We sat in silence, watching the river flow by, imagining what it sounded like.
“Why aren’t you asking me questions?”
“Because I want you to answer when you’re ready. You think I’ll leave you. Hurt you. Well, I’m here to show you that I’m here to stay. I want you to trust me. I’m not going to demand answers from you. I’m not going to ask my dad for answers that I’m certain he has.”
He looked at me knowingly.
“When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
The spark of hope that stirred inside of me was dangerous. It had the potential to turn into something bigger.
Chapter TwelveNate
Dad texted me in the morning, checking up on me and making sure I’d seen all of Mom’s latest pictures she’d emailed us. He told me he was heading back to Riverly for a while, planning to look into some things for business.
I texted him back.
Nate: In Burnside right now. Has Nola talked to you yet?
Dad: She’s still mad.
My fingers hovered over my phone. I needed answers from Dad, but Riley didn’t want anyone to know where she was.
I’d told her I’d wait on her to be ready. I couldn’t betray her trust. Dad would understand.
I set my phone down then closed my laptop, climbed off the strangely uncomfortable air mattress, and pulled on a pair of jeans. I didn’t bother with a shirt yet; it was too hot still.
I walked into the living room, the floor dipping and creaking beneath my weight.
Movement out the window caught my attention. Riley was outside, washing her car—in her swimsuit.
In middle school and high school, Riley would have only been caught wearing a T-shirt and shorts as swimwear. Today, she was not wearing a T-shirt or shorts. But I had an overwhelming urge to find some for her. Anyone who walked by could see her wearing that black bikini with the criss-cross straps in the back.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and headed out the door. Forget about breakfast. I had a neighbor to chat with.
“Howdy, neighbor.”
“Hi, you weirdo.”
“What? I am not the weird one. It’s eight in the morning, and you’re washing your car. In a swimsuit. I swear every man in the trailer park has his binoculars out right now.”
“Oh please, no one pays attention to me.”
“Really? How about him?” I pointed to where a thin man was pressed against the window of his single-wide. I thought his name was Tony or something like that. “Or him?” I tipped my head toward Gabe the Gunrunner, who was pretending to check his taillights. He was checking out someone else’s taillights, that was for sure.
Her eyes settled on my chest. “You’re not wearing a shirt.”
“Oops.” I grinned. “How are you this morning?”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes, and she was doing her best to look anywhere but at my chest. “I’m fine, just a little busy.”
“I can see that. With all that off-roading you do, that Jeep gets dirty fast.”
Her eyes finally found mine. “Shut up.”
I held my hands up. “Just a little joke. You’re a little uptight this morning.”
“I’m busy; I have stuff to get done. I am not uptight!” She pointed the hose at me with every word.
“Right. Obviously, you just got back from your relaxation class. I should have known from your posture.”
She scrunched her nose up. “This! This is why we would never work! We’re always annoying each other.”
“Wait, hold up. What do you mean this is why we won’t work? What about last night? You don’t mean what I think you mean.”
“Yes, I’m breaking up with you.”
“I’m not sure you can break up with someone you’ve only been on one date with.”
“Two, and I am. Nate, you don’t belong here. We’re from two different worlds. You deserve so much more than this. You’re good and kind, and you have a family who loves and supports you. You need to get back to your life and stop trying to change mine. You can’t. We would never be happy together.”
“Really? Because it seemed like you were happy last night when we were together. It seemed like you were happy when we were driving through the woods on our first date. You loved that tapas bar.”
“But don’t you see? That’s not my life! My life is here in the trailer park.”
“Well, good for you, Miss Trailerhood. Because it seems like I belong. I paid cash for that trailer there.” I pointed at the decrepit thing that was now my home.
“You don’t fit in. I don’t fit in with you.”
“Trying to scare me with Gabe the Gunrunner didn’t work. You’ve already exposed me to Sam and Elise’s breakfast cooking. And I know you’re lying to me right now. You’re always the martyr. Always the one to fall on your sword.”
“Don’t you see that you don’t belong here? This is my life. This is just a rest stop for you. You look down on these people!”
“Do I?” I raised my eyebrows and stepped closer to her, purposefully looking down on her. “And how exactly have I looked down on them?”
She pursed her lips, and her nose flared. “I’ve seen it in your face. You come in here with your fancy sunglasses and car—“
I laughed incredulously. “We have the exact same car!”
She poked me in the chest. “You don’t belong. We can’t make this work.”
“I think you’re the one who’s looking down on me for moving here. Do you know that?”
She gasped and dropped the hose. “I am not! We’re from two different worlds. I’m trailer trash.”
I snorted. “So what? I’ve met a lot of great people in this trailer park so far. You’re the snob here. You’re tying your worth directly to where you live. That doesn’t matter to me.”
“I can’t change who I am, Nate.”
“I don’t think it has anything to do with us being different. I think you’re so worried someone will come in and ruin your five-year plan that you can’t imagine changing it to date me, even though you want me. You’re scared to take
