Page 54 of Broken Warrior
“Yeah.” I chuckle and rub the back of my neck as I hang my head. “A little.”
Fuck.
“We’ve never talked on the phone before.”
That’s true but I doubt it’s why this is weird. It’s probably because—
“I really miss you, Fin.”
Thank. Fuck.
“I miss you too... Tate.” I promised myself I wouldn’t use any of my nicknames for her, not until I knew where we were going. Just like I’m not going to blurt out how much I still love her and want to be with her. “I miss James too. How’s he doing?”
“Great.” I can hear her smile, can picture it so clearly. “He’s been having everyone buy him Lego sets when they offer, but he won’t open any of them. He doesn’t want to work on them until...”
I must be smiling like a fucking idiot. “We’ll do them soon. Promise. I’ve been looking forward to building all the Star Wars ones for a while.”
“He’ll love that.”
“Me too.” I swallow hard and take a deep breath. “I was actually hoping to see you first though... maybe grab a cup of coffee or something? No pressure but—“
“Yes!” she blurts. “I would love to get coffee with you.”
“Great. When are you free?”
“Whenever you are.” Tate giggles. “Does that sound desperate? Do I sound like a crazy clinger?”
I chuckle because I can’t not. “Not at all. How about tomorrow morning? Say, eleven?”
“That’s perfect.”
“Yeah? You don’t work tonight or anything?”
She clears her throat, again, but this time it’s the kind that accompanies her wringing her hands. “No, no work tonight. Tomorrow at eleven is perfect.”
“Great.” There’s that little voice nagging me again. There’s something, I don’t know what, niggling in my brain telling me Tate isn’t saying everything she needs to. It’s not quite like she’s hiding a secret boyfriend, but there’s something. I’m not going to ask her now though. “You want to meet me at that place in town? The one Blondie is obsessed with?”
I can hear Tate smile. “Hot Sip?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.” Not that I want to go there, I look real fucking strange in that setting, but I’ll do it for my dark angel.
“You don’t even like that place,” she laughs.
She is not wrong.“No, but I do like coffee... and I’d like to spend time with you.”
Tate is quiet for a beat before her smile shines through the phone. “Ok, Fin. Hot Sip at eleven. It’s a date.”
My heart flutters, flies right up into my throat, and I know for a fact I’m smiling like a fucking idiot. “It’s a date.”
“See you tomorrow, Fin.”
“See you, Tate.”
I hang up as I straddle my bike, tuck my phone into my jacket pocket and start it up. I feel like I’m in fucking high school again, crushing on the girl that’s just out of reach, except, maybe this girl isn’t.
CHAPTERTEN
FIN
