Chapter 45 Nora #2
Nate rounds the car and takes my hand in his. “I’ve booked us a table.” He leads me into the restaurant.
Ev walks at the side of me, straightening his tie. I want to hold his hand, too. Instead, I reach out a finger, brushing against his.
He locks eyes with me as he opens the door to the restaurant, his brow pinched, his jaw tight like he wants to do more, but he won’t.
Inside the restaurant, the aroma of Italian food hits me. Candles flicker on each table as the server takes us through the back into a smaller, more intimate room.
My chest flutters, taking in a round table set with three place settings and a bottle of wine chilling in a wine cooler in the centre.
“I’ll bring you some water for the table. Can I get you anything else while you peruse the menu?”
“Can we have your breadbasket, and olives?” Nate looks to me and Evan. “Anything else you want?”
Evan shakes his head as he pulls out my seat and then slides it under the table as I sit down.
“Thank you.”
The guys take their seats on either side of me, facing each other. Our knees knock.
“What’s the occasion?”
“Do we need an excuse to spoil you?” Nate says, lifting the red wine from the cooler and pouring us all a glass.
At one time, I wouldn’t have drunk alcohol at all because I was so desperate to be pregnant or think I was pregnant, but I’m tired of putting my life on hold for something that may never come when I have two people right in front of me who make me happy.
Evan lifts his glass. “Cheers.”
I raise mine and clink it with his, still unsure why we’re at this fancy little Italian restaurant.
Nate clinks both our glasses. “Cheers to our one-month anniversary.”
I pause, about to take a sip. “One month?”
Evan’s fingers subtly brush over mine on the table. His eyes lock on Nate and he smiles.
Nate brings the wine to his lips and takes a sip. “It’s been one month since we all stopped denying our feelings for each other.”
I can’t help but smile at my husband. “Since when did you get all romantic?”
Nate huffs out a laugh and smooths a hand down his tie. “Probably since having Ev to keep me on my toes. Can't have him outdoing me.”
Ev smiles behind his wine glass, eyes flicking between us like he’s still not entirely convinced this is real.
“Well,” I say, leaning back in my chair, “if we’re celebrating anniversaries, I wish I’d have dressed nicer.”
“You look perfect,” Nate says
Evan nods in agreement. “You always do.”
Heat creeps up my neck with both their eyes on me, the deep pools of Ev’s blue irises and the dark desire in Nate’s brown ones.
The server returns with bread and olives, setting the basket on the table, and we all pick up the menus and place our orders.
Nate tears off a piece of bread and hands it to me, then reaches across me to pass one to Evan, too. His arm brushes my shoulder, Evan’s knee knocks mine under the table, just small accidental touches, but each one sets me alight.
I dip the bread into olive oil. “So whose idea was this?”
Nate jerks his thumb at Evan. “His.”
Evan shrugs a shoulder. “Nate booked it.”
“I suggested food,” Nate argues. “You turned it into a whole romantic event.”
I laugh at them bickering, warmth spreading through my chest. A month ago, this dynamic would’ve felt impossible. Now it feels inevitable, like it was always meant to be this way.
Evan reaches for an olive at the same time I do, our fingers touching with electricity zapping through me. He freezes for a split second before curling his hand around mine.
My stomach flips.
Nate slides his foot against both of ours beneath the table, connecting all three of us.
“So,” I say, pulling the folded Post-it from my bag and placing it on the table. “I discovered something today.”
Nate picks it up, squinting. “Can’t resist your… sweatness?” He laughs. “Is this Ev’s idea of poetry?”
Evan drags a hand through his hair. “I was in a rush.”
“In a rush stealing the brownies, apparently.” I laugh between sipping my wine.
Nate furrows his brow. “So you’re the brownie thief?”
“More importantly, I found out he was the one writing these notes back at uni.” I swat Nate’s arm. “You let me believe it was you.”
“What, you never clicked with his bad spelling?” Nate raises a brow over his wine.
Another laugh escapes. “I didn’t know Ev was dyslexic at the time. I just thought you were illiterate.”
Nate leans back in his chair. “If you knew it was Ev, would you have wanted to date him instead?”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I’m not sure.
” At the time, I had no idea Ev was interested in me.
But Nate was always following me around.
