Nick is looking at me all funny again. I walk over to him.
“That was sweet,” he says, referring to my present. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s her birthday, Nick,” I scoff. “Of course I’m going to get her a present.”
He reaches out and squeezes my arm, and the gesture surprises me, but in the best way. A bolt of electricity shoots down the arm that he’s touching, and I try to hold in an audible gasp. I wasn’t expecting him to touch me, but it feels nice, normal…
“Shall we go?” he says, and his eyes dart up and down my body quickly.
I blush. Again.
“Yep. Let’s go!”
I walk over to Bria and take her hand.
Nick takes Bria’s other hand and looks at me sideways. I look down at Bria, and she’s grinning as we walk to the car. I smirk at Nick, because I know what he’s thinking. I’m thinking it, too. We look like one big happy family. I’m glad it’s stopped raining, because I didn’t want to get my hair wet. I hardly ever straighten it, so when I do, it has to last for days.
As we get into the Porsche, I help Nick get Bria all buckled up. When we’re done, he closes the door and opens mine. I stare at him, and he blushes a little. Blushes!
“I didn’t want to say anything in front of Bria, but I just want you to know that Dan is an idiot for cheating on you. His loss, clearly, because you look… wow…” He trails off, and my mouth drops open. He’s staring at my lips again, a conflicted look on his face. “You look really, really great, Evianna.”
“Thank you, Nick,” I say, smiling shyly.
He breaks eye contact and goes over to his side of the car. My heart is still beating quickly, and I notice that I’m shaking slightly. I get into the passenger seat, my knees all wobbly, and we begin to drive without speaking. Nick puts on some classical music, and I smile.
It only takes us ten minutes to get downtown. Nick valets the car, and we all get out. It’s an Italian place I’ve never been to, and it’s fancy—really fancy. I feel underdressed. The restaurant is ornately decorated, and delicious smells meet my nose as the hostess shows us to our seats. Nick pulls my seat out and lets me sit first, followed by Bria next to me. He sits across from me and studies me as I ask the waitress for a booster seat for Bria. He has that conflicted look on his face again.
Just as the waitress brings Bria a booster and I get her all settled in, I turn my face to glance around the restaurant. My eyes scan the couple seated next to us, and my heart stops—literally—stops. I feel the blood drain from my face, and I whisper expletives under my breath.
“Evianna? You okay?” Nick asks, and I nod curtly.
No, no, no, no, no.
Please, god, let this be a joke. A sick, horrifying joke.
Dan and Mia are seated next to us, and by the looks of it, they’ve noticed me, too. I see Mia lean across the table and whisper into Dan’s ear. I try not to stare, so I look down at my hands.
“Hey,” Nick says gently. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” I say shakily.
This can’t be happening.
Nick looks nervously around, and my eyes dart to Dan, who is whispering back into Mia’s ear. Nick follows my gaze, and he must put two and two together because he stiffens, and his face becomes hard and serious. He shoots them a disapproving look, and for that, I’m grateful.
Bria doesn’t seem to notice that anything is wrong, because she sits quietly next to me and colors on the blank place mat that the hostess brought along with her booster. I quickly glance at Nick, my face giving my urgency away. It screams, I can’t sit here next to them.
“Want me to get us a new table?” he asks gently, and his hand comes to rest on top of mine.