Page 127 of Unexpected Forever
Besides, I need to hear the decision affecting my future from the man himself.
She pins me with her emerald-green stare. “To be clear, I don’t know either. But I do know this. That man is head over heels in love with you, Charley. I’ve known Nate for a long time, seen him with women over the years. And I can tell you he’s never looked at one of them the way he looks at you.”
I glance over at him, and he’s smiling at something Ian’s saying. My heart turns over in my chest.
I want what Darcy says to be true, but his actions lately say otherwise.
I sigh. “I was warned, you know.”
Her brow furrows. “Warned about what?”
“About how Nate works. His sister told me he has issues when it comes to getting too close to people. I did my best to keep him at a distance.” I swallow back tears threatening to fall. “That didn’t turn out so well.”
Darcy’s face softens. “Oh, Charley.”
I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. As much as I’d love to believe he lovesme, I don’t think that’s the case. He respects me and there’s chemistry there. But if he wants to go, I can’t stop him. And because I love him and I don’t want him to resent me one day, Iwon’tstop him.”
She opens her mouth to say more, but she’s cut off by the guys filing into the kitchen.
“We eating any time soon?” Ian asks.
I paste on my hostess smile. “Yep, grab a plate.”
“God, he’s such an asshole,” she mutters under her breath.
I chuckle. “He reminds me of my brothers.”
“He’s an uncouth pain in my ass.”
But as he moves through the kitchen, her eyes track Ian in a way that makes me think she’d like a walk on the uncouth side.
Lucas introduces me to Theo Taylor. “Thank you for letting me crash your Thanksgiving dinner,” Theo says with a smile on his handsome face.
“We’re glad to have you.”
I’m standing off to the side of the kitchen, letting the guests fill their plates when Nate walks up to me, his own plate in hand.
“You need to eat,” he says, extending the food to me.
“I’m not going to take your food, Nate,” I say, not looking at him.
“I made it for you.”
I look up into his eyes, and the invisible band that’s been tight around my chest loosens a little.
His stare draws me in, and the butterflies let loose in my stomach. I’ve missed the look he’s giving me right now. I lean closer to him, letting his cologne wrap around me like a blanket.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now go sit down. You should be off your feet, remember?”
I nod and take the plate, wishing he wouldn’t be so caring. It only makes things harder for me.
“Before I go, I have a question.”
“What’s that?”
I gesture for him to lean down. “What’s the deal with Darcy and Ian?”
