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“Tell us more,” says Sue with a grin.
“Yeah, tell us more,” says Nate, sounding annoyed.
“His Grandpa Jack died, and he’s buried next to Beckett and Mum. We got talking right after the funeral, and then the next day, he was there. Since then, we’ve seen each other every day.”
“Grief brings people together,” says Sue dreamily.
“Where’s he from? How old is he?” asks Beth.
I shrug, realising just how little I know about him. “We’re still getting to know each other. It’s early days.”
“But you have no idea how old he is?” snaps Nate.
“Around my age.”
“Jesus, Andi, Beckett would have a fit. I wanna meet this guy,” he says.
“That’s not gonna happen.”
Sue begins to serve dinner, and Beth is scowling at me. She’s suspicious of Nyx and his reluctance to share more about himself. Nathan is pissed. I can tell by the way he bites into his food like an agitated pit bull. Sue and Bill seem happy, and Rebecca remains quiet, not quite getting why the mood has changed.
CHAPTER FIVE
When it’s time to leave, I slip back through the fence, and Nathan isn’t far behind. “When were you going to tell me about this guy?”
I shrug, feeling smug that it bothers him. “I wasn’t aware I needed to.”
“Why don’t you want me to meet him?” he asks.
“It’s early days, I told you. Besides, you’re not my big brother!” I spin back in the direction of my house, and he grabs my arm, halting me.
“I’m not trying to be,” he mutters sadly. “But Beck would want me to check you were okay. You look exhausted, Andi.”
“Beck would hate you for what you’ve done,” I snap, trying to pull free. “I really thought we had something, Nate.”
He strokes a thumb along my jaw, and I sense the mood changing. “It’s for the best, Bug,” he whispers, resting his forehead against my own. “You have to see that. I’m not good for you.”
“I think you underestimated how badly I liked you, Nate. And for so long. And you just turn up and tell me you’re getting married. Do you realise how much you’ve hurt me?”
He kisses my forehead gently, and I close my eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“And she’s so fucking perfect,” I almost whisper.
He smiles, rubbing his nose against my own. “It doesn’t mean you’re not, Bug.”
“Just not for you, right?”
He stares at me, his face still so close to my own. “I want it to be that easy, trust me.”
“It can be. You just have to make the leap.”
His lips are closer, and I don’t know if he moved or if they always felt that close, but now, they’re practically touching my own. My heart beats wildly, and I can feel he’s about to kiss me. And then we hear it—a gasp. It comes from over his side of the fence, and we spin at the same time to see Rebecca with her eyes wide and her hands over her mouth in shock. “Shit,” hisses Nate, moving around me and towards her. “It’s not what it looks like,” he says, quickly ducking back through the broken fence.
“Are you kidding me?” hisses Rebecca. “You said she was nothing to you, a
stupid kid who crushed on you.”
“Not here,” he mutters, pulling her down the path and away from his house.
