Page 46 of Devoted Enough

I turned and saw Nate walking back to his table and my entire body deflated.

“Why don’t you join us?” Lizzy said as she hooked her arm in Ted’s.

“I don’t mind if I do,” Ted stated, walking with Lizzy back to the table.

“Where did Nate go?” Rosie asked. “I saw him walking over here.”

I blew out a breath. “He probably saw Ted. That stupid jerk, Ted. I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. Why would he do that and make it seem like we were together still?”

When the DJ couldn’t find anyone else who wanted to sing, he played another song.

“I love this Spicy Margarita song!” Candice said, clapping. She spun around and made a beeline to Bounty.

“I think she likes him,” I said with a laugh. I scanned the table but couldn’t find Nate. Where could he have gone?

“Let’s go to the bathroom,” Rosie said as she pulled me.

“I don’t have to go to the bathroom.”

Rosie tugged. “Yes, you do.”

Laughing, I said, “What are you doing?”

Rosie looked past me, and I turned to see what she was looking at. It felt like someone threw ice-cold water onto me. My breath felt frozen in my lungs as a pain shot through my chest. You’d think I would be used to that feeling when it came to Nate Shaw. He was dancing with some girl, and it wasn’t innocent dancing. The girl had her hands all over him. Granted, he wasn’t touching her, but it still made my stomach roil.

“Haven, he probably saw you with Ted and…”

“And did exactly what he did with Callie?” I replied with a shake of my head.

Her face fell as she shouted, “I’m sorry they told you that story!”

I looked back out to the dance floor. Nate had his hands on the girl’s hips as she moved her body like a yoga instructor. Was it my imagination, or did he push her away some? I would drive myself crazy if I kept watching them.

Turning away, I started back to the table.

“Haven!” Rosie called out.

Once I returned to the table, I said, “Guys, I think I’m going to call it a night.”

“What?” Josephine said. “No, don’t go. It’s been so fun catching up. Sit down and have one more drink.”

Unfortunately, the chair she offered gave me a direct view of the dance floor—and Nate and his little salsa partner.

I looked away when she lifted up to say something in Nate’s ear.

The song changed, and Sia’s “Gimme Love”’ started. Nate looked like he was going to walk away, but the girl pulled him back and wrapped her arms around him. Nate reached up and untwined her arms from around his neck. He leaned down and was saying something in her ear.

Was he asking her to leave with him?

Rosie took my hand. “Haven, don’t watch.”

As if he could sense I was watching, he looked over to the table. Our eyes met, and I hated that the sting of tears burned my eyes. The girl reached up and placed her finger on his chin, drawing his attention back to her.

Looking down at my hands in my lap, I closed my eyes and cursed myself. I was being silly. It wasn’t like Nate and I were together. So we had a couple of days where it felt like we might be able to be…friends.

Friends.Was that what Nate wanted? I had stupidly stood up there and sang that damn song with him watching me, and now I felt like an idiot. He had smiled, but maybe he had simply thought the song was good.

Oh, God. I didn’t want to sit in a bar overthinking everything about Nate Shaw.

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