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“Wow. Everyone’s here, huh?” I said to Tori, following her farther into the room toward the kitchen.
Tori shrugged. “Usual crowd.”
Usual crowd? Travis?
I weaved around tall, round tables covered in white cloth and decorated with tiny tea-light candles. “What kind of party is this? This seems…elaborate.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” she replied.
I stopped at the long granite island and stared at the arrangement of finger foods. There were trays of mini cucumber and chicken salad sandwiches, bruschetta, pecan and chocolate tartlets, and a three-tiered tower of pastel macarons.
Huh.
“I know Jamie has thrown a lot of parties here in the past, but I seriously doubt he ever put out hors d’oeuvres, Tori. And the tables? This is definitely fancy.”
She smiled, carrying over a tray of mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls and stacked them together on a plate. “He’d probably just stick out boxes of Pop-Tarts for people. Or tell them to fuck off if they were hungry.”
“Where are my brother and Syd?”
“They’re coming.” She stuck the tray on the stovetop and removed the oven mitt.
“They aren’t here yet?” I frowned at her back. “It’s their party, isn’t it?”
“They’ll be here. Don’t worry.” Tori waved a dismissive hand, her attention gliding around the room as if she were searching for something but couldn’t remember what it was she was searching for.
Oliver came running over. “Are those pigs in blankets? I love those!” He stood on his toes and reached across the island.
“Oh, let’s wait, buddy. Okay?” Tori asked him. She slid the plate farther down the counter. “Give it a couple more minutes. They’re really hot.”
“Oh, man,” he grumbled.
“They just came out of the oven, Oliver,” I added. “You’ll burn your tongue.”
“Fine. I’ll starve, then.” He sulked back over to the couch.
I laughed, expecting Tori to do the same. I was sure she had heard him. But when I looked at her again, she was messing with her phone.
She picked it up, set it on the counter, hit the home button when the screen went dark. Then hit it again.
“Is everything okay?” I asked. “You seem anxious.”
Tori lifted her head and slid her eyes over my shoulder, holding there for a breath. Then she looked at me and smiled. “So what’s going on with Nate? Any progress? Have you told him you’re crazy in love with him yet?”
I scoffed. “I doubt I need to. I’m sure that’s been obvious for weeks.”
“I’m sure it hasn’t.”
Nathan’s deep voice at my back nearly made me jump out of my sandals. I scowled at Tori, the fucking sneak, who looked to the ceiling and tapped her chin.
“I feel like I left my straightener on…” she mused before skirting away.
Nathan chuckled under his breath.
I slowly swiveled to face him and tipped my head back. Lord, he was tall when I wore flats. And his smile right now, sheesh. Nathan was more than pleased to have overheard that conversation.
“Hey,” I said shyly.
I was slightly mortified. Even though I did think my feelings for Nathan were obvious and had been for a while, despite everything that had happened between us, saying those words out loud evoked all kinds of emotions from me. Fear. Excitement. Apprehension.
Outside of my family, I’d never said them to anyone before.
“Hi,” Nathan returned. He was still in his work clothes. Dark slacks and a striped button-up. He hadn’t even loosened his tie yet.
I was very okay with that. Nathan looked incredible right now. This was one of the things I’d missed since I’d stopped watching Marley for him, besides watching Marley, which was the greatest thing I’d missed. I hardly ever got to see Nathan dressed up anymore.
The fact that he hadn’t loosened his tie yet made me reconsider my outfit for a second time tonight. I tugged on the hem of my shorts and adjusted, then readjusted my top, as if there were a way to make a simple tank elegant.
Nathan followed my movements. “What’s this you’re doing? I feel like at any second you’re about to strip.” His brow playfully arched. “I’d like a heads-up, if that’s the case. There’s no way I wouldn’t react to that and there are children present. Yours specifically.”
I laughed against my lips. “Where’s yours? I was hoping I would see her.”
“With my parents. I wasn’t sure how late this would go.”
That made sense. It was already close to Marley’s bedtime.
“Oh, well…I miss her.” I tucked the front of my top into my shorts, then second-guessed that decision and pulled it free.
Again Nathan watched me. “She misses you. What are you doing?”
“I’m feeling like I should’ve worn something a little nicer. This party is way more than I thought it was going to be.”
“Stop. You look amazing.”
“Says the man in the tie.”
He stared at me. Then he reached up and loosened the knot, pulling the tie over his head. I bit back a smile when he draped it around my neck.
