Page 58 of Saving the Halfback

Nolan smirked. “Would you be surprised if I told you this was a Nolan thing?”

“Yes, actually. Seems something an extrovert would be into, not a geeky introvert,” I teased.

“I went through a phase learning about small engines. My uncle got me this for my sixteenth birthday.” Nolan looked down for a moment before meeting my stare again. “I have to get back. My dad will be looking for me.”

I nodded. “Thanks for the ride. You’ll have to take me to school on it sometime.”

“Deal.” I turned to leave, but Nolan stopped me, his hand resting on my hip. “Hey.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry if this sounds awkward, because this is geeky, introverted Nolantalking, but any chance you would like to go out sometime? On a date…or…” My face fell because, of course, my mind went straight to Ed, but Nolan got the wrong idea. “Or it can be completely platonic.” He dropped his hand from my hip. “We can invite Lachlan too.”

“It’s not—” I frowned. “I don’t think I can date.”

“Ah, is it your parents, a rule or something?”

“Yes.” Because that was the easiest explanation I could give him. Even so, my heart crushed a little at the weight of yet another lie.

“All right, no date, but let’s hang out. Completely nerdy geeky Nolan stuff, nothing cool and exciting.”

“Trust me, my life doesn’t need anything exciting right now.”

“I’ll text you later.”

I was lyingin bed under the covers, hiding from the noises of the night, when a text came through. I grabbed my phone, needing the distraction, even if it was my dad telling me what we would be working on tomorrow.

Chiseled God:Think your parents will be cool with us hanging out on your property late?

I rolled my eyes at the name Lachlan had given Nolan and quickly edited the name, so no one would think that’s what I called him.

Bailey:They won’t mind.

Nolan:Your place, ten tomorrow night?

Bailey:Platonic hangout, not a date at ten at night?I wiped the tears that were now drying on my face and stared at my phone, holding on to it like a lifeline.

Nolan:Stargazing, tell them we will be stargazing. For a science project. A very nerdy platonic science project.

Bailey:Okay.

I floundered around, trying to think of something else to say, anything to say, because before Nolan texted me, before the noises sang in the night, I was reliving every one of the rules—hisrules—I had broken today. The crazy part was, I hadn’t even realized Ed had rules. He never told them to me; they just always were. Expected. There was no beginning, there was no start to his madness. He was so kind and caring, and then how… How had it transformed to what he had become?

Nolan:Night.

The ping brought me back to the present.

Bailey:Night.

My head told me how I should leave Nolan alone. How much he likely didn’t want to keep talking, but my heart…

Bailey:What are you doing right now?

Nolan:Lying in bed. You?

I smiled and snuggled into my comforter.

Bailey:Same.

The phone began vibrating in my hand as Nolan called me. I had a mini freak-out, my heart pounding in my chest as I shot up in bed before I answered it. “Hi?” I whispered in the dark, though I wasn’t sure why. My door was closed, and my parents’ room was on the other side of the house. Even if they heard me talking on the phone, I knew they wouldn’t care.

“Hey,” Nolan whispered, his voice raspy with sleep. “This is easier than texting. My fingers are getting tired.”

---