Page 102 of Ice Ice Maybe
BANG!
My Malibu shook violently, nearly knocking me off balance. Nolan and I twisted our bodies toward the rear of my car to see what happened. A shiny silver Jaguar had just rammed into my bumper.
A frazzled-looking man in his forties jumped out of the car. “I’m so sorry! I haven’t gotten used to my new car. It’s much longer than my old one, plus I suck at parallel parking.”
“You and me both!” I said, managing a wry smile.
The man rushed to inspect the damage, his face a mask of worry. “Hopefully, I didn’t damage your car badly.” He rubbed my bumper. “There’s a scrape here and a small indentation there.” He rubbed it again and then bent down lower to look underneath. “I see nothing else. What do you think?”
Nolan and I walked to the rear of the car to check. There was a minor scratch and a slight dent, but nothing major.
“It’s just a little scratch,” I said, waving it off. “No big deal. Don’t even worry about it.”
The relief on the man’s face was evident. “Really? Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Accidents happen. And nobody got hurt. That’s what’s most important. Mine is not a new car, anyway. Please, don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you so much—I appreciate it,” he said, his shoulders sagging with relief. “Let me try this again. Wish me luck.”
As the man carefully re-parked his car without further incident, Nolan squeezed my hand. “That was impressive. You have a great deal of patience.”
I shrugged. “It’s just a car.”
“Thank you again!” The driver waved. “You’re a saint!”
He walked away, and Nolan and I were alone again.
I smirked. “Wow—did you hear that? I guess I’m a saint.”
Nolan pulled me closer, his gaze so intense it made my breath catch.
“I disagree,” he said. “You’re an angel.”
He cupped my face gently, his thumb caressing my cheek. As he leaned in, the world seemed to fade away. His lips met mine in a kiss that was unlike any we’d shared before. It was tender, achingly sweet, filled with a depth of emotion that made my heart flutter.
When we finally parted, Nolan looked at me intently.
“Zena,” he whispered, his voice filled with affection, “I love you.”
The words I’d been longing to hear washed over me like a warm wave. My heart soared, and I felt a smile spread across my face, so wide it almost hurt.
“I love you too, Nolan,” I breathed.
The words felt both momentous and natural, like it was meant to be.
He pulled me close again, our foreheads touching, both of us grinning like love-struck teenagers. Just as we leaned in for another kiss, my phone chimed loudly, breaking the spell. We both laughed softly, the interruption doing nothing to dampen the glow of the moment we’d just shared.
“Sorry,” I said. “I’m still monitoring Dad.”
As I reached for my phone, I knew that whatever the message was, nothing could top the perfect words I’d heard from Nolan.
“No need to apologize,” he said.
I glanced at my phone and smiled. “It’s from Mom. They want to invite your parents over for dessert and cocktails on Saturday night.”
Nolan raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Yes!” I said. “They head back to Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon, right?”
