Page 10 of If You Say So

All of this makes it so obvious that he’s upset, but there’s something else there only I could possibly take note of.

He’s hurt.

I can see the way his dark green gaze spins with pain.

For a moment, I feel vindicated. I feelgood.He hurt me, and now I’ve hurt him. We’re even.

You’re an asshole, Blake.

I amnotthis person. I don’t intentionally hurt people. That has never been me, and I shouldn’t let Nate turn me into this kind of harmful creature.

I’m kind and caring and nurturing—even to a fault—but I like that. I like all those parts of me.

The last person I should let take that away from me is Nate.

I return my attention to my guest and step to the side. “I’m sure, Mateo.”

Nate lets out a huff, but I ignore it and plaster on a grin.

Mateo sends another glance Nate’s way before taking the step over the threshold and entering the house.

“Hey Nate,” he mutters as he walks past us both and into the foyer.

His greeting is met with a grunt, and there’s a small part of me that wants to laugh at his gruffness. Another part wants to land a punch right to his pretty, cheating face.

He’s being a prick on purpose.

“Nate.”

My warning is clear, but he doesn’t uncross his arms as counters with, “Blake.”

I abhor the way my name rolling off his lips makes me feel, cannot stand how much I want to run to him the moment he utters it.

“You done?” I ask.

He stands there, strong legs spread wide in a determined stance, eyes hard and serious. I don’t back down from the silent challenge he’s hurling my way.

Mateo clears his throat and our heads snap toward him. He practically cowers at the scowl on Nate’s face.

There’s no way I can bring him up to my bedroom now, not with the way Nate’s staring at him. Instead, I hitch my thumb toward the kitchen. “Let’s go study at the table,” I tell Mateo. “That way we won’t be bothered.”

I throw a pointed look Nate’s way as I pass him. He had better not come in there being obnoxious and troubling us. The last thing I want is another knockdown, drag-out fight with him, let alone having Mateo there to witness it.

My guest hikes his backup up on his shoulder and trudges behind me into the kitchen.

I pull out a chair for him and then one for me, taking a seat. He pulls his bag around to his front and begins taking out the contents.

“Is Nate not joining us?” I shake my head in answer. “Oh, well, thanks for inviting me over,” he says quietly, giving me a shy smile.

“Thanks for coming. I haven’t even started writing that paper yet, and figured having a study buddy to keep me on track wouldn’t be such a bad idea since it’s due tomorrow.”

“You haven’t started on it at all?” he balks. Mateo is a bit of a nerd, which is exactly why I knew he was the one I needed to have here to keep me working and not staring off in space.

Plus, he’s not bad to look at.

“I know. Shame on me. We can’t all be cute bookworms like you,” I tease.

A blush creeps up his face, and for just a moment, a spark of delight streaks through me. Then that nagging voice in my head begins to talk.

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