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“Okay, I’m comfortable now,” I said, popping the cork and taking a generous swig of wine straight out of the bottle. It was sweet and bubbled against my lips. When Nathan remained silent, I pressed him with a harsh, “I’m waiting…” I instantly regretted it. “Sorry…This is weird for me. I don’t talk like this.” I set the bottle on the coffee table and slumped against the back cushion. “I feel like I’m being mean.”
“You’re not being mean. This isn’t about me. It’s about you. Don’t ever be afraid to take what you need.”
“Okay, I won’t, but…telling you to move your ass? That’s not me, Nathan. I want you to do this for me, but I can wait five seconds while you fluff your pillow.”
“That’s not the point,” he returned quickly. “Of course you’d wait five seconds if I asked you to—that’s who you are, Jenna. You put everyone else first, no matter what. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. It’s incredible, actually. I’ve never met anyone like you. I know you’re not the kind of person to demand I stop everything I’m doing to help you out. I know telling me to move my ass isn’t something you’d ever say unless I provoked you. That’s not who you are. And that’s okay, as long as you’re doing what you want.”
“So, that was a test…”
“If you want to look at it that way. I pushed you just now because I wanted you to see that even if you told me to move my ass, you wouldn’t be wrong saying it and you sure as hell wouldn’t need to apologize. You’re not hurting me. Does that make sense?”
“I think so.”
“I realize I’m being extreme, and I know there are ways to get what you need without cussing someone out, but if you needed to yell at me or call me out for making you wait for something you needed, you’re allowed to do that. This isn’t about me. What do you want to do right now?”
“I want to watch TV and paint my nails.” My teeth scraped along my bottom lip. “And…and I don’t want to feel bad about not answering my brother.”
“You don’t owe anyone anything,” Nathan said. “Was he calling because he’s in the middle of an emergency?”
“I don’t think so. He didn’t leave a message.”
“And if there were an emergency he probably would’ve, or he’d at least call back if it were something important, right?”
“Right.”
“So why do you feel bad right now? You’re not letting him down.”
I dropped my head back and blinked at the ceiling. I am not letting him down. I am not letting anyone down tonight.
“I guess when I look at it that way, I’m not sure why I feel bad,” I replied. A smile pulled at my mouth. “So I don’t. I don’t feel bad anymore. I’ll call him back tomorrow.”
“And what are you going to do tonight?”
“Exactly what I want to do.” I sat forward, snagging the remote and the bag of chips off the coffee table. I cued up Claws, popping a chip in my mouth. Then I pulled the basket of polish into my lap. “You’re good at this. I’m really glad I called you.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“What about you? What do you need tonight?”
“Jenna.” Nathan sighed, laughing a little. “Jesus Christ! You can’t stop yourself, can you?”
I chewed up another chip. “What?”
“This is not about me.”
“I’m not saying I’m going to help you!” I countered, giggling. “Awfully full of yourself, aren’t we? God…”
Nathan’s chuckle was soft in my ear.
“I was just curious. What do you need, Nathan?”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
He thought for a long moment. “Nothing.”Chapter SixteenNATHANFour Days LaterMarley came rushing at me from the kitchen the second I stepped inside the house. “Daddy! Daddy!”
I scooped her up and tickled her. She squealed against my neck, twisting her little body in my arms, but not pushing away. She loved being tickled. “How’s my girl doing?” I asked, closing the door behind me.
“Daddy, pway?”
“What did you play today, baby?”
“Daddy, go side?”
“You went outside?”
“She’s saying slide,” Olivia said, popping her head up from behind the couch. Her braids were messy. “We went to the playground after lunch. It was epic.”
I chuckled. “Did you have fun on the slide?” I kissed Marley’s smiling cheek as she nodded, her fingers holding tight to my neck. Then I peered into the kitchen.
Jenna was standing at the counter talking on the phone. She was already smiling, but when our eyes locked, I swore it felt like I was the reason for it. The way she looked at me lately…
I wondered if it was how I looked at her.
I lifted my hand, greeting her. Then I rounded the couch and took a seat beside Olivia. I peered over at Oliver. “What’s up, O? How was Scouts?”
Oliver was reclining on the love seat in his uniform, head on one end and bare feet on the other.
