Page 136 of Give Me Love

I laugh. “Let’s make sure they like me first, and then I’ll bring you.”

“Of course, they’ll like you,” she says when I walk out with a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

I shrug. “Hopefully.”

“Are you staying with Austin again?”

“Well, if you’re not here, then yeah. Or either he can stay here. I’m sick of the smell of grease and cigarettes.”

“Yeah, right,” I reply with an eye roll, looking back at her. She tosses a pillow at me with a smirk.

“Shut up. Will you be here for a little longer?” She stands.

“Yeah. Bryce had some things to do at Red. Figured we could have dinner and a few glasses of wine with a little horror movie?”

“Oh, that sounds amazing. Awesome. I’m going to shower really quickly. Order whatever.”

“What? You’re not going to cook me something?” I ask as she walks out of my room.

“I cook all day, Kat! We’re getting delivery.”

I grin, totally not expecting her to cook for us, but I had to try. I turn back to my clothes packing before walking into the kitchen to grab the menus.

“Chinese, okay?” I yell to her.

“Yep!” she hollers back.

I dial the number and order us a table full, thinking a nice evening together is just what we both need.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kathrine

I’m sleepy and holding a cup of warm coffee in my hands as we cruise down the quiet interstate. Bryce woke me up at three a.m.

That’s right. Three freaking a.m.

I’m glad I only split one bottle with Claire last night or else I’d be hung over. He says sunrises at the ranch are the best, so he wants me to see it when we come in. It’s a sweet, romantic gesture, but my brain isn’t going to function well until I’ve downed this drink in my hands.

Claire and I did finish the bottle, but we didn’t even make it ten minutes into the horror film before we paused it and started talking. We ended up running our mouths and stuffing our faces the entire time, and my soul feels better because of it.

And then Austin came by and finished off the food while we waited for Bryce to show up and take me to his place. I take a sip of my coffee and look over at my handsome guy.

He’s wearing a long-sleeved navy shirt that matches his eyes, paired with dark jeans and brown boots. He lazily holds on to the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand while the other switches between the gear shifter and his own cup of coffee.

The car smells like him ––fresh, green, forest spice.

How on earth did I get so lucky?

I’m a little less put together, with my hair on top of my head in the best way I could fix it since I had so little time. I was able to put a few strokes of mascara on and at least my clothes match. I’m in a black, long-sleeved cotton blouse and white Chucks with my regular string bracelets covering my wrist.

My stomach turns a tad at the thought of meeting his family, both with excitement and nerves. He loves these people. I want them to love me.

His mom and I have been getting along okay. We talk through passing, and sometimes she’ll insist we have dinner together. She does seem like she’s trying, but I can tell Bryce has up a high wall when it comes to her.

Who can blame him?

In a way she reminds me of my own family, but I don’t have walls up when it comes to them.

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