AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nate presses a button on a remote on the side of the chair and then I’m moving, Nate following behind me with the chair.
“This is like being on a ride!” Laughter bubbles out of me at the sensation and then it comes to a halt at the top.
He squeezes past me and sets up my chair. “I won’t lie, I’ve been up and down on it a few times. You know... just to test it out.”
“Of course you have.” I snort, moving from the stair lift back to the chair. “You’re such a child sometimes.” I look at him, smiling softly. “But I love that about you.”
“And I love that you love that about me.” He stares at me for an extra beat before motioning to the open door I can feel the cold air blowing through. “After you.”
I push forward, coming out onto the roof, my breath leaving my body in a whoosh. My eyes take everything in through the muted lights only illuminating small portions of it. I see a small patch of green farther down, and what looks like a golf tee set up next to a cupboard one of the doors is open on, showing me his golf clubs.
Looking to the right, I see an outside sofa set, a table in the same weaved dark-brown style complete with some kind of awning over it I presume will protect not only from the sun but rain too.
I finally turn back to Nate, seeing him crouching down in front of something not far from his golf tee. Standing up, he focusses on me before he dips his gaze down to his watch, motioning for me to move closer to the middle of the roof where Maya is standing.
Coming to a stop next to Maya, he stands on the other side of me, taking ahold of my hand. “Why haven’t you ever brought me up here?” I ask, confused as to why he’d leave it this long before showing me something so amazing.
He shrugs. “I was going to bring you here on one of our dates before…” His eyes flash before he shakes his head and grins. “Tonight is the perfect time to introduce you to the roof.”
I don’t reply as he holds my hand tighter, knowing what he’s not saying: before I was pushed.
“How much longer?” Maya asks, bouncing from foot to foot. “It’s freezing.”
He jogs over to where he was standing and brings back two plaid blankets, handing one to Maya and draping one over my legs and winking at me. “Looking good, Earl.”
A burst of laughter escapes me as I shake my head, tucking the blanket around me before looking back up at Nate. We stare at each other for what feels like forever until Maya clears her throat, breaking our trance.
Nate looks down at his watch. “One minute!”
He doesn’t move his gaze from his wrist as Maya pulls out her cell, and when I see Jake’s name on her screen, I whisper, “What are you doing?”
She turns her wide eyes to me as Nate says, “Thirty seconds!”
“What?” she asks, her voice low as her gaze pings to Nate briefly.
“Didn’t I just say to play him at his own game?”
“Ohhh.” She nods her head, locking her cell and pushing it into her pocket. “I forgot.”
I snort as Nate starts counting down from ten. We join in, all our voices merging. “Eight… Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Happy New Year!”
Nate clicks something and then fireworks are being blown into the sky, so many colors illuminating the dark area along with a booming sound. For several minutes, we all watch the show, fascinated by all of the different patterns and lights until one final rocket goes off, eliciting the biggest bang of them all and bathing the land in light.
My stomach drops when I look out toward the driveway seeing a figure standing there. Is it Phoebe? Has she come back again? I move my gaze away for a millisecond before focusing back on the spot, but there’s nothing there. Did I imagine it? I rest my palm against my chest, willing my heartbeat to slow down as we’re basked in darkness again.
I’m seeing things. I must be.
As soon as the fireworks are over, Maya bounces away, heading back inside from the cold, but neither me nor Nate move, still staring at the now black sky full of stars.
“It feels like a lifetime ago we were last watching the stars,” I murmur, remembering our first date as I try to distract myself.
“Yeah, it does.” He looks down at me, love shining in his eyes as he bends and places a soft kiss on my lips. “This will be our year, Lia.”
I relish in the feel of him before placing the palm of my hand on his cheek, feeling the rough stubble underneath. “It will…” I pause. “As long as you’re standing by my side.”
I smile as I dry my hands on a dish towel, watching as Amelia talks animatedly with her mom and dad in front of the roaring fireplace.
After they left the day after Amelia came home from the hospital, the atmosphere between me and Carl was icy at best. I wasn’t looking forward to having him in our home again, but apart from an awkward greeting, it’s not been half as bad as I thought it would.
