Audrey nodded. “Yeah, people usually wait till they are serious before they meet parents and all that.”
“Okay, so soon, then?”
Audrey smiled, her heart warming. She had never been with someone who wanted her and wanted the whole world to know it. She never once felt this confident in a relationship. Never felt like it would last forever and no one could touch them. But with Tate she did. It was so invigorating, so amazing, so perfect.
Nodding, she said, “I’ll call and see when it’s a good time for them.”
“Awesome.”
“Maybe this summer we could make a trip to Sweden, see your family. I would love to meet Matilda and your parents,” she said brightly, but when Tate looked up, meeting her gaze, her smile fell. He had a sad look that made her stomach drop. Did he not want her to meet his parents? “What?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” she said, moving away to put things in her purse. “Did you not want me to meet your family?”
Tate didn’t look at her as he answered. “I would want nothing more, love, but we can discuss that later. Let’s go to your sister’s.”
Audrey watched him as he went to get her coat and his. When he held it out for her, she grabbed her purse and then moved toward him to put her jacket on. Tate took her hand in his and they made their way outside.
“You can drive, right?” he asked as she locked the door.
“Sure, do you not want to?”
Glancing back at him, she saw that he looked worried again. “No, I don’t like to drive.”
It made sense, she thought as they made their way to her car. He was probably not used to driving in the States, and he always rode with someone else when he needed to go somewhere. Audrey started the car and backed out of the driveway while messing with her radio, trying to get her iPod to play. Finally, loud music came through the speakers, playing one of her favorite songs.
She was so lost in the music that when Tate yelled, she jumped and looked over at him. The music was too loud for her to hear what he’d said.
“What?” she asked, reaching out to turn the volume down. She saw sweat dripping down his face then. He was gasping for air and his eyes were wild with what looked like fear.
“Stop the car, Audrey, now!” he yelled.
She pulled to the side, and before she could even stop the car, he was out of it, slamming the door behind him. She put the car in park and hopped out, shouting, “Tate! Stop!”
But he didn’t.
He kept walking, his hands laced behind his head as he took deep breaths. Running up to him, which was a hard feat in five-inch heels, she managed to get in front of him and stop him. “Tate, what’s wrong?”
But he wouldn’t talk to her, just moved around her. She grabbed his arm. “What the hell!”
“You drive like a fucking maniac, Audrey! You could kill someone doing that! Are you nuts?”
She was taken aback, her eyes wide in confusion. “I watch what I’m doing.”
“No, you don’t. You are the worst driver, you don’t pay attention to the road, you’re too busy singing, and dancing, and moving all around and changing stations and looking at your iPod, and I refuse to ride with you any longer. I’m walking back home,” he said, moving around her and down the side of the highway.
Audrey blinked a few times as anger bubbled inside her. Catching up with Tate, she stopped him again. “I am a safe driver, thank you!” she told him defiantly.
“You are delusional,” he said simply, not looking at her.
“So you are not going to dinner? You’re gonna pout and go home ’cause you don’t like my driving? You could have driven, Tate!”
“I’m going home,” he said, moving away from her again. “I don’t have anything else to say to you, Audrey.”
“Well, I still have a lot to tell you! So fucking stop for a minute and talk to me! Act like a damn adult!”
Tate turned quickly, almost knocking her off balance as he got in her face and said, “Leave me the fuck alone.”