"Look," he began, avoiding my eyes, a faint line in his brow. "I know you're probably worried. Those rumors about my sex life, all the people I've slept with, I can't exactly say it's all untrue. But—"
He looked at me straight on, his eyes full of sincerity.
"I promise I will never hurt you," he said. "I like you. I've never felt as close to someone as I've felt with you. At first it was just because you were this fun girl. I was lonely without Gael. And no one else knows my mom is in the hospital. It was nice just talking to someone I didn't have to lie to. But then… I don't know. You've had this sheltered life, but you didn't let it get you down. You're living life the way you want to. I respect the hell out of that. And I don't know what this is between us, but I do know that I like spending time with you. I…" A faint flush crept up along his neck and blossomed in his cheeks. "I like you."
It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me. And coming from someone like Nathan, someone who was never serious about anything, who blew everything off with teasing and innuendo, it was almost more than I could take.
My heart ached in my chest. How could I turn him down after he was so honest with me?
I put down the basket of cat toys in my hand and went over to him.
"I like you, too," I told him. "But since you're being so honest with me, I want to be honest with you."
His tilted his head, nonplussed but ready to listen. "I can't imagine you being dishonest about anything in your life."
"You'd be surprised," I said, thinking of all the times I'd lied to my parents to keep them from worrying about me. "I get off work in about half an hour. We can go to that coffee shop down the street."
I took in a deep breath.
"There's a few things I need to tell you."