“Maybe if I knew, we’d have got together sooner.
” I take Ev’s hand and Nate’s at the same time.
“The three of us, I mean. Maybe we wouldn’t have wasted eighteen years.
” My cheeks heat. “Just think of the fun we could’ve had. ”
Ev lifts his glass and points it at Nate. “I specifically remember you telling me she was yours and in no way were you sharing her.”
I tilt my head, raising a brow at Nate, not really surprised, but I am surprised at where we are now, if that’s how he felt.
Nate clears his throat. “I wanted a future with Nora.” He turns his head towards me. “Living with you in the halls, I fell for you. Your laugh, your talent—”
Evan adds, “He never stopped going on about your baking, your big t—”
Nate leans over the table and covers Ev’s mouth.
My grin stretches from ear to ear.
“Yes, we all know I’m a sucker for a nice pair of…” Nate lowers his voice, his eyes darting to my cleavage. “Anyway, I knew I wanted to marry you. You weren’t just a bit of fun for me, and I didn’t want anything to ruin my chances of dating you.”
“I would have still wanted to marry you.” Leaning over, I kiss Nate while still holding Ev’s hand. “I’d have married both of you.”
Ev puffs out a small laugh. “You’d be serving time for bigamy.”
“Worth it.” I shrug with a laugh. “What about the valentine message when I made those heart shaped cookies?” I squeeze Ev’s fingers. “Did you write that too?”
“He did,” Nate says. “But he let me take the credit.”
“That one was a joint effort,” Evan says, pointing his drink at Nate. “I did it for you.”
“It was hardly Byron, but at least that one was spelt correctly.”
I snort behind my wine. “Roses are red, violets are blue, these cookies are perfection, just like you.”
Nate smiles at Ev. “I proofread it. Or it might have said cockies.”
Ev just smiles back at Nate. “You owe me for that. That note sealed the deal for you.”
Nate leans forward. “I think we’re even now.”
“You know,” I hold both their hands tighter, “I only baked as much as I did because I looked forward to those little notes.” Tears well in my eyes. “I was so lost back then, with nobody who really cared for me. Then I met you two and my whole life changed.”
Ev strokes the back of my hand, and Nate reaches up to cup my cheek in his large palm. I tilt my head and press a kiss to his hand, leaning into his warmth.
The server arrives with our meals, and Ev snatches his hand away.
I wish we could all be open and love each other in public.
What we’re doing isn’t the norm, I get that, but to me it feels right.
Unlike Nate, I don’t have a family I need to worry about or friends I need to impress.
I’ve spent my whole life being small to fit into spaces, and I refuse to do it anymore.
“Parmesan, madam?”
“Yes, please.” I inhale the aroma of my favourite carbonara, topped with a heavy dusting of Parmesan. “Thank you.”
Nate leans across to steal from my plate.
“Oi.” I bat his hand, but I’m too late as he brings the food to his mouth with a grin.
Evan spears a meatball from Nate’s plate with a smirk. “So this is one of the perks of being together?”
I poke my fork into Evan’s salmon pasta dish. “Sharing is caring.”
Their knees press against mine, warming me on both sides, and I hope we can be like this forever.
I lift my fork for another bite when a sudden wave of nausea rolls through me, the rich smell of tomato sauce catching in my nose.
Nate puts his fork down. “You good?”
“I…” I press a hand to my stomach. “Just feel a bit queasy.”
Evan’s brows draw together. “You’ve gone pale.”
I take a sip of water, my hand trembling. My pulse races. “How many days is it since we all admitted our feelings?”
Nate scrunches his napkin in his fist as he slides to the edge of his seat. “One month. Why, what’s wrong?”
With a shaky hand, I take another gulp of water. “One month since I came home from the spa and you told me about the one bed in the hotel?” I’m dizzy, unable to think clearly, the dates all jumbling together.
Evan’s now on the edge of his seat, one hand on the back of my chair, the other on my forehead as if checking for a temperature. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”
I shake my head, my heart beating so fast I may pass out. “We might need to stop somewhere on the way home.”
“Why?” Nate takes over from Evan and places a hand on my forehead, then my cheek. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
I’m afraid to say it aloud in case I’m wrong. Ice rattles in the glass as I gulp more water. “I think… I might be late.”