will be walking more soon and I’d rather spend time with them than be dealing with contractors.”

Everyone has gathered in the kitchen. They’re standing around the kitchen island, sitting at the dining table, or kicking their legs on top of the counters, and it isloud.

They pass around chip bags, make sandwiches, and laugh and talk with each other between sips of their sodas.

“Want a sandwich, peach?” Nathan calls out, hopping down from a kitchen counter.

“Peach?” Gavin asks.

I shake my head. “It’s just a nickname.”

No one needs to know how it originated.

“Because?” Hallee asks.

Nathan places me on the counter. “Just because. How about a roast beef and mustard sandwich?”

My stomach lets out a happy gurgle. “Sounds good.”

He places a can of soda in my hand and spends more time making me laugh than making me this promised roast beef sandwich, but that’s okay. I will always take one of Nathan’s smiles over a sandwich.

16

When I’m not in bed driven crazy by Nathan Blackshaw’s ability to make me comeandmake me laugh, he’s dragging me out of the cabin to explore Hardin and hang out with his pack.

Suddenly, my life is so busy and happy and so full, I forget about the itchy feet I’m supposed to have.

Nathan is making me breakfast as I pretend not to watch him since he’s shirtless, and I have no intention of being caught staring.Again. He’s wearing sweatpants low, and his hair is disheveled from where I ran my hand through it.

He peers over his shoulder. “Peach?”

I slam my eyes shut and let out a loud snore.

He chuckles as his footsteps approach my bed.

I’m half expecting him to kiss me. He finds any excuse to cradle the back of my head and draw me in for a kiss so luscious that I will never stop anticipating it.

The bed dips slightly as he sits on the edge, and I feel his gaze sweep over my face.

“I didn’t think I would ever be happy again until I met you.”

His words are so sweet and genuine that there’s no way I can pretend to sleep anymore.

I open my eyes and he smiles. “Knew you were faking.”

Again. He said again.

I don’t return his smile. “Someone hurt you.”

“In a way. It wasn’t intentional, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.”

The source of his pain. It’s not as sharp as it was before, and I’d desperately like to think it’s because I’m making him happy. “This doesn’t feel like fun anymore.”

It hasn’t for a while. It’s starting to feel real.

He slowly nods. “Yeah. But sometimes there’s more to things than just fun.” I wait, sensing he hasn’t finished speaking yet. “I don’t always want to be a joker. Sometimes I want to be something else.”

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