AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Everything.”
I glare at him and Xander. “So, you guys suddenly know everything because you’re married and you practically are?” I wave my fingers through the air. “Fucking ridiculous.”
Cade sighs and picks up his beer. “One day you’re going to fall in love and you’ll see.”
“See what?” I seethe. I’m about five seconds from bolting.
“You’ll see,” he says again, and I realize that’s all the answer I’m going to get.
I pull out my wallet and lay down some bills. “I’m thrilled this lunch turned into a Dr. Phil session, but I’m out.”
“Jace,” Xander calls after me. “Come back. We haven’t even eaten yet.”
I lift my hand behind me in a wave.
I push open the door and step outside into a blast of cold air. I head down the street to my truck and once in the cab I pull out my phone and call Nova.
“Are you hungry?”
“Starved.”
“I thought you were eating lunch with the guys?” Nova says before taking a bite of her club sandwich.
We ended up at some little café within walking distance from our place. Neither of us has eaten here before, and the food is surprisingly good.
I shrug.
“Oh, no,” she says, picking up on the fact that there’s more. “What happened?”
“Can you keep a secret?” I ask her.
She looks at me like I’m stupid. “Have I ever told anyone one of your confessions? Do you really think so little of me?”
“I’m sorry,” I defend, raising my hands. “This is big.”
“What is it?” She pleads.
“Cade is planning to propose to Rae and somehow the conversation turned to me and not having a girlfriend.” I shrug like it’s no big deal.
“Ah, I see.” She smiles.
“What?” I snap.
“The conversation turned serious so you left. It’s kind of your thing.”
“It’s not my thing,” I mumble. She eyes me. “Okay, so maybe it is.”
“You can’t run anytime things get serious. You’ll end up alone.” I wince and she adds, “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”
“Running is all I know,” I admit.
She wipes her mouth with a napkin. “I hate to admit it, but I’m kind of glad that this time you ran to me and not away from me.”
“You’re kind of my safe place.”
Her face lights up and something inside me clenches. It’s an unfamiliar feeling, one I can’t quite discern, but I best compare it to the dip in your stomach when a rollercoaster goes plummeting back to Earth. It feels both terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.
“Besides,” I begin, “they can make fun of me all they want, but I mean, I basically have a girlfriend.”
