Page 25 of About That Rule

CHAPTER10

SAMANTHA WOKE UPon the couch. Who hadn’t fallen asleep watching TV in their living room? This time around, however, her head was in Nate’s lap, her mouth particularly close to a giant banana in his pants. She sat up to put some space between them. While they hadn’t discussed her face being in close proximity to his manhood, she had a feeling it would be frowned upon. They’d banned kissing, a blow job was definitely off the table.

Nate could sleep through a marching band parading by him, so he didn’t flinch when she scooted away from him and his hand slipped off her back. He was stretched out, his head resting on the back of the couch.

Walking into the kitchen, Samantha decided to make breakfast. Her cooking skills were limited to toasters, microwaves, and anything grab and go, which didn’t leave much room to impress. Not that she was searching for a way to wow Nate, but if he didn’t like bagels, he wasn’t eating.

When the fourth bagel popped, Nate lazily came into the kitchen, still wearing his jeans and t-shirt from the night before.

“Do you want to change into something else? I’m sure I actually have some of your sweatpants somewhere in my dresser,” Samantha offered.

He lifted a shoulder dismissively. “Nah, you can keep them. I’m going back to the hotel to get some work done.”

“Well, you’re in luck either way,” she responded, showcasing her hands over the breakfast options like she was a Price is Right model. “I made bagels. And the real treat, I had blueberry and plain. You’re welcome, my friend.”

He cringed for a second, but this was his second time in weeks sleeping on a couch. Poor thing had probably pulled back muscle at this point.

With the plate of toasted bagels in one hand, butter, cream cheese, and knife in the other, she guided them to her dining room table. They both sat down and began eating.

Nate put his bagel down and stared at her.

“What?” She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Is there butter on my face?”

He shook his head. “I don’t even know how to have this conversation.”

Yikes, that seemed way too serious for seven in the morning.

“If this is about my cooking skills, you’ve known for a very long time this is my finest bagel making to date,” she said, a pretend sternness in her voice while pointing at her bagels, which were thankfully not burnt.

This made him laugh. “Yes, I was there for the great brownie explosion when we were fifteen.”

She swallowed a bite of her bagel while groaning. “I will never live that down. Whatever you have to tell me can’t be worse than that. What’s up?”

He paused again.

“Last night, I vented about my mom then shut down any more conversation about it.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. You and I both aren’t great at the whole expressing our feelings thing. No worries.”

“Do you ever think, though, maybe that’s part of my problem? Lately, I’ve been off, like I need something more, but I don’t know what it is.” His gray-blue eyes penetrated hers like she had all the answers.

“I get it. For me, sometimes there are little reminders of how maybe I need something else too.” She neglected to mention the whole pending annulment being her biggest reminder. It made her yearn to have someone to come home to. Like how Charlotte and Rafe’s wedding made her realize how much she wished she’d found her person the way they had, the one who just got her.

“You just ignore the reminders and don’t make a change?” His question wasn’t meant to be a dig, but it did hurt a little bit.

She took the last bite of her bagel to buy herself more time.

Nate kept talking without touching his food. He must have had a lot on his mind. That, or with the memory of her past baking skills, he was too nervous to eat. “I think expanding business out here would help. Not only would it be more of a challenge, but I’d be here…well, not here in your apartment, but you know what I mean. I’d be back home. Maybe being close to home will fill the void.”

Cue her notorious humor to lighten the mood. “Or I could step up my game and be more of a challenging wife. Like demand a delivery of flowers every day.”

“You’ve hated flowers since you were a kid.” Nate smeared some butter on a bagel. “I sent you flowers when you passed your driving test and got your license. You complained I gave you a gift you had to take care of.”

This was true, but in her defense, why hadn’t he just taken her to Taco Bell or bought her some candy?

“And I forgot to water them and they died awfully quick.” Samantha angled her head to the side.

Nate bit his lip for a second. “I’m stressed. I don’t like feeling like I’m missing something but don’t know what it is.”