I glance at Nathaniel, who waves cheerfully.
I gulp air. But the feeling of Nora’s hand, still wrapped around my shoulder as if she forgot she left it there, is all I can think about.
“Cormac?” she repeats.
“She saw me kiss you outside The Ginger Station.”
“Whoa-ho-ho,” Nathaniel says with a booming laugh. “You didn’t mention that part.”
“He kissed me on the side of my mouth,” she says. “It was only for show.”
“That’s what I said, but Dottie was convinced we were in a secret relationship, so I had to tell her everything, and…well…she wanted to help.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me,” she murmurs.
“Maybe she didn’t want to overwhelm us.”
“That doesn’t sound like her.”
It doesn’t. But I’m not about to tell Nora the reason Dottie is helping me, not her, is that she thinks I still like her.
Knows.
Because the way I felt earlier, when I was on the phone with Nora, unable to help her other than by calling in Nathaniel, tells me everything I need to know.
More than a decade after high school, Nora Leigh is still driving me crazy.
“Well, she’s not going to tell our parents or anything, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Ugh, fine.” Nora finally removes her hand from my shoulder. “But we can’t keep telling people. The more people who know, the messier this will get.”
“Now, you don’t need to worry on my account,” Nathaniel says, leaning back in his chair. I glance at him, register the strange pink rash, and quickly look away. “I’ve only told two people.”
“When did you have a chance to tell anyone?” Nora demands, incredulous.
“I had to explain it to the doctor, now didn’t I? He wanted to know why you’d sprayed me. And there was a student doctor helping out. I couldn’t exactly ask her to leave.”
She rubs her temples, and a smile spreads across my face.
Nora sits beside me and nudges my foot under the table. “What areyousmiling about?”
But she’s trying not to smile too. I see it at the sides of her mouth.
“I’m smiling aboutyou.And thinking about what you’ll look like weeding Nathaniel’s gnarly garden.”
Her foot slides against mine again. “Already taken care of. I’m going to borrow one of your gamer T-shirts. I’m gonna get it super sweaty too.”
“All right, but you should feel no obligation to give it back.”
The look on her face says she thinks I’m messing around,but I like the thought of her having one of my shirts. Wearing it, even if it’s just for weeding.
“Ooh.” Nathaniel snaps his fingers. “You can wear it to the double date next week, too.”
Nora raises her eyebrows at me, her expression purely saucy, and I feel a tug of longing.
“I’ll only wear his if he wears one of mine. Now, who wants to lounge on the couch with me and watch the Shirtless Chef?”
“That sounds unsanitary,” I point out.
