Page 40 of Waiting Forever
He takes a minute. “Okay.”
“How will I know it’s the truth?”
“Because I don’t want to tell you, and because you’ll know I’m being honest from my voice and face. Also, once you know the truth, you have to forget what I said, and we can never talk about it again.”
“Why?”
His Adam’s apple bobs deep in his throat. “Because it’ll only cause us trouble. Now that I think about it, I don’t know if I should tell you. I don’t want to ruin things.”
I swish through the water and catch his wrist in case he’s thinking of fleeing. “We agreed. You’re telling me. No take-backs.”
His eyes brighten with a grin. “No take-backs. I haven’t heard that in forever.”
I swipe at a damp strand of hair caught in my eyelash and miss.
“Here, let me.” He brushes the strand from my cheek.
Butterflies swarm inside me. My breath catches, and I can’t look away from his face. Did he move closer to me?
His gaze skims over my features. “You’re so pretty.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
“You know I do. I’ve been telling you for years.”
“Because you felt obligated.”
He gives a slow shake of his head. “Because I mean it. I’ve never lied to you.”
“I wish I could be that honest with you.”
“Try.”
Try.Such a simple word and yet it carries the weight of a boulder. I inhale a breath and dig deep for the courage I need to confess my feelings to him. “I… I…” The words die in my throat.
“You…?” he prompts, a sweet smile touching his lips.
Dammit. “I want you to kiss me, again,” I blurt.
He leans back, his eyes wide with shock. “Why?”
I’m an idiot. For a second time, I put myself out there, and his rejection is so much worse than it was at my birthday party. That night, I got a kiss before he snubbed me. Now, all I have is the disturbed look on his face.
Desperate to rectify my blunder, I wrack my brain for an excuse that will make me seem less desperate.
“For feedback purposes,” I spit out the first thing to pop into my mind. “I was a teenager the last time we kissed, and I want to know how I compare or if I need improvement. Who better to tell me than you? You know girls well. You’re much more experienced than I am, and I really like this guy I met.” What the hell am I saying?
“A guy?” His features sharpen. “What guy? Someone from here? Is it who dropped you off yesterday? You were out with a strange guy you just met? I assumed it was a girl.”
Oh, geez. What a mess. I need to quit before this gets worse. “Forget it.” I stand and move toward the other side of the Jacuzzi, but Nathan grabs my waist. I think he was going for my elbow and missed, but now he’s got my hip in his big hand and he’s not letting go. Instead, he pulls me so I’m standing between his spread legs.
Anger blazes in his eyes. “You can’t go around getting in cars with guys you just met. Do you know how stupid that is?”
“Stupid?” My temper flares hot in my veins. “He’s a student at Ryland. The Starbucks was swarming with them. I could have sat next to anyone and struck up a conversation, but it happened to be him. And newsflash,Dad, everyone here is a stranger to me.”
He grips my other hip and pulls me closer. Jaw tight, his eyes blaze into mine. “Don’t call me ‘Dad.’”
“Don’tactlike one.”
