Page 191 of At First Catch

The understatement almost makes me laugh again. Instead, I cross my arms tighter over my chest.

“I’m worried.”

His jaw tightens as the fear hits him, and he braces for impact instead of leaning closer.

A truck rumbles into the lot below.

I glance through the apartment window just in time to see Rowan climb out carrying two foil-covered pans.

Nolan follows my gaze.

“What’s he doing?”

I smile despite everything.

“Probably whatever Mom volunteered him for.”

Right on cue, my phone buzzes.

Rowan

Tell Pierce to stop pretending coffee counts as dinner.

I laugh.

“See?”

Nolan shakes his head.

“Your family is relentless.”

“That’s how they love people.”

“I’m okay though,” he says automatically.

A sharp feeling suddenly strikes me before I can stop it.

“You almost got crushed by a dock cable last night.”

Nolan stills because he didn’t tell me that part. Miguel did. At seven this morning. While handing me Nolan’s forgotten jacket downstairs.

The memory sends fresh anger twisting through my chest.

Nolan exhales toward the ceiling.

“Hads.”

“No.” Emotion rises unexpectedly fast now. “You don’t get to ‘Hads’ me after not mentioning you nearly got hurt.”

“It wasn’t serious.”

The answer comes too fast. Too practiced.

Resentment flickers. This is exactly what I’m afraid of: Nolan deciding what I can emotionally handle instead of letting me stand beside him honestly.

“You don’t get to decide that for me,” I whisper.

The apartment falls completely silent afterward.