Cackling with laughter, Frisco tossed his plate into the trash and brushed his hands together. “Okay, I’ve seen enough. You can play with us.” He kissed Presley, picked up his down jacket, and slipped it on. “Have fun tonight, kids. What’re your plans?”
“Well gee, Dad, we’re going to the soda shop, then the movies.” Presley rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? Go eat something small and unpronounceable.” He gave Frisco a shove toward the entrance.
Fascinated by their dynamic, I watched Frisco give Presley a hug and whisper something in his ear, to which Presley nodded. I hadn’t had friendships like this. I was too busy trying to show my father I could be like him.
“Don’t mind him,” Presley said, returning to me. “He’s like an overgrown child sometimes.”
“I didn’t. I think it’s nice you have someone who cares and wants nothing else but friendship from you. That’s all you are, right? Friends?”
“Can we talk about something?” Ignoring my question, Presley pointed at the chair. “Sit with me.”
I followed him to the chairs and sat.
“When we decided to date and not have sex, I did it to make sure that when or if it happened again, there were feelings beyond us being physical. Because we can both get that anywhere.”
“Yeah, and I agreed, so what’s the problem?”
The longer Presley spoke, the more I felt off-balance and unsure, while he grew more confident. It was both disconcerting and a turn-on.
“Every time I look at or speak to someone, you think I’m sleeping with them, or that I’m going to cheat on you with them. I promise that if I’m dating you, you’re the only man I’m with, but I don’t think you believe that. Do you think that’ll ever be possible for you? Maybe one day?”
I hadn’t expected this to get emotional. When I kissed Presley after that first group meeting, my only thought was,Damn, this is great. Sex and nothing more. But then the second time, I acted like a shit. Unknowingly, yes, but still a shit. Once we talked it out and decided maybe what was happening between us was something worth pursuing, everything changed. I moved from confident to concerned and uncertain.
But I’d known Presley for less than three months, and even though my feelings weren’t waning—they were growing stronger, but I wasn’t about to delve into that right now—I wasn’t ready to spill my family secrets to him.
“I’m not used to this. I haven’t dated anyone seriously in over three years, and I’m not sure anymore.”
“Sure of what? Me?” A trio of lines creased Presley’s brow. “I can unequivocally tell you that if I am dating one man, that’s it. I’ve never been good at playing the field. It’s not who I am.”
“Which is who? So far all the talk has been about me and my issues with commitment and fidelity. What about you? Who is Presley Dawson? I’ve told you about my last relationship. What about yours?”
Chapter Thirteen
I mean, I knew it had to happen at some point. I’d already told Nate I didn’t sleep around or have much experience, but he was right. It wasn’t fair to duck out of every conversation about past relationships. And with Frisco whispering,“He’s perfect. Don’t fuck it up,”in my ear before he left, I knew I had to say something.
But not the truth.
Not about Jared and how I’d slept with a married man.
“What do you want to know?” I chewed the inside of my cheek.
“Not here,” Nate said with a grim twist of his lips. “It can wait until dinner.”
“I’ll have to go back to my place and change, you know. Though we don’t have to go out. If you want, we can order in.”
Nate eyed me speculatively, and my stomach clenched. Maybe I should give in. If we had sex, he might forget to ask me again. But even as I thought the words, it sickened me. That wasn’t me. Even all these years later, I allowed my relationship with Jared to poison my life.
“No, you’re too tempting to be alone with.” The clouded darkness on his face lifted.
“Okay.” I thought fast. Not a quiet, romantic place with intimate conversation, where I might slip up. “How about a movie? And pizza?”
He watched me with those light eyes, and I shifted under his piercing stare, feeling like a witness under questioning. Then, coming to a decision, Nate gave me a sharp nod and smiled. “Yes to both. I can come with you when you change, and we’ll go straight to dinner?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He kissed my cheek and picked up his newspaper. “I’m full of plans.”
The rest of the day slipped by, and by five o’clock I had locked up and pulled down the gates. Nate waited by my side.
