28. Nate #2
Taking that as permission, I reach into the bag and find her case. I skip over the grape tablets and open the tube of orange ones. She holds out her hand, and I shake two tablets onto her upturned palm.
She chews them and sighs. “These aren’t great, but they’re the best flavor I’ve tried so far.”
I smirk and nod. “I know. Last week, when you started to dip, you said the grape ones tasted like chalk that wanted to be Smarties.”
She chuckles and grimaces, fighting a shiver. “They’re nasty.”
I set my hand back on her knee, and she takes another sip of her drink. She draws a deep breath and releases it slowly. “Thank you for finding me.”
I hold up my phone and raise my brows. “Thank you for adding me to your CGM alerts.”
She smiles and rests her head on the wall behind the chair, letting her eyes slip closed.
I squeeze her knee gently. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes crack open, and she nods. “Just tired.”
“Do you want to go home?”
She sits up, shakes her head, and stretches her back. “No, I’ll be fine. I’ll rally.”
I lean forward and catch her gaze. “It’s okay to rest, Luce.
I know blood sugar dips like that take a lot out of you.
Stay here and rest for a while at least.” I turn around and point to a stack of pillows that the kids use to sit on the floor while the teacher reads to them.
“I can make you a comfy spot to lie on the rug.”
She chuckles and shakes her head again. “Thanks, but I’ll be okay.”
When I check her number on my phone again, all the tension built up in my chest releases, and I’m finally able to take a full breath. It’s back within a normal range.
I sort through the contents of her bag and find the package of peanut butter crackers she keeps on hand. I open the wrapper for her and set it on her knee. A soft smile spreads on her face as her gaze meets mine. “Thank you.”
I shrug. “You’re always hungry after a dip.”
She blinks and drops her gaze to the crackers on her knee as she takes one out of the package. Her eyes meet mine again. “Thank you for taking care of me. I’m sorry this crash pulled you away from—”
I shake my head and cut her off. “Don’t apologize. I’ll always take care of you, Lucy.”
She freezes, the plastic wrapper crackles in her fingers, and her eyes dart between mine as a glassy sheen coats them. Before I can reach for her hand like I want, my phone chimes, and I sigh as I read the message from Caleb.
Lucy frowns. “They need you back for pictures, don’t they?”
I nod and squeeze her knee again. “Are you okay?”
She smiles, blinking rapidly like she’s trying to suppress tears. “I’m fine. I’m going to eat my crackers and find Quinn. I need some cuddles.”
For a split second, I consider offering her my cuddling services to tide her over until she can get to Quinn, but I bite my tongue and stand, brushing off my pants. I pause, reluctant to leave her.
She smiles as she brushes crumbs from her fingertips. “Go, Nate. I’m okay, I promise.” She gestures toward the phone in my hand. “You’ll know if something’s wrong.”
I release a long breath and nod, getting one last glimpse of her reassuring smile before I slip out of the room and close the door.
When I turn to walk down the hall, I nearly collide with Emerson. Her icy eyes search my face. “Is she okay?”
I nod and slide my phone back into my pocket. “Her blood sugar is back within a normal range. She’s eating a snack and resting for a bit, and she’ll be ready to rejoin the festivities.”
She frowns and purses her lips as her eyes narrow, and I clear my throat, feeling uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. When our whole group of friends is together, it’s easy to forget how intimidating Emerson is, but one-on-one like this, it’s all coming back to me. “What?”
She crosses her arms and tilts her head. “You actually love her, don’t you?”
My eyes widen, and my stomach drops. “What do you mean by ‘actually love her’? What made you think I didn’t?”
She rolls her eyes and huffs an impatient breath. “I don’t know, Nate. Maybe all the times you found every possible way to irritate her. Or all the little pranks you played on her—jumping out and scaring her, hiding her keys, posting on her social media accounts when she left her phone unattended—”
I hold my hands out toward her and cut her off. “Okay, okay. I get it. We had a rocky start. But it’s not like that anymore.”
Her eyes dart between mine, and I feel myself shrink under their icy fire. “Yeah, I can tell.”
I frown. “You can?”
She nods. “It’s obvious that the two of you care for each other.”
My shoulders drop in relief, and I sigh. Caleb appears at the end of the hallway and calls, “There you are. Come on, man. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
I nod and meet Emerson’s gaze as I dare to put a hand on her shoulder. “I promise you have nothing to worry about with Lucy and me.”
Her eyes dart between mine, and she steps aside for me to pass by her. As I walk down the hall, Emerson’s words bounce around my head. Do I actually love Lucy? My heart gallops in my chest, but I push the thought away. The better question is, could Lucy actually love me?