I moved through my routine on autopilot, changing into soft lounge clothes and pulling my hair into a loose knot. My laptop, however, sat on the coffee table unopened, work emails waiting like obedient soldiers.
Instead of getting back to it like I should have, I sank onto the couch, staring at my darkened phone screen.We need to meet.
The words echoed through my mind, excitement tangling with dread and twisting together until I couldn’t separate them. I just didn’t understand why. This should be a good thing. Not an ending but a beginning.
A sharp knock sounded at my door and I jolted upright, my heart kicking hard against my ribs. Another knock followed only a few seconds later.
Slowly, I stood up, my pulse thudding louder with every step toward the door. When I pulled it open, Nate stood on the other side. His hair was still slightly damp, his shoulders tense beneath a dark sweater that looked like it had seen better days.
He held a bottle of wine out toward me like it was evidence in a crime scene. The bottle I’d left at his apartment a few days ago. Neither of us spoke as I slowly reached out and took it from him, my fingers brushing the cool glass while his hand released it immediately, like he didn’t want to risk having my skin come into contact with his.
His jaw flexed once before he gave a short nod and turned toward his apartment across the hall, but he still looked off. Gone was the usual irritation. Instead, he just seemed drained of all emotion.
“Why do you look like your dog just died?” I asked before I could stop myself.
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. His gaze slid over my face, his expression unreadable. “No offense, but you look the same.”
I cocked my head at him, my eyebrows hiking up a little. “Excuse me?”
He faced me fully now, leaning one shoulder against the wall like it was the only thing keeping him upright. “What? I saidno offense, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed take any. It just means you wanted plausible deniability in the event that what you said really did hurt my feelings.”
“Did it?”
“No, but only because I said it first.” I gripped the wine bottle against my hip. “I was simply willing to take responsibility if I caused offense.”
His mouth twitched again. “It still takes one to know one and you don’t even just look like your dog died. You look like you’re scared someone will accuse you of doing it.”
I frowned and started closing my door, my head shaking as I wondered why I’d spent so much time obsessing over his civility earlier at the nail salon. Clearly, he?—
“I was told to play nice with you until tomorrow.”
I stopped with the door halfway closed, internally debating whether ignoring him would feel more satisfying than whatever nonsense had just come out of his mouth, but curiosity won and I pulled the door open again.
“Who told you to do that? Your emotional growth coach?”
“Alex,” he said, deadpan. “Our rivalry needs to end now. Or at least take a break until this dinner is over. Preferably until you return to New York.”
“You say that like you’re counting down the days.”
“I am.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Charming.”
“Honestyischarming, and I brought you your wine, didn’t I?” He kept staring me like it’d been a genuine question.
I sighed. “Well, if you really want to play nice, you can start by not glaring at me every chance you get. It would also be nice if you didn’t accuse me of flirting with your brother so his theoretical arranged wife doesn’t get mad about it several years from now.”
His scowl appeared, but it lacked its usual bite, once again making him look like he was too exhausted to fully commit. “That wasn’t what I?—”
“It absolutely was,” I cut in. “For the record, Will is the only person in your family who smiles like he actually enjoys existing, so forgive me for responding to basic human friendliness.”
I fully expected him to fire back, but instead, he just shrugged, proving he really was out of sorts tonight. “If you think it’s just Will, you clearly haven’t met my sister yet. She genuinely does enjoy existing. Have a good night, Kate.”
As he pushed away from the wall, he looked worn so thin that I exhaled slowly and decided to just give it a rest. “Look, I don’t want tomorrow night to be awkward for my parents or your family. I also don’t want anything we do to affect this deal.”
“That’s surprisingly reasonable of you.”
