Page 22 of Already At Risk
I tried not to let my expression change.
“I just need some more practice at it, I think,” she added.
“I would disagree, Sunny.”
“Stop.”
“I’m serious.” I sighed and pressed forward before she could change the topic again. “Earlier, you said you ruined our night, but that’s not true. And I owe you an apology.”
Her brows furrowed, and it was a little adorable. Natalie London rarely looked confused, I’d learned. “What are you talking about?”
“Iruined the night. I pushed you too far, too fast, and that’s on me. I’m sorry for doing that and for making you feel like you did anything wrong.”
She frowned. “You didn’t, though. You stopped. You waited to see if I was ready, and I came to my senses, realized that I wasn’t.”
“And that’s okay,” I said slowly. “It’s okay not to be ready.”
“I kind of wish I was, though,” she groaned in a moment of vulnerability that I hadn’t expected. Her walls were suddenly down, likecompletelydown, and I had a feeling what I was glimpsing right now was special, something people didn’t usually get to see. “Sometimes I wish I could just say fuck it and—” She broke off, shaking her head.Shit. “I’m sorry. This conversation isn’t what you were probably looking for. We got off track.”
No, no. I liked this track. Definitely more than I should, but still. I didn’t want to switch it, not yet.
“I think clearing the air about what happened between us is better than not speaking about it. It’ll only help our working relationship.”
Workingrelationship, I reminded myself.
Work-ing.
Natalie stared at me, words on the tip of her tongue.
“You can say it, Natalie. Whatever it is. Now’s the time.”
We would have this one conversation, and then we’d never look back, I told myself. We’d move forward and stay on the right track with this case.
“What—” She cut herself off at the sound of loud voices passing by in the hallway, and I gritted my teeth in frustration. I recognized one of the voices as Julian, talking about where they should grab lunch from. Natalie’s eyes popped wide with the realization, the reminder, of where we were and why we were here. She drew in a breath, slow and shaky. “What else should we discuss pertaining to the case?”
Her voice was calm and measured, reflexing back into her original tone.
I, on the other hand, didnotfeel calm. I struggled with my response for far too long, searching my brain for something relevant that I could say.
“You said Chloe is in figure skating?” I asked—the first topic that popped into my head.
Natalie nodded numbly.
“Has Korey ever attended her lessons? Shows?” When she shook her head for both, I asked, “Are there any other extracurriculars Chloe is in that he’s been a part of?”
Natalie shook her head again, and I made a note of her answers.
This was good.
Facts.
She was probably right. We should stick to the case. Facts and only facts.
And for the rest of our meeting, that was exactly what we did.
CHAPTER SIX
natalie
