Chapter 12
TYRELL
Nolan’s a big enough town that there are a variety of places to choose from for lunch.
So why the hell Paul chose The Hungry House is beyond me.
It’s on the far side of town, near the hospital.
Its decor is jarringly bright. We’re talking orange and green, like a monster came in and puked everywhere, and the owners were like, “Yeah, I’m diggin’ it. ”
I shift on the shiny vinyl booth seat, my pants making a fart noise that grabs the attention of the table beside me. The little girl spins in her chair, bulging her eyes, then covering her mouth and giggling.
“Kee-Kee. Turn yourself back around. Don’t be rude,” her mother quips before giving me an apologetic smile.
“It was the…” I point at the booth seat, then give up, brushing my fingers through the air.
The mother’s lips twitch as she concentrates back on her kids.
I turn my attention to the couple I’m spying on.
Paul doesn’t actually know I’m here. I figured it would freak the poor guy out, so I followed them like a secret agent tracking a target and slipped in around five minutes after they did. I directed the waitress to seat me at a table out of view, and thankfully I was able to sneak in unnoticed.
I’m feeling like a bit of a creeper, leaning around the edge of the wall to check on Dani’s date. She spotted me about half an hour ago, and her quiet smile was adorable. She’s happy I’m here, which is the only thing stopping me from bailing.
My eyes narrow as Paul’s hand snakes across the table. He brushes his fingers over the top of Dani’s knuckles, and I watch him like a hawk. But after a comment that makes Dani grin, he’s pulling his hand back and digging into his loaded fries again.
Damn, he’s a slow eater. That boy got his food over twenty minutes ago, and he’s only half done. I demolished my burger in about five flat. At least the food here is good.
Dani’s picking at the last of her salad. She finished her chicken tenders pretty fast. They must have been delicious… or she was nervous and eating to cover it.
I study her face, her shoulders, her fingers, looking for signs of distress, but she seems fine. Satch is right about Paul being a nice guy. He’s got a grin wider than Wily’s, which he’s using on the regular.
There seems to be a sincerity about him.
When I first met with him and Satch for coffee, I kept my guard up, testing him out with gruff comments and questions, but he stayed calm and kind, laughing off my “grumpy mode” until I finally relaxed and told him why I’d been acting that way.
He was pretty good about it and seemed happy to take Dani out, be the perfect gentleman, and help her ease back into the dating scene.
Dani says something and Paul tips his head back, his laughter booming across the restaurant. Dani winces, then bites her lips together when he looks at her again. Forcing a smile, she grabs her basically empty glass and sips out the last of the melted ice cubes.
I don’t think she’s feeling this date.
But she’s not unhappy, which is good.
This right here was all about her experiencing a one-on-one with another guy. This is just a baby step toward her new life.
An ache blooms in my chest. I slump back in my seat, staring down at my plate, the last few crispy fries scattered around the edges. I pick one up and draw patterns with my ketchup, trying not to dwell on how wrong it is that Dani’s trying to find another guy.
I mean, it’s not wrong. She deserves to be happy.
But she was.
With Atlas.
She was so fucking happy. They both were.
No awkward dates. Ever.
He told me all about the first time he took her out for ice cream, and it sounded perfect. From day one, they just clicked. They were soulmates, and it’s a fucking travesty that he’s not here anymore.
How the hell is anyone supposed to move on from their soulmate?
Glancing around the edge of the booth again, I notice Dani collecting her bag and standing up.
It’s over already?
I glance at my watch. Just over an hour. So, not a total disaster but hardly the “I’m so into you, I’ve lost track of time” date.
Tapping my fingers on the table, I wait for them to finish paying, and my phone starts to ding with texts from Wily.
Wily: How’s the date going? Satch is making me ask.
Me: It’s wrapping up already, but everyone was smiling throughout.
Wily: Over already? That was fast. Are you sure it wasn’t all fake smiles?
Me: They could be going off to do something else. I’ll follow in a second… which makes me feel like a stalker. Should I be bailing?
Wily: You told her you’d have her back. If they’re shifting locations, you need to be there for her.
He’s right. Of course he’s right.
Standing up with a sigh, I check the coast is clear before paying for my meal and heading out the door.
I don’t spot Dani at first and wonder if I’m gonna have to call her for a check-in, but then I hear Paul’s loud laughter again and turn in time to see him pull Dani into a hug.
He lifts her off the ground, and I quickly duck back into the restaurant before he spots me.
Leaning against the wall, I watch them through the window, my insides coiling as I wait to see what this hug will become.
Nothing.
It becomes nothing.
Thank fuck for that.
Paul pats her on the back before letting her go, then grins down at her. Another pat on the arm and he’s waving goodbye.
What the hell? Why isn’t he driving her home?
Dani stays on the curb, smiling and waving while he drives off. As soon as it’s clear, I jump out of the restaurant and hurry toward her.
“What gives?” I stretch my arms wide. “Why isn’t he driving you home?”
She grins up at my indignation like it’s amusing.
“What?” I frown down at her.
“He’s off to visit one of his tutoring students at the hospital.
He offered to let me come, but I declined.
” Her eyebrows rise, wrinkling her forehead.
“He then offered to drive me home first, but I didn’t want him having to ping-pong all over town for me, so I told him I’d grab an Uber—which he offered to arrange and pay for, by the way. ”
Now my eyebrows are rising. Not bad.
Her smile grows a little wider. “He also paid for lunch and was the perfect gentleman. He felt bad about having to leave early, but his student isn’t well, and he promised to check on him today.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I think so. Just a really shocking stomach bug or something. He’s severely dehydrated and had to be admitted last night. Paul wants to check in. Be a friendly face, you know.”
“That’s really nice of him.”
“Well…” Dani steps up beside me, threading her arm around mine. “He is a really nice guy.”
I nod, not understanding this weird pull in my chest. Like a resistance.
Am I really okay with her moving on from Atlas?
What the hell? Of course I am! She deserves happiness.
Dude, shut the fuck up and just listen to her.
“But I don’t think we’ll be doing the date thing again. I’ll happily catch up as a friend, but…” She shakes her head. “There was nothing romantic about that date. I don’t think he was feeling it either.” She looks up and cringes. “At least I hope he wasn’t.”
Relief pulses through me.
Why?
I have no idea, but I smile down at her as we stroll along the street toward my SUV.
I parked two blocks away, not wanting to get spotted. Probably overcompensated a bit there, but the sun is shining, and Dani’s not due at work for another two hours, so we’re good. We can stroll.
“There was just… no chemistry, you know?”
I nod, and she sighs.
“Do you think I’ll ever find that again? That easy don’t even have to think about it chemistry. That feeling in your gut where you just know this person is yours to keep, to cherish… to love.”
My mouth goes dry, my throat swelling as I lamely shrug and give her a helpless frown.
Her smile is sad when she shakes her head. We go quiet, and I try and fill this space.
Anything to make her feel better.
Anything to fix this for her.
“Uh…” I clear my throat as we near my SUV, stopping her on the sidewalk and turning her to face me. My hands look huge on her small shoulders, so I hold her extra lightly and try to lighten the mood. “Let’s play a game.”
Her eyebrow arches while her lips quirk into a lopsided smile that’s just too damn cute. “A game?”
“Yeah, let’s pretend that I’m the host of a dating show or something, and you’re describing your perfect man to me.”
She laughs, then sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, and I hold my breath, wondering if she’ll play along.