Page 60 of The Story of Us
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Nate was such a fool.
He groaned, remembering how Eloise’s eyes had flared as she jerked away from him.
So many people had warned him that if he waited too long, he’d miss his chance with her. Like a chump, he’d thought they were wrong.
She was over him.
And she was leaving. Who knew if she’d come back? What if she fell in love with someone and stayed in the States? His pathetic new, barely formed plan to wait and see hinged on the fact that no one else was going to realise how perfect she was and pursue her themselves. The chances of that happening were so low they barely even qualified as a number.
Nate rubbed his face and leant forward until his elbows rested on the kitchen island.
“Hey,” said Eloise quietly.
He straightened and crossed his arms, then immediately dropped them to his side—defensive posture was the wrong move here—and placed his palms flat against the wooden benchtop. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he met Eloise’s gaze. He wouldn’t shy from this. He’d made a mistake and he’d own it. “I’m sorry.”
He thought about adding more. That he hadn’t meant to do it. That he’d been desperate to distract her from her fears. That knowing she was hurt made the beast inside his chest roar. And he was so proud of her for soldiering on when he’d never even manage to verbalise his greatest regret. But that all sounded like shifting the blame, and he refused to do that.
Cowards did that.
Without breaking her stride, even though Echo was dancing around her feet, begging for a pat, Eloise walked over to him. “Are you kissing anyone else these days?”
Nate dragged his hand through his hair. “Ah, no.”
“Do you plan on kissing anyone else anytime soon?”
“No.”
Where is she going with this?
“Why did you kiss me?”
His mother’s voice rang in his ears, the platitude she’d repeated constantly during his childhood.Honesty is the best policy.“Because I wanted to.”
“Do you remember what I said when I told you not to kiss me?”
Here it came. She wouldn’t leave, would she?
“To not kiss you?” He winced. Eloise had kept her belongings neat and tidy. It would only take her two seconds to load her car, and then she’d be gone. And all he’d be left with were so many fucking regrets.
“To not kiss me again until you were sure you knew what you wanted. Do you know what you want, Nate?”
This was the first real opportunity he’d had to be brave in a long time. To do something for himself, even though it was hard and he was scared. To let Eloise down. To admit he wasn’t who everyone thought he was. To let someone close enough to see the real him.
If his actions had defined so much of his life, now it was time to let his words do the same. Otherwise, regrets were all he’d ever have.
“I want to kiss you and not take it back,” was all he said, and it was enough, judging by how quickly Eloise rose onto her tippy toes, her face mere centimetres from his.
“Good.”
And then she melted into his arms, her lips brushing across his once, twice. A little tease and taste of what was to come. Nate’s hands couldn’t stop moving, coasting over her ass, up past her ribs, tangling in her hair. He was desperate to memorise everything about this moment. The weight of her against him, the way she sucked in her breath when he kissed her behind her ear, her heavy-lidded gaze when they pulled apart for air.
“Hi,” Eloise whispered, her lips pinker and fuller than normal. From his kisses. The dam wall he’d built around his desire for her busted open, and even though his brain was sending up smoke signals, reminding him not to get too attached, Nate didn’t care.
“Can we do that again?” he asked.
“You don’t have to ask to kiss me every time.” She blushed, all breathy and shy andoh, boy.
