Page 47 of Devoted Enough

“I’m leaving,” I said as I stood. Surprising Rosie, and even myself, with my sudden decision.

“No!” Rosie said as she stood too. “What about…”

We both turned and looked where Ted and Lizzy had been sitting.

“Where did they go?” I asked.

Candice said, “I just saw the two of them leaving.”

“What?” Rosie and Josephine said together.

“Is she cheating on her fiancé?” Rosie asked.

Turning to face me, Josephine asked, “What about Ted and Haven?” As if Ted’s departure broke my heart. Far from it.

I quickly said, “We’re not together.”

Turning to Rosie, I pulled her to me so only she could hear me. “I need to leave.”

Rosie drew back and looked at me. I hated that Nate had once again nearly brought me to tears and that she could see it. I wasn’t even sure why I was so upset. Nate hadn’t ever promised me a single thing. So he was kind to me and seemed like he wanted a friendship. That was going to have to be good enough.

Rosie pulled me in for a hug. “Oh, Haven.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

She nodded. “Let me walk you out, at least.”

I shook my head. “I’ll get the bouncer to walk me to my car. Stay and have fun.”

Rosie pulled me into a hug. “He’s not worth the tears.”

If she only knew what he had done for me in my past, and even recently. And how confused I was. “We’re not together,either. He can dance or do whatever he wants. I’m just tired after a long day.”

She smiled before she kissed my cheek. “Text me when you get home.”

“I will.”

Turning back to the table, I called out over the music. “Bye, girls!”

“Call me!” Candice said.

Josephine hugged me. “Maybe I’ll see you again before I leave.”

Without looking out at the dance floor again, I made my way around groups of people and to the exit.

“Hey, Jonny,” I said to the bouncer. “Would you walk me to my car?”

He grinned. “Of course I will, Haven.”

Jonny was two years older than me, and we had known each other in high school, but not that well.

Once I got to my car, I unlocked it and slipped into the driver’s seat. I waved goodbye to Jonny. Once he was walking back toward the club, I dropped my head against the headrest.

“Why can I not get over you, Nate Shaw? And what is so wrong with me that you can’t make the next move in my direction?”

Chapter Eight

NATHAN

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