Page 90 of Prove You Wrong

Had he heard?

Does Nate think he’s my boyfriend?

I thought we were just seeing where things went. We’d never discussedthisand, honestly, I’d gone into this whole thing wondering if I’d even wanted to date him, let alone anything more. But now Chloe’s put that notion out there …

As he fills the space with his broad shoulders and a kind of magnetising pull that seems to grab me just below my navel, I swallow, temporarily forgetting my argument against him.

‘Forgot my jacket.’ He retrieves it from the back of the door and holds it up. ‘Got my jacket. Bye.’

My turn to gape as he disappears as quickly as he arrived.

‘You want some — ’ I don’t finish the question, he’s already gone.

‘Ugh, old people are so weird,’ Chloe grumbles, looking like she’s about to dislocate her optic nerve from all the eye rolling.

She dodges around me, grabbing the cheesecake and a fistful of cutlery. ‘Better eat this before he comes back and wants a slice.’

I follow her as she wanders into the lounge and flops onto the sofa. Tracing Nate’s steps to the front door, I look out. There’s no sign of him.

Coming back in, I plonk myself next to her and grab a spoon. Chloe’s already scrolling through the channels. I zone out the god-awful show she’s tuned into and let my mind wander over the details of the bombshell Chloe just dropped.

Boyfriend?

I’ve steered away from relationships to try and protect her from all the upheaval, the uncertainty, the inevitable abandonment. When mum’s boyfriends left, Chloe and I would wonder if it was something we’d done or said. Didn’t they like us anymore? Did they ever like us?

None of them stayed in touch. That’s tough when you’re a young kid. I tried to shield my sister from it as much as possible but I was only a kid myself.

When I was the age Chloe is now, I decided to take matters into my own hands. No boyfriends brought home, not unless they were the real deal. And none were. So eventually it was no boyfriends, full stop.

But Nate’s … amazing.

Before, the thought of a boyfriend elicited an automaticno, I don’t want one. A reflex. But when I think of him … so open with me, thoughtful, funny, sexy … good with his hands … his mouth … oh God, I’m smitten. I grin idiotically to myself, curious about when I’ll next get to speak to him again … sound him out on this whole boyfriend thing.

Unable to resist, I tap out a text to Nate.

Ella: Thanks again for this evening. Are you up for popping by tomorrow morning again?

He doesn’t reply.

A prickle creeps up my back. Had I gotten carried away?

Maybe he isn’t interested in a relationship.

That look in his eyes when he came back for his jacket. Had he overheard us? Was the thought of being my boyfriend horrifying to him?

Fuck, Ella!

This guy has bent over backwards to prove himself. He’s probably just on his way home.

Breathing deeply and forcing my shoulders to relax, I settle back and try to follow the trashy show Chloe’s watching.

Several mouthfuls of cheesecake later and my phone still hasn’t buzzed with a reply. My chest feels heavy.

As the commercials start, Chloe looks over to me. ‘I forgot to ask, can Nate give me a lift again tomorrow?’

‘I don’t know,’ I answer honestly. I can’t risk Chloe getting let down. ‘We can’t presume he’s free. Might be best to plan to get the bus. Or walk.’

‘Can’t you give me a lift?’

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