“What do you want to talk about?”
He gives me an exasperated look, and it’s almost comical. “I think you know what we need to talk about,Nessa.”
His patience is wearing thin. Of course I know what he wants to talk about. I just don’t want to talk about it.
“We slept together once a long time ago. It was fun. Not really sure what else there is to discuss when all of it meant nothing anyway.”
He flinches at my words, but I’m not sure why. He’s the one who said them. I’m just repeating it. He sighs, lifting the hat and running his hand through his hair before replacing it.
“Look, can we just grab a bite to eat and handle this like adults?”
“I’d like to go home and rinse off the smell of beer. And I’m not hungry.”
My stomach decides this is the precise moment it wants to convey just how hungry it really is since all I had for lunch was a limp salad, and that was hours ago while I was on my phone looking for apartments. My food was just as disappointing as what I found.
“That so?” Gavin asks, lips pulling into a smirk.
I narrow my eyes at him in warning. “That’s so.”
He drops the smile, then sighs again. “I just… We need to…” He frowns when the words don’t come, finally settling on, “Please, Nessa?”
I hate that I’m still standing here talking to him when I should have walked away immediately. I hate that we’re in this situation to begin with. And I hate more than anything that his plea is working.
“Fine,” I concede. “You have one hour. I really do want to go home and shower. I smell like bar and bad cologne.”
“One hour,” he promises, turning back toward his car and opening the passenger door for me. He waves me on. “After you.”
Neal never opened my door for me. Not once in all our years together, and it’s silly how I’m just noticing that. I push the thought away as I shuffle past Gavin, sliding against the cool leather seats, inhaling that new car smell I’ve always loved.
He rounds the front of the vehicle, paying careful attention to traffic before pulling his door open and sliding in behind the wheel. He doesn’t ask me where to go, just puts the car in drive and makes the decision for himself. Part of me wants to be a brat and make a comment, but I’m too tired to care at this point. I just want to have this conversation, put it all behind us, and move on. Ihaveto move on. After all, that’s what I’m in Seattle to do, right? To build a new life and put my past to rest? I can’t do that if I’m still hung up on a one-night stand from months ago.
We drive in silence for roughly ten minutes—which is forever in the city—before pulling into a parking lot that’s nearly full, which is surprising for this time of night. Before exiting, Gavin gives me a stern look that clearly saysStay. I don’t know why I listen to him, but I do. He opens my door, extending a hand my way, and dammit if I don’t slip mine against it.
Soft. Warm. His touch is exactly as I remember it.
I yank my hand away as soon as I’m out of the car, and I don’t miss how Gavin’s lips turn down at that.
“Hope you like burgers,” he says as we walk across the small parking lot.
“Depends on if they’re good burgers or not.”
“Good is a relative term.”
“So you’re taking me to abadburger place?”
“I wouldn’t call it bad exactly. But it’s cheap, and a Seattle staple.”
“Don’t you make millions of dollars a year?”
He grunts. “Doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a bargain burger.”
“Fair enough.”
He opens the door, waving me ahead of him, and I step into the fast-food place. The seating options are sparse, and despite the late hour, there are plenty of people lined up at the counter as workers buzz around behind it, stuffing burgers and fries into bags and making shakes. My mouth instantly waters as we get in line. The people ahead of us rattle off their orders, the line moving so quickly I barely have time to look at the board before we’re next.
“Want me to order for you?” Gavin asks, as if he can sense my panic.
I used to hate it when Neal would do that. He’d always just assume what I wanted, never bothering to ask my opinion on the matter, and I’d rarely end up with something I actually enjoyed. But I’m not as annoyed by it when Gavin offers. If anything, I’m relieved. It’s been a long day, and I don’t feel like making decisions right now.
