Page 57 of Heartstruck at Dawn
Shit.
“Um. I don’t know. I’m just disappointed in general,” I said, looking away. I was telling the truth, but I wasn’t being specific.
“It’s a good thing then that we’re only pretending to date. That way, we can go on a bunch of pretend dates, and I could give you a pretend snog or two.”
“A snog?” I asked, turning to look at him. My gaze instinctively drifted to his lips.
He leaned in and whispered, “A kiss.” His minty breath brushed against my lips. His hand wandered up along the exposed skin from the thigh-high slit of my dress. “But I think you figured that one out pretty quickly, didn’t you?”
Big Mike harrumphed as he parked the car outside of my apartment building. Nathan and I straightened ourselves on our seats.
“I only have to report on things that happen. Not on those that don’t happen,” Big Mike said when he opened the door for us.Got it. I liked him already.
Aaron, David, and Caleb stood outside the apartment building, waiting for us to arrive. Nathan’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. I walked up to Caleb and gave him the pack of menthols. “I’m sorry,” I said with an exaggerated grin.
“That wasn’t necessary, Miss Murphy,” Caleb replied. He looked worried and—embarrassed? Why?
“Is everything okay?” I asked him.
“We weren’t paying enough attention. Thomas approaching you and that bruise on your arm is on us.”
“What? Of course not,” I whispered. “It was dark and crowded. Don’t worry about it. I’m fine, and you dealt with it perfectly, okay?” Caleb looked at me like there was nothing I could say to convince him otherwise.
Nathan came back, so our conversation came to a halt.
“Where’s everybody?” I asked the guys.
“They didn’t say, Miss Murphy,” David replied. “They just went upstairs.”
“It’s Tobias,” Nathan said. “Everyone’s at Lily and Joel’s.”
Who’s everyone?I needed clarification on that one.
Nathan thanked the guys once again, and we stepped inside the lobby. “Do you want to come up for a bit?” he asked as we waited for the elevator.
“I don’t know. You must be tired after all the Mortal Kombat you pulled at the party.” I laughed. I didn’t want William to be there, but I was sure Sophie and Cecile would let me know if he was. Besides, he had that charity event Tobias told me about. Perhaps he hadn’t returned yet.
“I’m not,” he said, pressing the eleventh-floor button. “I swear I’m good. Are you okay?”
“Yes, of course. Let’s go.”
Lily opened the door for us and squealed with excitement. “Oh, my God! You both looksogood! You never sent me the picture of you all dressed up,” she said. “Come in, come in!” She looked tipsy, and her teeth were purple. I laughed. I was happy to see her.
“Aren’t we a wee bit squiffy?” Nathan said to Lily. She bumped her shoulder against his.
“I’m not sure what that means,” she replied. “But I’m sure I am.” She turned around with a chuckle and floated off to the living room, where she sat next to Joel.
Sophie, Cecile, Ren, and Tobias sat with them. Sophie and Ren weren’t drinking anymore, but Cecile had a glass of wine in her hand. Tobias had pulled out another bottle of tequila.
I excused myself to go to the bathroom and hung my coat on the foyer’s coat rack beforehand. The wig was itchy and uncomfortable. It was time to take it off. My hair fell on my shoulders when I picked out the few pins attached to the wig net. I teased my hair with my fingers trying to untangle it and make it look better.
I stepped out of the bathroom and gave the wig back to Lily.
“Murph, you look exquisite,” Nathan said in front of everybody.
I lost the battle. That was the first time I blushed for Nathan. The way he said it, like hegenuinelymeant it made my body thaw in Lily’s living room.
I thanked him with a shy smile and detoured toward the kitchen with the excuse of grabbing a glass of water. He followed me.
