Page 97 of Freefall

The seconds tick by until finally my phone chimes again.

Nate

I wish I could.

My heart drops, but another message comes through almost immediately.

Nate

My cousin decided to show up unannounced, so now I’m stuck entertaining him.

I stare at the screen. Maybe his cousin really did show up. Or maybe this is his way of letting me down easy. Before I can spiral any further, two more texts pop up.

Nate

You could come here…

Nate

I’m just about to start making dinner.

When I don’t answer right away, he sends another.

Nate

It’s just dinner, Dani. You don’t have to stay over if you want to be close to Daisy.

I blink. How does he keep doing that—reading my mind before I’ve finished forming the thought? The nickname doesn’t help, and seeing it on my screen only makes it feel more real. But he’s right. It’s just dinner. I can be home by bedtime, and my parents would call me if they needed anything.

I can do dinner.

My fingers hover over the keyboard for a moment before I finally type.

Okay

Can I bring anything?

His reply is instant.

Nate

Just you, Dani. That’s all I need.

I stare at the words, reading and re-reading them until they turn blurry. Then my stomach does this stupid flip it has apparently decided belongs to him now.

25

HARPER

It’s one of those unseasonably warm October evenings we sometimes get in New England right before the weather turns cold for good. I already regret the gray wool sweater dress I’m wearing by the time I pull up to the gated community where Nate lives. When he said condo, I’d pictured a quaint little row of townhouses.

Not…whatever this is.

This place looks more like a high-end resort than a place where people actually live year-round.

I give the man at the gate my name, and he hands me a laminated pass with a barcode to scan at the next gate, because apparently there is more than one.

By the time I find Nate’s street, I’m sweating. As soon as I park in one of the designated visitor spots, I kick off my boots, peel off my leggings, and toss them onto the passenger seat before pulling my boots back on. There’s not much I can do about the dress, but at least my legs can breathe.