Page 16 of Away With You
Well, obviously I am. But how to answer?
“Tell him you’re home,” Jade supplies the obvious.
I chew on my lower lip. “But why is he asking?”
Her eyes stayed glued to the street outside my window, like she thinks he’s magically going to appear. “There’s only one way to find out.”
With a knot in my stomach, I type out a reply.
KATIE
yes.
“Now what?”
We stare at each other, holding our breaths until we almost pass out, and when nothing happens, we both exhale in unison. Me with relief. Jade with pure disappointment.
“Well, that happened.” She slumps back next to me, shooting my phone furtive glances, like she’s willing it to light up.
I do the same, staring at my phone, but for different reasons. I’m hoping it will stay silent and that Nathan won’t follow up. My heart is getting way too thumpity at the mere thought of that man.
“Where is our food?” I ask after several minutes of silence. My stomach has been promised bagels, and it’s the least patient of all my internal organs.
She glances at her phone, listless, like all the joy has been sucked out of her day. “It should be here any minute.”
I spring to action as a knock finishes her sentence.Food is here!
“Hello—” My joyful Uber delivery person greeting dies on my lips. Because in place of my eagerly anticipated man with bagels on my doorstep stands Nathan Jackson. And he looks even yummier than my breakfast bagels.
“Kitty Kat.” His mouth caresses my nickname as he scans me up and down with twinkly blue eyes. “You seem happy to see me.”
I gape at him, my brain a deserted town filled with tumbleweeds and nothing else. Nathan is at my front door.
“Katie?” Jade peers over the couch, hurtling her body over it when she sees who’s standing in front of me. “Ohmigosh, hi! I’m Jade, Katie’s friend, and you’re Nathan Jackson. Big fan!” She shoves her hand into his, forcing him to shake hers up and down while she stares up at him, her energy frenzied.
“Hello, Jade.” Nathan glances at me, his lips curling with amusement. “It’s nice to meet you.”
I gather my wits about me. “What are you doing here?”
His gaze sharpens on me, once again taking slow inventory of my face, my hair, my body. My body in a—oh, no!
“So, Jade,” he turns back to my friend, her hand still holding his hostage. “I see you’re a fan, but Katie maybe not so much?”
My face heats to resemble the colour of theVortex Motorsteam sweatshirt I’d put on this morning. Fire engine red and burning hot.
“Oh, ha, yes,” Jade titters. “Contrary to what it looks like, we’re both big fans. Of you. And your team.” She breaks off, puffing out a breath like she’s run a marathon. Nathan has that effect on people. His sheer presence robs you of your ability to just…breathe.
“Hmmm,” he murmurs, his eyes stuck to where the sweatshirt hits the middle of my thighs. I’m wearing pyjama shorts that are swallowed up by the size of this top, so it looks like I’m naked from the bottom down. If you discount the knee-high fuzzy socks. The mismatched knee-high fuzzy socks.Kill me now.
“You should come in.” Jade tugs on his hand, which is still held in hers. “We can make tea.”
Her braids are dancing as she almost vibrates with excitement. She’s giving off crazed-fan vibes, and I’m wondering if Nathan is concerned about his safety. To look at him, though, as he saunters into my flat like it’s his own, he seems unbothered. Except for the almost imperceptible frown as his eyes flicker across my chest. Across theVortex Motorslogo and the number eighteen on my chest, to be specific.
“Thank you, Jade. I’d love a cup of tea.”
She nods, almost bowing before racing the five steps to my kitchen, where she busies herself with what looks like determination to prepare the best pot of tea ever.
“What are you doing here?” I ask again. He brings his attention back to me at the exact moment my hair tie gives up the will to live. An avalanche of hair spills down my back and over my shoulder, and I groan.Now is not the time, hair. Can’t you behave for once?“I mean, this is unexpected,” I add, using my teeth to tug at a hair tie on my wrist while wrestling my hair back into a messy bun. This time on top of my head, where hopefully it is more likely to stay in place.
