wandered…
“Abigail?”
“Yes. Picnic on the floor would be great.”
But I hadn’t fooled him one bit.
“You will take it easy the rest of the day.”
He brought my collar out during half-time.
Up to that point, we’d been doing our part for Jackson, eating hot wings and pizza. And it was working—the Giants were up by a touchdown.
He turned the TV off and stood by me, holding the collar out. “Elaina gave it to me at the hospital.”
I couldn’t lie to him, even if it was a lie by omission. “Elaina knows,” I said, then hastened to add, “but it wasn’t me. I didn’t tell her.”
He nodded. “I thought as much. Thank you for being honest.” He hesitated for a minute. “I want to make sure you still want this, I wasn’t sure…” His eyes met mine. “You know more now, maybe you don’t…want it.”
“I want it.”
Surprise lit his eyes for just a second. He thought I would say no. I rose to my knees and dropped my head, ready for him to put the collar back on.
“Look at me, Abigail.”
I looked at him. He faced me, dropping to his knees and reaching around my neck to fasten it, then ran his fingers through my hair. His eyes darkened, dipped to my lips, and back to my eyes. He moved the tiniest bit forward.
He’s going to kiss me.
I was frozen. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
Then his eyes opened and he got to his feet to turn the game back on.
Disappointment swept over me. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I brought my hand to my neck. But I still had his collar. Still had that part of him. He still wanted me.
New York won by a point.
“You know what this means?” Nathaniel asked as they showed a close-up of Jackson pumping his fist in the air.
“We’re going to the Super Bowl?”
“Yes,” he said, fingering the collar. “And I have plans for the Super Bowl.”
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Felicia came over Monday night all abuzz. Philly was great. The game was great. The Wellings were great. But mostly, Jackson. Jackson was great. She was one hundred percent, totally, head-over-heels in love. After what? Two weeks? It was crazy.
I was thrilled for her.
Once she calmed down, I asked her about her argument with Nathaniel.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was nothing, really.”
“Felicia,” I said. “My subconscious heard you. It wasn’t nothing.”
She bit her lip. “I was just shocked that Nathaniel was already there. I’m your best friend. I should have been there first. It’s stupid. Like I said, nothing.”
I tried to think back. It was hard. The memories were fuzzy. “When did you get to the hospital?”
“When they brought you to your room. Right after your CT scan.”
That made sense.
“When did Nathaniel get to the hospital?”
She sighed and plopped down on the sofa. “He was in the trauma room with you. The nurses had to kick him out.” She raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you ask him?”
I ignored her. “Why did you call him a fucking animal?”
“Because I thought he was one. You’re his, like, sex-slave or something. You fill one need for him and he comes running to the hospital when you’re injured as if his world was falling apart. It ticked me off.”
“But you like him now?”
“I wouldn’t use the word like , but yeah, I’ll put up with him.” She walked to the door. Conversation over. “You going to the Super Bowl with him?”
“Yes. He mentioned something about it.”
On Wednesday afternoon around one-thirty I was working the front checkout desk. I had my back to the front door while cataloging new releases.
“I need to see something in the Rare Books Collection.”
Heaven save me from dimwits who don’t know library regulations. “I’m sorry,” I said, not even bothering to look around. “The Rare Books Collection is open by appointment only and we’re a little short-staffed at the moment. I really don’t have time this afternoon.”
“That’s rather
“Abigail?”
“Yes. Picnic on the floor would be great.”
But I hadn’t fooled him one bit.
“You will take it easy the rest of the day.”
He brought my collar out during half-time.
Up to that point, we’d been doing our part for Jackson, eating hot wings and pizza. And it was working—the Giants were up by a touchdown.
He turned the TV off and stood by me, holding the collar out. “Elaina gave it to me at the hospital.”
I couldn’t lie to him, even if it was a lie by omission. “Elaina knows,” I said, then hastened to add, “but it wasn’t me. I didn’t tell her.”
He nodded. “I thought as much. Thank you for being honest.” He hesitated for a minute. “I want to make sure you still want this, I wasn’t sure…” His eyes met mine. “You know more now, maybe you don’t…want it.”
“I want it.”
Surprise lit his eyes for just a second. He thought I would say no. I rose to my knees and dropped my head, ready for him to put the collar back on.
“Look at me, Abigail.”
I looked at him. He faced me, dropping to his knees and reaching around my neck to fasten it, then ran his fingers through my hair. His eyes darkened, dipped to my lips, and back to my eyes. He moved the tiniest bit forward.
He’s going to kiss me.
I was frozen. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
Then his eyes opened and he got to his feet to turn the game back on.
Disappointment swept over me. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I brought my hand to my neck. But I still had his collar. Still had that part of him. He still wanted me.
New York won by a point.
“You know what this means?” Nathaniel asked as they showed a close-up of Jackson pumping his fist in the air.
“We’re going to the Super Bowl?”
“Yes,” he said, fingering the collar. “And I have plans for the Super Bowl.”
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Felicia came over Monday night all abuzz. Philly was great. The game was great. The Wellings were great. But mostly, Jackson. Jackson was great. She was one hundred percent, totally, head-over-heels in love. After what? Two weeks? It was crazy.
I was thrilled for her.
Once she calmed down, I asked her about her argument with Nathaniel.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was nothing, really.”
“Felicia,” I said. “My subconscious heard you. It wasn’t nothing.”
She bit her lip. “I was just shocked that Nathaniel was already there. I’m your best friend. I should have been there first. It’s stupid. Like I said, nothing.”
I tried to think back. It was hard. The memories were fuzzy. “When did you get to the hospital?”
“When they brought you to your room. Right after your CT scan.”
That made sense.
“When did Nathaniel get to the hospital?”
She sighed and plopped down on the sofa. “He was in the trauma room with you. The nurses had to kick him out.” She raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you ask him?”
I ignored her. “Why did you call him a fucking animal?”
“Because I thought he was one. You’re his, like, sex-slave or something. You fill one need for him and he comes running to the hospital when you’re injured as if his world was falling apart. It ticked me off.”
“But you like him now?”
“I wouldn’t use the word like , but yeah, I’ll put up with him.” She walked to the door. Conversation over. “You going to the Super Bowl with him?”
“Yes. He mentioned something about it.”
On Wednesday afternoon around one-thirty I was working the front checkout desk. I had my back to the front door while cataloging new releases.
“I need to see something in the Rare Books Collection.”
Heaven save me from dimwits who don’t know library regulations. “I’m sorry,” I said, not even bothering to look around. “The Rare Books Collection is open by appointment only and we’re a little short-staffed at the moment. I really don’t have time this afternoon.”
“That’s rather
Similar Books
