Page 30 of The Story of Us
Teddy dropped a catch, twisting to look at Nate. “Nowhere?”
“I’m not taking her on a date.”
“It’s official. You’re the worst with women. I always thought it was Raff because he’s such a workaholic, but wow, it’s you.”
Nate checked his watch and pursed his lips. “Just leave it, Ted.”
“Nope.”
Fine. If Teddy wasn’t going to drop it, Nate would simply remove himself from the situation. He lifted the whistle to his lips and blew, getting everyone’s attention. “We’re almost out of time, everyone. Start packing up. You guys collect the balls and put them back in the bin. Eloise and Bianca, can you roll up the mats and collect the coloured dots over there, please?” Nate pointed to the far side of the field where they’d done the warm-up stretches.
“We’ll help in a second,” Teddy called and gestured for Nate to walk to the boundary fence with him where a few errant footballs were waiting. “I think you need to stop, take a deep breath and consider what might happen if you push Eloise away right now.”
“Ted …”
“Shut your cake hole. I’m not done. Is it Charlie? He might grumble and give you some stick about being good to his sister but whatever, who cares. You’re a good guy. He knows that. He wouldn’t have asked you to be his best man if he didn’t. What’s really holding you back?”
It was the genuine concern in Teddy’s tone that coaxed part of the truth from Nate.
“Look at her.” Both brothers turned to watch Eloise as she smiled and joked with the kids helping her tidy up. She was such a natural with them, all easy smiles and endless kindness. Nate remembered how patient she’d been with him when he first came home. Checking in on him, chatting at KPs, helping him feel a part of the community again. Himself again. “It’ll never be simple for us. There’s so much pressure. If we were to really date, Mum would lose her mind—more than she already has—and everyone would always be watching us. Passing judgements, expecting more.”
“I’m not following.”
“I don’t know if I want to get married. I’m pretty sure I don’t want kids.” The words slipped off Nate’s tongue far too easily considering how they made his stomach clench.
“Duuuuuude,” Teddy mumbled. “Hear me out: maybe don’t propose and knock her up immediately, then. Do we need to have a talk about condoms? Because I will get a banana and go all high school sex ed on your ass. Or, even better, you could chill the fuck out and just see where this thing goes. Talk to her about what she wants when the time is right. You’re looking way too far into the future, man.”
Which is exactly what someone would say if they didn’t know their future was already predetermined. But Nate wasn’t ready to share that information. He might never be ready to tell anyone.
He certainly wasn’t ready to talk to Eloise, which was a damn shame because she was walking right towards him.
* * *
“Got a second, Nate?”Eloise asked once the final bag was stowed in the back of his Pajero. Bianca had already sashayed away to cause havoc somewhere else, no doubt.
“Not really. I’ve got a Zoom meeting with my agent tonight.”
Eloise tried to forget everything she’d learnt about body language, but there was no avoiding the firm set of Nate’s shoulders, the blank expression on his face. She’d guess that his eyes were also vacant, but he’d spent the session hiding them from her. What had happened between last night and now? While Eloise had been building fantasies of something more, he’d obviously been figuring out how to let her down gently.
“I better get going. I’m covering a shift at the pub. Good session tonight, Eloise.” Teddy’s gentle words, so unlike his normal jokey tone, sealed her fate. It was all over before it had even started.
Eloise couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye to Teddy, so she just nodded. Hoped he understood that the warring emotions inside her made keeping her disappointment hidden her top priority right now.
“Did I do something wrong?” She hated herself as soon as the words had left her mouth because seriously, to hell with this.
Nate had kissed her back.
Nate had held her close.
Nate had wanted this.
But that was last night,she reminded herself. Everything she’d heard about him was obviously true.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Knowing they agreed on something did nothing to lessen the sting of his rejection.
“It’s hard for me to explain,” Nate said softly.
