Page 54 of True North

Now, apparently, we’re going steady.

My head is spinning from the thought.

She considers herself mine.

Fuck me.

“What’s so good about the Italian restaurant, Lou? We could eat anywhere.”

Anywhere I could afford, that is.

Her head pops up, and she twists her body to face me, palms bracing her as she wriggles closer. “It... how do I explain it... It’s not only about the food; it’s like anexperience. The smells, the sounds, the soft lighting. It’s like being eternally in love.”

Instantly, her cheeks redden. And the smile pushing up on my face sees it deepen.

“It sounds like a place for couples. Weddin’s and shit,” I offer. But when her face falls, I know I’ve taken her vision of the old place and shattered it all over the ground.

“Never mind.” She lies back in my lap.

Her eyes close. I take in her breathing as it quickens then settles. I brush her hair back behind her ear, her disappointment at my response twistin’ like wire in my gut.

Ain’t havin’ it.

I lean down and dust a kiss to her temple. “How does Saturday night sound? Table for two at Mama’s?”

Her eyes fly open. She scrambles into my lap, hands gravitating to my jaw like they always do. “You mean it? Can... Your mom won’t mind you spending the money?”

She won’t know.

God knows I can’t afford anything fancy, but for Louisa May, I’ll find a way.

“Thank you, Harry. Mama’s place is so special to me. It’s the first place that felt like home when we came to town. And you’re gonna love it. I know it.”

The widest grin stretches her beautiful face. And that’s when I feel it. The overwhelming tug at my heart telling me there isn’t a damn thing on this earth I wouldn’t do for this girl.

When the cool night breeze finds me, I turn away from the restaurant’s doors and head for the pickup. Hopefully Ma will be ready to leave.

The music is still blasting throughout the old hall rafters when I pull into the parking lot. Brad’s red car still sits where it was when we left. I have half a mind to give the loser a piece of my mind. He must be as bright as a bag of rocks, thinking his behavior’s anything but questionable. Leavin’ Lou in the middle of the dance floor amid a panic attack. He never checked if she’s okay. Or manned up to make certain his date was taken care of. What the hell is wrong with the guy?

I walk inside, scanning for Ma.

I find Brad.

Sitting at the bar with two of his buddies, laughing like he hasn’t a care in the world. Well, he’s about to get one. I stalk my way over to his seat.

“Hey, dickhead! You treat all your dates like lepers?” I swing his chair back with one hand. He startles, spilling his lemonade over his iron-creased stonewashed jeans and loafers. The sickly-sweet aroma of it floods the area.

Fuck me.

His buddies stare, white-faced, not moving.

What the heck Louisa ever saw in this weedy ingrate is beyond me. And after tonight, there will be no more Brad. He can find some other poor girl to flake out on.

“What the hell, Rawlins!” His voice is too high, his face laced with annoyance. Like he’s the one who’s inconvenienced by the events of tonight.

“Stay away from Louisa. Your little tryst is done and dusted, you hear?”

“What gives you the right to tell me who I can date?”

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