Page 62 of London, Love, & A Little Something Irish

Mom, on the other hand, isallheart. Outgoing, spontaneous, an incurable romantic. She’s also clumsy (I definitely inherited that) and very Italian. Occasionally explosive—hence, the Italian.

I love that I got Dad’s deep thinking. I love that I got Mom’s love for life.

And I know noteverythingis inherited. Some things, I’m realizing, are choices. I’ve been sheltered my whole life, but now? Now I get to decide who I want to be.

Who do I want to be? Who do I see myself becoming in the future? Will I hold on to the life I’ve been given and carry on the same way, or are there things I want to change?

I think it’ll be a mix of the two. There are so many things I admire in both my parents that I will want to treasure for the future. My mom’s zest for life, my dad’s deep and analytical thinking. Their generosity in hosting.

But when it comes to adventure? I think I want a lot of it. It also sounds a little terrifying. But aren’t the best adventures meant to make your heart pump a little faster? Scare you a little bit? Because they’re out of the comfort zone.

Hence, I’m going to Northern Ireland today.

I made the decision so fast, I didn’t even give myself a chance to overthink it. And now? Now I’m thrilled. I’m crossing borders for this man. And the way my heart is pounding…It’s not just the adventure—it’s him.

And I’m meetingNathan’s family.

I’m meeting Nathan’s family.

I’M MEETING NATHAN’S FAMILY.

Deep breaths.No biggie. Hopefully, they love me.

I spot Nathan’s van and run toward it, shivering against the crisp 6 a.m. air. I’m looking forward to this. Ishiver at the thought of being so close to him for so many hours. That spark between us? It’s only heating up.

The second I pull open the door, I launch myself inside. It’s colder than I’d like, but who cares? Because all I really want to do right now is kiss that delicious mouth of his.

I lean in, my face close to his, my lips hovering over his like a dare. “Good morning.”

His sleepy eyes flick to my mouth, and a slow grin spreads across his face. “Good morning,” he murmurs, voice still thick with sleep. Then, he grabs my neck and closes the distance.

I could stay right here forever, drinking him in, letting his warmth melt into me. But he pulls away too soon—too soon—and reality reminds me wedoactually have to hit the road.

I shift close to him, our knees almost brushing. This van is perfect for sneaking into his space. No pesky center console separating us like in a car.

“Ready?” he asks, his voice low and thick with sleep.

I pump my fist. “Adventure, here we come!”

As we make our way up to Wales, we talk about everything. Deep conversations. Teasing. The kind of back-and-forth that has my stomach doing somersaults.

Nathan’s teasing? Elite.

Me teasing back? …Not so much.Banter has never been my strong suit. I’ve tried, but I always chicken out. What if I accidentally say something that comes across mean? The thought alone makes me shudder. No, thank you. I’ll stay right here in Pleasantville.

But his flirty teasing… I’m here for it. All day long. Iloveit.

As we’re nearing Wales and the port, we broach the subject of his family. I know there’s some history there.

“So, tell me what I’m gearing up for. I hope your family likes me!” I say, only half-joking.

Nathan glances over at me, smirking. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything! Personality quirks. Deep psychological musings. You know, the usual.” I smile.

He chuckles. “I don’t know if I do deep psychological musings. But my parents are divorced and aren’t often in the same place at the same time. You’ll meet both of them, though.”

He pauses, and his smile grows. “And you’ll meet my gran.”

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