“Nora says they just disappeared.”
“They did. According to some of their associates, they were hiding out on a nearby island chain, went out on their boat, and then their boat turned up floating in the water, out of gas and devoid of people. No one knows what happened to them, and that pisses me off.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted them all to die horribly for what they did to Nora.” Nate swallows again, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. “Does that make me a terrible person?”
“No, it doesn’t. I can understand why you would feel that way.”
Nate reaches over, takes my hand in his, and sighs heavily. He pulls into the parking lot for my building and stops near my door. He grips my hand a little tighter.
“I want to tell you something,” he whispers.
“Okay.” I angle myself toward him.
“I’m going to sound like I’m crazy.” Nate looks down, shaking his head.
“Nate, just say it.”
He takes a couple of long breaths but won’t meet my eyes.
“I like you, Cherry,” he says quietly. “I really like you. I know we only just met, but you’re…” He shakes his head, unable to go on.
“I’m what?”
Nate lets out another long breath.
“Do you know what the women in this town see when they look at me?”
I start to open my mouth to say something about his good looks, but I get the idea that’s not the sort of thing he means.
“I guess not.”
“The guy with the family name and the money to go with it. Every woman I’ve dated, including in high school, were all about the money and what I could do for them. They didn’t give a shit about me. They never asked me about my family, what I want in life—any of that stuff we’ve been talking about—not ever. They just wanted to be that girl who’s dating Nataniele Orso. It’s all about the name.”
“I have to admit, I don’t even understand all of that.”
“You haven’t lived here long enough.”
“Maybe.” I think about it for a moment. “I’m not sure that would make any difference.”
“I’m not sure it would either,” Nate replies. “You’re not like that. Unless I’m completely reading everything wrong, you seem genuinely interested in me—me as an actual person.”
“Of course I am!” I look into his eyes, wondering how he could think otherwise. “Honestly, Nate, I wish you didn’t have all the money and notoriety around here. All of that makes me rather nervous.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” He chuckles. “It’s why I haven’t offered to buy you a new car.”
“What?” My mouth drops open. He cannot be serious.
“That Civic is about to fall apart.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s perfectly fine for what I need. Don’t you dare—”
“I won’t! I swear!” Nate laughs. “See? I knew you’d react that way.” He shakes his head, still snickering. “That’s what makes you so different from anyone I’ve ever dated before. You remember when you asked me about bad dates, and I said I hadn’t had any?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I never had any good ones, either. Not until I met you, and you took a crappy first dinner date and fixed it with a peanut butter sandwich.”
“And then you brought me pancakes.” I smile, warming myself to the memory. Though it had only been last weekend, it feels like long ago.
“I’ve never done that before,” Nate says. “I’ve never wanted to see a girl the very next morning, cook her breakfast and all of that. It never even occurred to me before, but I wanted to do it. I was glad to do it for you.”
I blush and look away, but Nate reaches out and puts his fingers on my chin, turning me back toward him and staring into my eyes.
“You are incredible,” he says. “You suffered a loss that would have devastated other people, but you moved to a completely new place with this determination and fearlessness that amazes me. You’re sweet and kind and thoughtful. You always make the best of a bad situation, and I know you can handle anything life throws at you. I was in shambles after the loss of my brother—I still am, really—but with you, well, I feel like maybe I can deal with it.”
Nate pauses for a moment and takes a deep breath. I press my lips together, wanting to respond but also realizing he’s not finished yet.
“I’m…I’m falling for you, Cherry. Like, falling hard. I’ve never felt like this before. That’s why I stopped you that first night. I was afraid it had just…well, that it had just been too long since I’d been with someone, and it was a matter of lust, but that’s not it, Cherry. Even then, I didn’t want it to be about that.”
My stomach does a flip-flop. My heart starts pounding so fast, I’m afraid it will leap from my chest and break the windshield of the pricey automobile. It doesn’t. Instead, it reveals itself through my words.
“I think I feel the same way, Nate.”
When his lips press against mine, the world around us disappears.
Chapter 15—Finally
“I’m sick of seeing you there!” I know he can’t hear me, but I’m seriously tempted to roll down my window and give the guy in front of the fire hydrant the finger. If Nate were here, he’d have done it for me.
I smile at the thought of him, the illegally parked car forgotten as I head inside my apartment after my early morning shopping. I’ve been so busy at work; I woke to find out I didn’t even have milk or
