Nate obviously isn’t worried about defininganything, and I’m not sure how fast he wants to go. I look at the menu and tell him I want steak tacos before pushing it out of my mind.
A few inches have appeared between us, and we never quite get as close as we were before.
That fact bothers me more than I want to admit.
We’ve just returnedfrom dinner when my phone rings. I’m determined to get the mood back, but when I see who it is, I know I’ll be taking this call.
“Is it your parents?” Nate asks.
“No, it’s Quinn. I’ll go on the balcony and take this.”
Once I’m out in the fresh air, I hit accept.
“Hey,” I say.
“Maisie! Hey, how’s the cruise?” She sounds out of breath, and I can imagine her surrounded by party decorations, slowly losing herself to the madness that is planning a party with Andrea.
I’m thrilled it’s not me.
“It’s ... good,” I say. “I think Ijustgot used to being on vacation. Too bad we’re back in Florida tomorrow.”
“That sounds about right. The best part is the end.” She laughs. “Has anything fun happened?”
It’s tempting to tell her about Nate, but she’s one of the people that never questioned that he and I were just friends. Probably because I was dating her brother.
It’s going to be a massive shock to everyone.
I don’t want people involved in this until I know what we are.
I should’ve said it better at dinner.Closeisn’t good enough of a word for the two of us.
“I fell off a dock.” That feels like it was a year ago, even though it was only a few days.
Quinn gasps. “What? How?”
“Someone was in a rush and knocked me right off. Nate had to jump in after me.”
“Only you would fall off a dock on a trip. You’re okay, right?”
“You know Nate would never let anything happen to me.”
“That’s Nate for you,” she says. “I’m glad he went. He’s the only person other than Rob who could manage it. Or maybe he’s the only person ... uh, considering how things ended.” Her voice goes quiet. “I shouldn’t have brought him up.”
“No, it’s okay. I can’t ignore Rob’s existence or anything even though we’re over.” I’ve known I’ll see him again, but the thought of it makes a shudder run down my spine. I know I can’t avoid it, and my fear means nothing.
But it’s definitely there.
“Yeah, definitely over.” She lets out an awkward laugh.
“So, you heard about what I did?”
“I heard that you went on vacation with Nate, which I knew. But nothing else.”
“I poked the bear a little bit, and he hasn’t reached out since. So, it’s definitely over now.”
“Um, maybe don’t gettooused to the idea.”
I shake my head. “He’s pissed at me.”
