Page 50 of Love and the Laws of Motion
Last night, she’d seemed okay.She’d accepted his apology and told him not to worry about it.But was that true?Had he done something impossible to undo?Would things be forever awkward between them now?It would really suck if that were the case, because—as he’d realized as he’d laid in the dark all night castigating himself—he’d come to value her friendship.More than value it, he needed it.If he’d fucked things up and lost her, he’d never forgive himself.
Looking for any excuse to stall, he checked his phone.There was a new text sent in the middle of the night.From Poppy.
I’m sorry.
She wassorry?About which part?Breaking up with him?Cheating on him?Getting caught at it?A week ago, he’d been desperate for a word from her, but now her vague apology for something so monumental made him mad.Go have a nice fucking life with Klaus, Poppy.He no longer gave a shit.Whatever he thought they’d been doing together for the past year, looking back on it now, it all seemed like a colossal waste of time.He tossed the phone back on the nightstand in disgust.
How long could he hang out in bed before he’d be considered hiding?This long, he decided, forcing himself up.Time to face the music.
There weren’t even any other Romanos around to offer distraction.Last night was Saturday, and he’d spent long enough with this family to know that Gemma and John would have gotten home late and would sleep away the morning.Jess was over at Alex’s place, as she was most nights.There would be just him and Livie.
Spudge was waiting right outside his door, tail thumping against the floor.
“Hey, buddy.We’re still good, right?”
Spudge groaned in assent, then heaved himself to his feet to follow Nick downstairs.He was still arguing with himself about how best to play it off when he reached the kitchen and found Livie already there, making coffee.He froze as she glanced over her shoulder.
“Perfect timing.Coffee’s ready.”
“Um, good.”She seemed to be willing to move on as if nothing happened, and part of him was sorely tempted to do the same.But he wasn’t a socially awkward sixteen-year-old anymore.Livie was his friend, and last night, he’d fucked up with his friend.She deserved a decent apology from him, not whatever pathetic garbage he’d mumbled in a panic last night before he’d fled.
“Look, Livie, about what happened last night—”
She spun around, smiling brightly.“Don’t worry about it, Nick.”That damned smile of hers caught him right between the ribs every time, even when she was patently faking it, like now.
“I feel like I should apologize—”
“There’s really no need.”She was facing him, but her eyes weren’t meeting his.They were focused on a spot somewhere over his left shoulder.“You were drinking, you were upset, you weren’t thinking straight.It’s fine.”
When she laid it all out like that, it sounded like a bunch of clichéd lines, even to his own ears.But what part wasn’t true?He’d just found out his fiancée had been cheating on him.He’d been drinking.He was definitely not thinking clearly last night.But he wished he’d reacted in just about any other way thanthatone.
“I want to make sure you’re okay.That I didn’t—” He stopped and blew out a breath.“You’re a good friend, and I really hope I didn’t screw that up last night.”
Livie exhaled, too, then finally looked him in the eye.“You didn’t.I promise.”
That should have been reassuring, but he didn’t quite believe her.He didn’t believe that smile and he didn’t believe that suspicious brightness in her eyes.But he wasn’t going to push.After what he’d done, she was allowed to play this any way she wanted.
“Okay,” he finally conceded.“Thank you.”
“I gotta go.”She moved to the table to close up her messenger bag.“I’ve got a meeting at school.”
“It’s Sunday.”
“With Michiko.About some research.”
Livie was a terrible liar.He felt awful, knowing she was trying to escape him.But maybe she needed some space.He’d give that to her.It was the least he could do.“Okay.I’m going to spend some time on the program tonight, if you’re around.”
“Sure.Yes.I’ll be here.See you then.”
“Yeah, see you.”She squeezed past him on her way out of the kitchen.Her hair brushed his arm and he caught a whiff of that soft flowery scent of hers.
Then she was gone, leaving him alone to face another really inconvenient truth, one he’d been desperately trying to avoid all night long.
Kissing Livie had been fucking amazing, and forgetting it was going to be hard as hell.
Chapter Twenty
Livie stared at Langley’s office door, summoning the courage to lift her hand and knock.
