“Eve, no!”
Belle and I hurry after her and pull her back just as she reaches the library. We stumble into one another and do ourbest to avoid the sharp blade while also dragging Eve back into the kitchen. It’s too late, though, and he’s already seen us.
Looking at me from the center of the room, I swallow hard at the sight of him. A few inches taller than I remember him and with a far better grooming routine than when we were kids, Nick holds the attention of everyone in the room simply by standing there. Two distinct dimples form in his cheeks as he smiles in my direction and I do what I can to ignore the feeling of butterflies taking flight in my stomach.
I push away from the other two and glare at Eve who’s being held onto by Belle as I walk to greet him. Stepping up to him, he smiles at me again before speaking.
“Hey, sugar.”
CHAPTER 7
Nick
She tips her head up and scowls at me, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Knock it off with the nickname.”
“Why? You used to like it if I remember correctly,” I respond with a smile.
“Well I hate it now so I’d appreciate it if you called me Noelle. Actually”—she catches herself and makes a face—“I’d prefer if you called me nothing.”
“Yeah, you tell him girl,” Eve barks. When I look at her closely, I see she’s wielding a very large knife and eying me like she’s about to throw it at my head.
“What’s with the knife?” I ask before taking a defensive step backwards. She’s hardly five foot three but Eve Barns isn’t someone you want to cross.
Noelle turns around to look at her friend before turning back to me with a smirk. “She’s using it to butcher tonight’s dinner. According to her, we’re having testicles.”
My eyes go wide and shoot back to Eve who gives me a ‘come at me’ look. Swallowing the lump that’s formed in my throat, I cover myself with my hands.
“What are you doing in my inn, Nick?”
Dragging my eyes away from the cleaver Eve is holding, I finally look back at Noelle and clear my throat.
“Uh, I, uh, I wanted to talk with you. Actually, I wanted to offer to get you a fresh cup of coffee since the last time I saw you, I caused you to drop yours on your shoes.”
She raises a brow at me. “You want to take me to get a coffee?”
“I’d offer to replace your shoes if I thought you’d let me,” I add.
Curling her nose up, she gives me a once over and makes me wait a painfully long time for my answer.
“No,” she finally says as a full sentence. She starts to walk towards the front of the inn and I follow close behind her. Her two sidekicks aren’t far behind us.
“Come on, Noelle. Let me take you to get coffee, I want to talk to you. Please.” I reach for her arm and spin her around so she has to look at me. “It’s only coffee.”
I see her look towards her friends who are behind my back. When she makes a confused face and shakes her head I turn around to look at them. When I do, they suddenly stand straight up like they’ve been caught and Eve scowls at me again.
I turn around to look at Noelle and I have to stop myself from brushing away the stray piece of hair that’s fallen in front of her face. As I wait for her to respond, I count the three small freckles that make a triangle just below her left eye. I remember when I would kiss the spot whenever I saw her before giving her a proper kiss hello. The things you do when you’re young and in love.The thing I wish I could do right fucking now if I didn’t think Eve would filet me like a fish if I tried.
“It’s only coffee,” I repeat.
She takes a deep breath and looksup at me.
“Fine. But I’m getting the largest size they have and all the extra toppings so it’s a ten dollar drink. It’s the least you can do for making me drop mine last week.”
“I’ll buy you two drinks if it will make you happy,” I say as she reaches into the office space for her coat. What she doesn’t know is I’d do literally anything to make her happy after I royally fucked things up between us.
When she has her coat, she looks towards the other two who are still watching us. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
