Page 37 of Forever Mine

He looks down at his plate. “She’s on a date.”

The whole table goes silent. “A date?”

He nods. “Yeah, a date.”

I shake my head. “You fool.”

Austin's jaw tightens, and I wait for him to say something. He looks around the table and then back at me. “Yeah, I’m a fool.”

Thankfully, Ollie isn’t aware of the change in the atmosphere because he asks Nat, “After you’re finished, can you play games with me?”

Nat doesn’t hesitate. “Absolutely.”

I walk up to the stand and put money in to buy some game cards. When I get back to the table, I hand one to Ollie and one to Nat.

Nat is biting into her pizza, and Ollie is practically bouncing in the seat next to her. I’m about to offer to take him so she can eat, but she puts the pizza down and pats her stomach. “I think I’ve had enough. I think we should go play. What do you think, Ollie?”

I’m about to tell her she should eat when Ollie practically vibrates in his seat.

“Yes!” he cries, and I’m practically shoved out of the booth so they can go.

“You want me to come with you?” I ask Nat.

She pats me on the chest. “Nope, you go ahead and eat. We’re fine.”

I sit back down and try to eat. The conversation goes on around us, but I know it won’t take long for any of them to ask what’s on everyone’s mind.

“How’s it going?” Ford asks first.

And then Huddy joins in. “Yeah, did you get your shit together?”

I can’t help but laugh at his bluntness, but my hands fist on the table. “Yep, we’re working it all out. I won’t let her leave me. I’ve been a fool, but I’m making it right.”

I look at Austin when I say the wordfool. He rolls his eyes and looks back down at the table.

We talk about everything but mostly about Isabella and Lucas. I’m just about to get up and go search for Nat when one of Ollie’s friends runs into the dining room. “Beau, come quick, Ollie needs you.”

Every one of us are out of our seats. My stomach drops, wondering what has happened, and we follow the boy through the maze of the arcade games and people until I see Ollie sitting on the floor next to Natalie.

My nephew is all right, but Natalie isn’t. She’s sitting huddled up with her head in her lap. Ollie looks up at me with tears in his eyes. “Uncle Beau, she just sat down like this. She said her head hurts and she can’t open her eyes. Is she going to be okay?”

Fuck, she has a migraine. I should have thought about this. All the noise and the flashing lights. “You did the right thing, Ollie. Thank you for staying with her. I know you’re scared, but she’s going to be all right, I promise. Tell your dad and everyone that she has a migraine and I’m taking her home, okay?”

He nods, but he doesn’t let go of Nat. He leans in and kisses her arm. “I love you, Aunt Nat.”

She lifts her head. “I love you too, Ollie.”

I put my hand on his back. “All right, I’m going to take her, okay?”

He releases his hold on her, and I pick her up in my arms. “Hold on, baby. I’m going to get you out of here.”

It scares me that she doesn’t answer me; she just lays her head against my chest. Ford puts his hand on my shoulder. “Call me if you need anything.”

I nod my head and walk through the arcade and then through the dining room. Austin is walking with us and is holding doors open. He even digs the keys from my pocket to open the car door for us. Normally, he’d have some kind of smart-ass remark, but he doesn’t say a thing. I settle Nat into the car, lay her seat all the way back, and put the seat belt on her. I shut the door as quietly as possible.

“Is she okay?” my brother asks.

“Yeah, she’ll be fine. She gets migraines, and I didn’t even think to warn her about the arcade. All those flashing lights and the noise in there is what set it off, I’m sure.”

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