“Aren’t you?” The polite veneer dropped and Jess could see Nate’s eyes fill with a mix of hurt and confusion.
Jess shook her head. Nate thought she was leading him on and cheating and he still took care of her? Why? She certainly wouldn’t have done the same.
“Listen to me, Nate. Dave is not anything. Not my boyfriend or husband or anything. He’s a guy from work. We had a couple of nights out together, very casually, and he insists it’s more thanthat. It’s not. I’ve made it very clear and if anything, he’s become a bit of a stalker.”
“Oh.” His eyes widened, the hurt in them suddenly gone. “That’s…tricky.”
“I’ve been trying to shake him by not responding, but so far, no luck.”
“So good thing I didn’t get him to come look after you last night, then?”
Jess laughed. “Imagine that disaster. He’d think it was all on.”
“I was worried he was going to come out here and punch me.”
“He still might!”
Nate pulled a face and she laughed again. Taking sips of her coffee, she allowed its warmth and their shared laughter to steady her shaky limbs.
For a moment, they sat quietly together, and Jess watched him, curious about the way she felt when she was around this man. Happy. Calm. Safe. Unusually shy, as if he stripped back her bold armour and saw the real her. The girl hiding underneath who wanted security. A quiet life with someone who genuinely loved her.
“I think you might be one of the good guys,” she said softly.
“I don’t know,” Nate said, examining his cup of tea. “Not sure any of us are as good as we think we are.”
“I get the sense you might be,” she insisted, meaning it. From what she’d seen so far, he wasn’t at all the fake charmer and player she’d first thought. He was kind and gentle. He cared about people. Regardless of whether she wanted to date him or not, Nate Mitchell was clearly one of the good guys. “Look, I’mreally sorry I ran the other night. I’ve been around a lot of…not so good guys.”
“Like Dave?”
“Dave is nothing compared to my ex. My mum was always falling for terrible men and I apparently inherited that gene. I seem to attract guys who love-bomb and then, just when you think you’ve found the one, they shove the knife in and twist.”
Nate pulled another face, making Jess laugh again. “Not literally, thank goodness. But emotionally, you know?”
“I know all too well,” Nate said, his voice softening to almost a whisper.
“Your ex?”
“My ex-fiancée. I thought I had it all perfectly worked out. Our wedding date is next Saturday, except I found out she prefers my best man. Which is why I’m here in New Zealand and not in London, preparing for a wedding.”
“Oh wow. I’m so sorry. When you said you’d had a break up, I didn’t imagine—” Jess reached out and lay her hand over his. “That’s awful.”
“I don’t think I’ve quite processed it all yet. And clearly I have some trust issues to work through.” He waved at Jess’s phone, apologetically. “Sorry for assuming…”
“That’s okay. Makes it hard to believe in love, doesn’t it?” Jess said, thinking about the only man she’d ever been in love with. Her first serious boyfriend in her early twenties had left her heart shattered, love-bombing her and promising a happily-ever-after life. They’d moved in together, even travelled around the world where he’d cheated on her with at least four other women—one from each continent, like he was going for a record. Love and commitment for her generation seemed to be reserved for romcoms and fairytales, and she’d never been a fan of either.
Nate shook his head. “No. I definitely believe in love. My parents have been together for over forty years and they’re still very much in love.”
“Forty years? That’s nice. My grandparents are the only people I’ve ever really seen in love. I don’t think I can imagine people our age being like that.”
“Hmm, I thought I could imagine it with my ex.”
Jess could hear an undertone of anger in his voice. No wonder he’d been so standoffish and cold when they’d first met. He’d just gone through a messy break-up. She squeezed his fingers, and he held her gaze for a long moment.
Releasing Nate’s hand, she lifted her mug. “Cheers to love, whether it’s possible for us or not, and to ditching jerky partners.”
Nate raised his own cup of half-drunk tea and clinked the mugs with a smile. “Cheers to love.”
They both emptied their drinks, Jess relieved to feel it settle into her stomach without a twinge of the awful spasms she’d had last night. “I might give some dry toast a try,” she said, moving to stand.
