Page 100 of Prove Me Wrong
“Those ones I made myself,” the girl adds with a polite smile.
My eyes settle on hers as I feel Nathan’s stare on my face. “Why are you looking at bows? Jade’s hair is too short.”
Curling my lip and biting down on it, I grab a stack of them and hand them to the girl with a friendly smirk. “Those ones, please.”
Frowning, she takes them all. Nathan grabs onto my arm, forcing me to look at me. Brows furrowing, I see the tenseness in his face. “What are you doing?”
“I'm buying them,” I state the obvious, not wanting to explain my spiralling thoughts.
Nathan’s eyes narrow. Pulling my arm away, I take the paper pouch from the girl and hand it to Jade to hold for me before continuing on my way. Once I’ve reached the next stall, Nathan is in front of me, halting my movements.
“If they’re for Mia, then you need to explain.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you, Nate,” I grit out.
“Are they for her?”
My teeth clench tighter as I look away, avoiding his dark glare. “So what if they are?”
His head tilts back as the stinging sensation floods my chest once more. The agony rushes through me uncontrollably.
“Why are you doing this toyourself, Noah?”
I feel my face crease with confusion. “Doing what?”
“This.” He points to the pouch. “Telling yourself that she’s coming back.”
“Because she is,” I grumble, pushing past him.
I move towards the exit when he reaches out, stopping me once more. My hand fists, scrunching the pasty in my grip, but I don’t care. I’m not in the mood to eat it. “Stop hurting yourself.”
“I’m not hurting myself,” I bite back. I don’t want to hear this, it’s the last thing I want anyone to say. “She’s coming back.” My voice is quiet, hoarse, as if I know the words are a lie.
Nathan’s eyes move between mine, trying to read me.
Shutting my eyes, I have to control the anger bubbling up through me like boiling water.
“And what if she doesn’t?” Nathan asks.
Exhaling heavily, I shake my head. I know I’m not thinking straight, I haven’t this whole week. I’ve barely slept, barely moved. All I am holding on to is the hope that she’ll come back soon, and I won’t let that hope die.
“She will,” I repeat, forcing myself to believe it. “She has to. She has to be feeling the same way.”
Nathan glances around before pulling me out of the market and into the quiet side street covered in puddles from the morning frost that’s melted away under the sun. Weatherboard houses line the road, with bare trees standing on either side, hardly leaving shadows.
He lets go when we are out of the public eye, giving us the space to talk as we start on our way back to my place. “Did Sinnett tell you how she is?”
Nodding, I tell him everything her brother said over the phone. About the way she’s acting, and the job interview, and his honest thoughts about her doing this for her parents and needing time to think.
“I am giving her the time and space, but I don’t know how much longer I can just be here, waiting for her.”
“And she hasn’t messaged you back?”
My head shakes. “No. Not to the dozens I’ve left?—”
Nathan digs his hand into my jeans pocket, ignoring my protest. Opening it—since he knows my passcode—he thumbs through the sea of messages I’ve left her.
Groaning, I look away to Jade, who is watching me with wide eyes, wondering what is going on.
