“I’ll be fine. I can deal with this.”
“You need me.”
My skin prickles at the words because he’s right. I’ve known for a very long time that I do need him. “I can survive for one week.”
“It’s one hell of a week to do it.”
“There’s no one else I wanna give this to. And if my parents know that I’m not going, you’re the next best thing. You know they consider you to be a son.”
He sighs. “I see your logic, but I don’t like it.”
“Life will be easier if you admit I’m right and spend your week looking over the ocean and traveling the Caribbean.”
“It wouldn’t be a terrible way to spend some time,” he admits.
“Good. You’re seeing my point. Now, continue to see it while I eat.” I grab my fork. “I’m starving.”
chapter four
I don’t regret lettingNate go on the trip until the morning he’s supposed to leave.
After sending him a bunch of texts and heart emojis telling him to have fun, I sigh and put away my phone. I’m trying to work myself up to telling Levi that I’m willing to forgo my PTO and come to work, but I dread it. As much as I want to get back into the usual swing of things, I can’t take another pitying look.
I don’t want to admit it, but Nate had a point when he told me that I needed him. Usually when I had time off, he was the first person I called. Today, he’ll be flying to Orlando and staying in a hotel. Tomorrow, he’ll set off and be in the ocean.
Slowly, I lace up my running shoes, preparing to go out. The plan is to go on a run and call Levi when I get back to offer to return to work tomorrow. Then, I’ll use the rest of my day to go through all the wedding stuff in my house.
But the plan is . . . not fun.
This feels terrible. It always does. After Grandma died, it felt like I was stabbing myself over and over again every single time I had to do something. And then one day, it got easier. And then it became second nature.
But this sucks, and I wish that I had told Nate to stay and help me. A run would be so much easier if he was running beside me, complaining the whole way.
As I finish up my second shoe, there’s a knock at the door. I groan, hoping it’s not a salesman or someone with well wishes after I ended my engagement.
But the second I open it, my jaw drops when I see a tall figure with wavy black hair.
“Nate, what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be heading to the airport?”
To be fair, Nate does look like he’s on his way. He’s got on a wide sun hat with sunglasses that make him look like he’s en route to the docks. He’s traded his usual button-up shirt for the bright Hawaiian one I got him as a joke. On top of that, he’s wearing sweatpants.
“Iamheading to the airport. I just had to stop for one thing.”
I narrow my eyes, racking my brain to figure out what he could have left here. “And what’s that? Your sense of style?”
“Very funny. I thought you’d love that I’m wearing your shirt.”
“It’s sweet, but you look like you closed your eyes and hoped for the best when you got dressed this morning.”
He rolls his eyes. “Here I was, coming to you to get the one thing I need, and you’re making fun of me.”
I cross my arms. “What do you need, Nate?”
“You.” He says it so casually that, for a second, I don’t think I’ve heard him right.
But he’s leaning on my doorway, eyebrow raised as he waits for my response.
“M-me? How could you forget me?”
