Page 21 of Healing Conviction

Her lips tightened with a dry laugh. “You’re kind of freaking me out with how cool you’re being, to be honest.”

“You don’t have to worry with me. I hope we can still be friends. And hey, thanks to you, maybe something will work out with Melly.”

“Iampretty good at matchmaking, FYI.”

“We’ll see… I think whoever you end up with will be the ultimate test of whether that’s true.”

The waitress breezed by, leaving the check without a word. Nora reached for the bill but Matt snatched it up too quickly.

“Hey now, you might’ve half broken up with me, but I’m paying this whole check and you can’t stop me.”

“No, Matt, I need—” Her phone vibrated and she tugged it from her Hedwig purse.

Draco (not Malfoy) is calling.

Without another thought, she swiped the screen and held the phone to her ear. “Drake, hey, what’s up?”

Matt gave her a knowing smile. It wouldn’t work out for them, but at least she was getting her friend back in the process.

“Pix, listen. You’re gonna have to leave your date. We’re getting on the road tonight.”

“What? Is everything okay?”

“I… something’s just… come up. We need to get going. I’ll pick you up fromL’Incanto.”

“Drake, I can be at BlackStone in forty-five minutes, there’s no need—wait, how do you know what restaurant I’m in?”

“No time to explain. Just be ready. Already grabbed your bags from Jaybird and Jules’s apartment. See you in two and a half minutes.”

The phone went dead and Nora blinked at the empty screen, unable to figure out if she was annoyed or turned on at being bossed around. Or thankful she was getting to leave a hella awkward date turned breakup turned hang out with a friend. She tucked her phone away and gathered her purse.

“Geezy Petes. I’m sorry he was so rude, but it looks like I’ve got to go. I really did have a good time—”

A loud rumble outside made them both look out the window to see Drake park an enormous black truck right outside the restaurant.

Matt chuckled. “That’s your cue. Good luck.”

“Thanks… good luck to you, too. Not that you need it. Just be yourself. That’s all you need.” She kissed him on the cheek and smiled before heading out of the restaurant, wondering if she could ever take her own advice.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Blood pulsed through the veins in his hands as he consciously tried not to clench the steering wheel. Watching Nora kiss herdateon the cheek had jealousy tightening every muscle in his body. He fought the overwhelming urge to jump out of his truck, run inside, and snatch her up in a fireman’s carry out of the hoity-toity restaurant.

Why was she even there? Nora never seemed the type to like all the fancy shit.

Maybe I don’t know her as well as I thought.

She breezed out of the double doors and beelined for his truck. Before he could stop himself, he was out of the driver’s seat and meeting her on the passenger side. She propped her hands on her hips, perfectly accentuated by the white dress she was wearing. He frowned and took in the rest of her outfit.

Her hair was pulled back halfway in a clip, covering her ear piercings, and her sexy snake bite studs were missing. A pastel cardigan covered the top half of her dress, and the only vibrant color she wore were purple heels. They were shorter than her usual black thigh-high combat boot heels, making her smaller than she already was.

“What in the underworld is going on, Drake?”

“What in the hell are you wearing, Pix?”

Her ivory cheeks colored as she smoothed down her dress self-consciously. “You don’t like it?”

“I mean, you look good, don’t get me wrong. But you also look… not like you. Doyoulike it?”