Page 25 of The Fate Of Us

Dinner party.

Nate’s birthday.

Saturday.

“—Does that sound okay?”

I bring my eyes back into focus, scanning every part of his confused smile. I shake myhead at him, the dizziness pooling in my brain. “Sorry, just repeat that last part.”

“Saturday, eight o’clock, our apartment. Does that sound okay?”

I throw a smile on my face. “Oh, yeah, that sounds great. Perfect.” I keep our eyes fixed,the fog of unasked questions smudging the rich brown that lived in his. I tilt my head. “What is it?”

Before he can even mutter his name, I know what’s coming.

The Nate Lecture.

I’ve learned over the years when it’s about to happen. He’llsuck in a breath and fold his arms over his chest, then he’ll try his hardest to contain his ever-growing smile and fail miserably, all while narrowing his eyes, which, if anything, comes across more seductive than it does stern.

“Will you two please, for the love of God, not argue,”

My eyes roll. “You say that like we have full-blown fights at every social event we attendtogether. You know that we keep each other at arm’s length when we’re around you guys, and it’s not like we’ve ever really argued—”

The words caught in my throat, knowing that if I finished my sentence, it would be nothingbut a plain lie.

I see the moment Jacob remembers too, his subtly stern brown eyes warning me,reminding me, that what happened last year at the wrap party should have never happened. Nor should it happen again.

“I know,” he mutters, his head jesting to the side before meeting my eyes again. “I wish Icould forget about what happened too, but…”

I sink my head, too afraid to meet his eyes, as I mutter back,“I know. I’ll be on my best behaviour. Girl Scouts honour.”

Before I can reluctantly lift my head up, a mask of shame and pure embarrassmentcementing my face, Jacob’s arms wrap around me and pull me in for a hug. I know he hated seeing that, me and Nate screaming our lungs out at each other and crying our hearts out. He’s our best friend. He didn’t need that.

A grateful pang knocks on my heart, not knowing what would’ve happened if he hadn’tbeen there, stepping between us before one of us said,or did, something that would have had us existing in more than just silence.

After a few seconds of savouring the warmth from Jacob’s chest, he lets go of me, hishands falling to my shoulders. “Okay, go get yourself an outfit, squeeze a trip down Fifth into this Monday schedule of yours, and I’ll see you on Saturday… okay?” he says, with that signature smile and dimples that are cute enough for evenmeto admit they are.

“Okay.” I smile back at him, before the clanging chime from JoJo’s wine glass on thesolid oak cash desk rattles around the room.

“Jacob Henry Emerson, what the hell is this?!”

We both twist our heads to JoJo, who looks like she’s seen a ghost, with the whiteenvelope in her hand and a face as pink as the wine she just put down.

“That’s my cue to run.” Jacob rushes out, dipping down to plant a peck on the crown ofmy head before running between the book tables and fleeing out the door, calling out, "See you Saturday, Add's." as he does.

Ignoring that reminder of what was waiting for me at the end of this week, I turn back to JoJo, both incredibly curious and slightly scared to find out what warrantedher calling Jacob by his full name. “What is it?”

She drops the envelope down on the counter and takes the last gulp of her wine, beforeeyeing me and saying with all seriousness. “I’m going to kill that boy.” With her bottom lip wedged between her teeth, she waltzes off into the back for what I can assume will be another refill.

After watching her leave, my eyes drift down to the open envelope, my eyes softeningand my heart aching for how sweet that boy is when it registers in my head that he left her a check for $2000 dollars.

I pick up the pile of papers, a note falling from between them as I do. I don’t bother toraise my hand over my mouth to cover my smile, and soon enough, a laugh erupts out of me once I read it.

One thousand to replace the stolen one, and another for being so cool.

That was another reason why I loved my Mondays; although I know their routine by now,down to the second, they still manage to surprise me.

.

---