Page 103 of Secrets in Love
“Did you two rehearse that?” I snorted.
“Answer the damn question, Evie!” they argued, again, in unison.
Yes, I love him. I love every idiotic part of him.
Smoothing my frizz-ball hair brought me valuable seconds to come up with a more…me reply. “Well, I don’tnotlove him.”
Words can’t quite describe the sound Finn emitted, but Jocie said, “Jesus Christ. I really did fail you two, didn’t I?”
“Me? What did I do?” whined Finn as his phone grunted in his pocket. Iris had a habit of changing his tone to Daddy Pig, Peppa’s dad. Finn hated it. I encouraged it.
Tearing at it with such aggression he almost ripped a hole in his jeans, he took one look at the screen and scoffed. “Speak of the devil. Nate says his flight has been delayed, and Eves, he’s asked me to ask you if you found the things on your bed.”
“What things?” I snatched the phone from his hands.
“How the hell am I supposed to know?” He swiped it back. “I’m here, dodging your junk punches and weapons.”
My head spun to Jocelyn, and the braiding of my still poofy hair and pacing in circles began. “Did you see anything when you packed my bag?”
“Other than your hundreds of pillows? No. Sorry, darling, I didn’t notice anything.”
“Huh. Well. Whatever it is, it’s of little consequence to me. Unless he’s gone mafia style and left a severed horse head on my pillow.”
“No, I saw the pillows, remember. There were definitely no animal heads of any kind. I wonder what it could be?”
“Like I said, I don’t care.Not a bit.Nope.Couldn’t care less… Jocie, can I take the—”
“The car is on its way.”
A late-night snow flurry, mid-city traffic jam, and a nervous breakdown or two later, I was stumbling up the stairs and kicking in the door of my room. I saw it immediately.
In the center of my bed, and tied with an orange ribbon, was a brown paper package.
Pacing back and forth, I studied it. Considering. Pondering my next move.
I’d raced home from the city to ensure my room was animal-head free, and it was. I’d answered that important question and could go back to my family. Or to sleep.
Nothing was going to change my mind. There could be a freaking fairy waiting to cast a love spell inside that bundle, but my icy heart would remain unmoved. Stubbornness was my forte, and I was almost positive I was fairy-magic resistant.
It was decided. Nate and his stupid present could go take a flying leap. He told me he’d stay, and not even a week later, he was gone. It was over…if it had ever begun.
I sat on the bed, and the dipping of the mattress sent the parcel rolling toward me till it bumped my thigh. It was almost like it was teasing me, taunting me. Daring me.Open me, Evie. Open me!
Stupid present.
It wouldn’t hurt to give it a light squeeze, I thought. The type of innocent feel-up I’d performed on the presents I’d found in Jocelyn’s closet every Christmas.
For some reason, even with my mind made up, with my eyes closed so tightly it kind of hurt, I accidentally picked it up.Then, not at all on purpose, I opened it.
“Oh, Nate.”
Inside was my handkerchief, the one Nate had carried in his pocket for years; the photo he stole from his mum, the one of us from Christmas; the stupid little notebook he had written the idiot count in right up to the day he left, the one I had no idea he was still doing; and a handwritten note.
Aoife,
I’m not going to pretend I possess your ability to convey emotion with written words. I guess I’m more Christian (not FuckFace Christian) than Cyrano, but here we go…
When it comes to women, I have made many, many, many mistakes in my life, and I have equally as many regrets. Traveling to New York on a whim to tell you I love you is not one of them.
