I see Nate is standing frozen, his back to me and I frown again.
Why does he always react weirdly when it’s about Prue? He got upset when I told him that it was Prue who thought he was gay. He stiffened when I told him that Prue was joining me here from Seattle. Is it because of me? Because of how I reacted back then when I thought…
“Jack?”
“Yes. Sorry. Send me your location, I’ll send a car.”
“Thank you.”
I hang up and stare at Nate’s back. He’s still frozen in place. He stopped putting his stuff away and he’s standing so still he looks like a statue.
That has to be it. We grew apartbecauseI thought he was trying to get in her bed. But he wasn’t. He was just helping her with her art projects.
I have to prove to him that I trust him. That things changed, that I’m different now.
I grab my phone and look at the dark screen, faking concern.
“Damn, the Uber she mentioned has a two hour waiting time… There’s no way I’ll let her wait in the rain for that long…”
I pause to check on Nate’s reaction. He’s still frozen, his back turned on me.
Should I ask him upfront? Maybe he won’t take the bait… It’s been a while since college, when we were doing everything we could to push guys away from her.
“I’ll have to call her back. Maybe she can go back to the precinct and wait for the rain to stop. But she’s going to have to accept the ride from…”
“I can pick her up,” he interrupts, without turning around to face me. “My schedule is clear for the next four hours.”
Thank god.
“You could? That would be really nice of you.”
He finally pivots slightly, showing me the side of his face with a brow arched in suspicion.
“You sure you trust me not to fuck her in the back of my car?”
My throat bobs but I manage to keep a steady face.
That reaction was to be expected… I force a smile.
“Of course. I told you, I overreacted back then. I trust you. And after all, you are both adults. What can I say, if you both want to have sex in… In your car? Nothing. I mean, we only live once, right? That’s the saying? And I’m not going to…”
“You’re rambling.”
“Shit—sorry.” I pause and can’t fully hide my wince. “What I meant to say is, she’s her own person, and doesn’t need to be babysat. I trustyounot to force yourself on her, and that’s all I need.”
His head tilts slightly to the side as he finally turns fully, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s staring at me with narrowed eyes and I force myself to hold his stare.
“What?” I force out.
“You’re full of shit.”
Huh?
“Excuse me?”
“You heard. Tell me what’s really going on.”
My eyebrows crease in confusion.
