Page 96 of Things I Read About

Nate’s waiting in the hallway, tapping on the iPad, right where I left him. Waiting isn’t the right word, he’s blocking the hall. Consuming it, filling it. He’s just so… big. And he’s back in all black, tattoos exposed, face serious. His hair is gelled up to perfection.

I sigh.

At seeing him, I’m immediately sad. Letting go is awful and difficult. Especially when I know that I will never meet another man like him as long as I live. It’s just an obvious fact. What other man looks like he does in real life? And can talk with me so easily, can tease me, laugh with me, touch me the way he did?

What was I saying in my head? I forget. It doesn’t matter. Why am I even going out? I want to wallow in my bed with my favorite fictional characters. I never have to letthemgo.

“Sally.”

“Huh?”

He arches a brow. “I said, where are we headed?”

“Right. They picked a restaurant; I’ll text you the address.” I get my phone out of the small crossbody purse I’m borrowing from Sadie and find the info. As we climb into Shep’s car, my phone buzzes. “Oh, they want us to pick them up, since it’s on the way.”

“Okay.”

I send Nate the address to where my friends are staying. The drive into the city feels tense. Or rather, I feel tense.

Nate’s been completely impassive.

I expected some disapproval of my outfit or my tiny purse or something. Anything, but I get nothing. Again, letting go is torturous. Which is probably why my whole body smiles at the sight of my best friend.

I bound out of the car and rush to Mallory. She’s dyed her braids bright red. Her sister, Valerie, has lightened hers to an almost white. They’re average height with slight figures, huge eyes and wide smiles. Side by side they remind me of a Black Elsa and Anna from Frozen, but in modern clothes, of course.

We laugh and gush hellos as I release Mal and hug Val.

“Whoa, Sally. You severely underrated his attractiveness,” Mal says beside us.

“What?”

“You said ten out of ten, he is clearly an eleven.”

Nate is between us and the car, standing on the sidewalk. Not standing, guarding. He’s looking everywhere, but I can see the corner of his mouth is hitched up just barely. He heard her.

“I have to agree with her assessment. You said ninety percent of his appeal was the tattoos. That cannot be your true calculation,” Val adds. As lovely as it is to hear their science-speak in person once again, I need them to shut up.

“You’re the ones who make me add numerical values to everything. He’s hot, he knows it, let’s get in the car,” I almost shout. I don’t look at Nate who is suppressing a full grin now. The three of us pile into the back as he walks around to drive.

“Mal, Val, this is Nate. Nate, my best friends.”

He offers a silent wave as he turns on the car.

“He can barely fit in this car, which leads me to believe you also miscalculated the size of—”

“Val! Switch to texting, immediately. We are going into Silent Mode,” I say, eyeing Mallory on the other side of her. “Rein your sister in before I kill her.”

“The chances of you hurting me with him present seem slim,” Valerie mutters.

“He’s here to protect me, not you. Now get out your phone.”

The car fills with buzzing sounds and our laughter. And some strange, elephant-in-the-room vibes—Elephant in the room,1814, Russian poet Ivan Krylov—also fill the small space since Nate knows we’re sitting back here discussing him.

In detail.

Via text message.

I sneak a few glances at him, and he seems surprised. Or irritated, could be either.