Page 84 of Here's to Now

“Why do you think you’re the one who killed your parents?”

My fork drops from my hand, clinking loudly on my plate. I dart my eyes around the restaurant, ensuring no one heard her ask that question.

“Hales…” I say, turning back toward her. “Do you really think this is appropriate dinner talk? Especially on our first date?”

“Technically, you’ve taken me out before.”

“Yes, but we weren’t, ya know, together then.”

She arches her brow. “And we’re together now?”

“Yes,” I say confidently. “What else do you think I meant last night?”

Shrugging, she chugs half her glass of water, avoiding eye contact with me. “I didn’t know if that was a heat of the moment kind of thing or not.”

“No, Hales. It wasn’t. We’re together.”

“You’re my boyfriend?”

“If that’s what you want to call me.”

She twists her lips to the side. “Nah, boyfriend doesn’t fit you. How about…jackass? Or honeybun? Oh! I know! Hotcakes!”

An amused smile lines my lips as I shake my head at her antics. “I love how you’re able to go from normal, to insulting, to outright weird.”

“Hotcakes is out then?”

“I didn’t say that…”

She winks and takes another drink of her water. “So…”

“So…” I mock.

“Gaige.”

“Can we do this later?” My words are curt and I see a flicker of hurt in her eyes.

“Sure.”

We continue our meal in uncomfortable silence, and I realize I may have ruined our first official date. Iama jackass.

Haley tries to grab at the check once the waiter sets it down, but I’m faster than her. I intercept and throw her an annoyed glance. She lifts a challenging brow. Something about the simple gesture makes me uneasy.

Throwing enough cash into the billfold to cover the bill and a tip, I stand up and put my hand out to her.

“Come on.”

After several agonizing seconds, she places her hand in mine and I help her up. I glance down at the outfit she’s wearing, noting how her black leggings and heels make her legs look longer than they really are, how her dark purple silk top billows out when she walks.

“In case I didn’t tell you before, you look gorgeous tonight.” What I don’t say is that as sexy as she looks, and as much as her outfit makes me want to strip it off her in the best way possible, I can’t help but miss her silly t-shirts and yoga pants.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

I lead her from the dimly lit restaurant and steer her toward my car. She gives a surprised smile when I open her door for her, and I wonder if her other suitors have done this before.

I hurry around to my side and slide into the driver’s seat. Sighing, I wrap a hand around the back of my neck, squeezing to relieve some of the unexpected nerves I’m feeling.

Sensing where this is going, she says, “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have—”

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