Page 73 of Falling for You
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
‘Yes. I’m fine.’
He looks pointedly down at my phone. ‘What’s that about, then?’
‘What’s what?’
‘Who are you waiting to hear from? You’re not wound up about that girl, are you?’
In the middle of my desperate worry about my mom, my anger that they still haven’t called me back even though they will have been awake for hours, my embarrassment at having to call Remy for help and my slight self-pity for my slashed hand, I feel a spark of excitement as Annie’s face pops into my head.
‘That girl?’ I echo.
‘The one from the speed dating – the one you left with.’
I shake my head and wiggle my fingers as pins and needles creep over them like tiny, prickly spiders.
Remy takes a sip of his coffee. ‘She seemed nice.’
I spot the twinkle in his eye and can’t help but smile.
‘What’s your story then, Remy?’ I ask. ‘Why are you spending your weekends hanging out with me? Do you have someone at home?’
Remy shakes his head. ‘Oh no, not me.’
‘I bet you know all the tricks.’
He smiles, his lips pressed together. ‘I know a few.’
‘Well then, what? Are you dating someone? What’s going on?’
He gives me a look and places his coffee on the floor. ‘Nothing, mate.’
‘Why not?’
He shrugs coyly. ‘Who knows, eh?’
I knit my brow when an idea pops into my head. ‘Do you like theatre?’
He frowns at me. ‘Theatre?’
‘I’ve got tickets to a show if you want to come. My aunt is in it. She’s the one I’m trying to get to visit my mom. I thought going to see her in her show might get me in her good books.’
He smirks and then cocks his head. ‘Sure. Why not?’
He leans his elbows on his knees and looks straight ahead. We drift into silence.
‘I’m waiting for a call from my mom,’ I say eventually, feeling too tired to try and cover it all up with a fake smile and a lame story. ‘I got a weird message from her last night. I haven’t been able to get hold of her since.’
He glances up at me. ‘I’m sorry to hear that, Nate.’
I’m about to make a light comment about how it isn’t so bad, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
‘Nathaniel Simpson?’ I look up as the nurse reappears and gestures for me to follow her.
‘Want me to hold your hand?’ Remy grins.
I give him a shove on the shoulder as I get to my feet. ‘I think I’ll be okay. You can go home, though,’ I add. ‘You don’t have to wait for me.’
