“April, are you okay?”
I blink at Eliza. “Huh?”
She frowns, studying me in concern. “Are you good? You’ve barely touched your food and have been staring out at nothing.”
I glance down at the chicken salad I’ve been twirling my fork through for the last twenty minutes. I sigh, dropping the cutlery.
“I’m okay, just…tired.”
‘Tired‘ is not the word to be used here.
‘Screwed‘ would be better.
I’m absolutely, positively screwed.
What was I thinking?
No, wait–I know the answer to that. I wasn’t thinking.
Because someone with working thinking faculties would have apologized to Nathan Ashford for keeping a secret from him. She would not have dragged out that godawful argument, practically insulting him and throwing a sensitive situation in his face.
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I groan, dropping my face onto the table with a soft thud.
We’d been having such a good time. I mean, yeah, it was awkward as fuck. But it was also funny and quirky, and I could feel us getting
closer.
The worst part is that I’m not impulsive like that; I don’t usually say the first stupid things that come to my mind. I measure my words; I’m smart with my conversations.
But when it comes to Nathan Ashford…poof! All my senses scramble, and I’m either a bumbling mess or a loudmouthed dork.
“Spring is fine,” I hear June tell Eliza as she pats my back gently. “She’s just had a long day.”
“Are you hurting from your fall this morning?” Eliza asks worriedly.
This morning…
That feels like ages ago. Then, I was someone worth saving.
Now, if a horse comes barreling my way, Nathan would probably glue my feet firmly in the line of collision.
I raise my head and shoot Eliza a smile. “It’s good. I’m good.”
She looks unconvinced but nods. “Okay. Finish your food, then.”
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I give her a wide smile I don’t feel. “Yes, ma’am.”
As I dig into my salad, shrill laughter filters into my ears. I look up to see Valerie holding court at the end of the table with her two lackeys, whose names I can never seem to remember–which, honestly, is on brand for the crappy eighties mean girl shtick they’re trying to
recreate.
I wonder if Nathan is going to confront her. She lied more than I did. Will he yell at her like he did at me?
I scoff inwardly. Doubtful. He’s more likely to pretend he doesn’t know the truth so he doesn’t risk upsetting Valerie.
I manage to finish my dinner, and although I usually hang out a little longer with Eliza before we go to bed, I play into my tiredness and leave the dining room with June as soon as we’re done.
“So,” June starts the moment I close our room door behind me.
I sigh. “You heard the argument, huh?”
She shrugs her tiny shoulders. “It was kind of hard not to.”
I groan, sitting on the bed. “I’m sorry, Summer.”
She frowns. “Why are you sorry to me?”
I shrug. “You know…the part about why we were allowed to stay.”
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June snorts. “Like I didn’t already know that.”
My eyes widen. “Seriously?”
She shoots me a look. “I’m diabetic, not stupid.”
I roll my eyes. “But you are very cheeky.”
She grins, joining me on the bed. “I’m sorry you got into it with Nathan. You were having such an adorably awkward time with your crush.”
I inhale sharply. “He is not my crush.”
“Uh–huh,” she muses, grabbing Bun Bun and hugging him to herself. “You keep telling yourself that.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m serious.”
“Why was he even here?” she asks, ignoring my rebuttal.
“He came to check up on me. I helped treat his hand, and then I… tripped.” I shrug. “That’s when you woke up.”
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