Page 100 of Meet Me at the Metro

Besides, I know she’s too damn stubborn to move, so I grumble, “Fine.”

“There’s only you.”

The confession makes me grip my cloth-wrapped hand a little tighter.

This girl has such a way with words that it’s dangerous. She knows exactly what to say to make my body go lax and defenseless—she knows exactly how to put a stop to my restless thoughts and quiet my mind.

“I didn’t kiss him, okay? He kissed me, and it’s just not fair of you to be mad at me for that—something out of my control.”

“But you’re still hanging around him. Hell, you brought him here with you tonight. What the hell am I supposed to think of that?”

“He’s my friend… one of the only ones I’ve made at school. When he kissed me, it was a heat of the moment kind of thing. He just misread things between us.”

I wince. “Misread things?Is that supposed to make me feel any better?”

Just the thought of her having a flicker of the chemistry we have with someone else makes my stomach coil.

“I was hoping that it would,” she sighs. “We’re just friends, Theo. I swear. We sorted things out. I told him about you. About us. He’s apologized. It won’t happen again. I promise you.”

I give myself a moment to let that sink in and process everything that’s been said. It’s never been and never will be my place to tell Nora who and who she can’t hang out with, despite how much the thought of that guy’s lips on hers makes my skin crawl.

“I would never put you through what John put me through.Ever.”

My damn heart drops into my stomach. Deep down, I know Nora’s too good of a person to ever hurt someone the way he made her hurt.

I draw her toward me and embrace her tightly, appreciating how she allows her head to rest against my chest like it’s second nature.

I rest my chin against the crown of her head and confess, “I trust you, Nora.”

“You promise me? I need you to believe me on this—trust me.”

“I promise.”

The cool wind blows past us, whipping Nora’s honey-brown hair off her shoulders. I smooth the dark, tousled strands down, and she looks up at me with a content smile. “You’re not mad at me?”

I shake my head. “No, but… your friend can go fuck himself.”

Her laugh steals every ounce of heaviness still lingering between us away.

“And I swear, if I find out he tries to kiss you aga—”

“Would you stop, you jealous ass? It’s not going to happen!”

“It better not.”

“It’s not. You know, I actually think you two would get along well.”

“The fuck we would!”

She chuckles and nods toward my hand. “We need to get you bandaged up, bartender.”

Nora doesn’t wait for me as she opens the back door and makes her way back insideGullie’s.

I know she’s heading straight for a first-aid kit.

Thoughtful little thing.

I go to follow her, but the noisy commotion waiting for me inside stops me in my tracks. I hang back for a moment to soak in the calming sounds of passing cars and footsteps beyond the alley while I work on repressing any remaining nerves.

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