Chapter 9
Lizzie
“I’d love for you guys to finish the night off at my place. It’s just a minute’s drive away, and I have to show you the view at this time of night. I don’t even think you’ve seen it, John,” Nate says.
Maria looks over at me.
“That sounds good to me,” I reply, shrugging.
I’ve enjoyed their company tonight so much.
But I’ve especially enjoyed Nate’s. I started the night steady and sensible—not thinking it could really be a date.
Now I almost don’t want it to end. I want to pretend the looming reality of my departure doesn’t exist…
just like I have while laughing my way through the evening.
“Alright, let me just get the check.” He motions to the waiter with the universal sign for check, please.
The waiter brings it over, and just as Nate is about to pay for all of us, Leo—the owner—appears and puts his hands out in front of him before he can.
“No, no, no! I won’t have you paying the first night you try out my restaurant!” he says.
Nate chuckles. “Leo, I’m not going to expect you to let us dine here for free tonight. Come on.”
Leo’s eyes sparkle with mirth. “I think you misread me. I’m giving it to you for free so you can keep giving me good deals on my meat.”
Our laughter chimes together.
“I’m kidding. But honestly, this place wouldn’t be the same without the amazing quality meat you provide us with. Let me host you tonight,” Leo continues.
“Alright, alright. But when I come back again, I’m paying,” Nate says.
We stand, gathering jackets and bags, Nate clapping Leo on the back and shaking his hand. The air feels easy, filled with warmth and genuine laughter. It strikes me how rare nights like this are—where conversation flows effortlessly, the kind of easy joy that isn’t forced.
And I can’t help but wonder if I’m the only one who felt the quiet undercurrent between us all evening.
We arrive at his car, and make our way back to his apartment.
As we round the few streets we passed earlier, I notice it’s a high-rise along Boa Viagem beach. Living in a building right across from the water, on the most famous stretch of Recife’s beach, makes sense: convenience, safety, beauty all woven together.
The sea-salt air drifts in through the slightly cracked windows, warm and fresh at the same time, curling around me.
He drives down into the underground parking lot, and we make our way onto the elevator. I notice he presses the button all the way to the 26th floor. Must be some view up there.
When he unlocks the door, he nearly walks straight into a woman who looks like she could be a housekeeper, her sixties etched into her warm smile.
“Camila!” he exclaims. “I’m sorry for walking straight into you. I didn’t think you’d be here at this time of night?”
“I forgot something here earlier, boss. Sorry for scaring you.”
“It’s okay. You’ve met Maria and John—this is Lizzie,” he says, motioning to me.
Camila’s eyes flick to mine, and I see a mischievous smile form.
“Now that’s what I call a brunette.” She beams at Nate and wiggles her eyebrows repeatedly.
Nate lets out a nervous laugh, swallowed by John’s louder one.
“Camila, I think you and I have been on the same wavelength this entire time,” he says, motioning to her.
“Pastor, I’ve been riding this wave a long time. It’s about time you joined in.” She gestures like get on board with this.
I feel heat creeping up my neck and cheeks. I’m not usually shy, yet something about this makes me blush. Could she mean what I think she means?
As she picks up her keys and moves toward the door, the others drift into the living room. Before I can follow, Camila leans in and whispers to me.
“First time meeting Nate?”
“Yes,” I whisper back, though I’m not sure why.
“He’s one of the good ones. I told him a while ago I thought he needed a sparkling brunette.”
I laugh at that.
“Well… I do come from an Italian family. But I’d like to think I don’t explode as often as they do,” I grin.
Her laughter joins mine.
“He’s a good man. Cares a lot. Works too much.” she murmurs. “Pretends he’s fine. But he isn’t always.”
“I can tell there’s a lot beneath the surface. We had fun tonight, but he’s revealed more than that, too,” I answer, letting the night settle into memory.
“That’s surprising. He’s usually a closed book.” Her expression shifts, curious—like she’s thinking huh.
“I can just tell there’s something different about you… something vibrant. That’s what he needs.” She places her hand on the door handle, then glances back at me. “He’s got a good heart.”
I take that in, tucking it away in the back of my mind as she leaves.
“Bye, Camila,” I murmur softly.
I make my way down the hall to where I last saw them go.
As I move down, the hallway opens into a high-ceilinged living room.
The white-washed walls give it a sense of it feeling new.
The decor is sparse—just a few touches that make it feel lived-in.
A vase, a painting hung up on the wall. Coasters on the coffee table.
But, there’s no soft furnishings or blankets draping over the sofa, no picture frames hanging on the wall.
Yet my gaze is pulled to the windows. I let out a little gasp. They’re floor to ceiling, the city below melting into the beach beyond. Moonlight dances across the water, waves crashing into the shore. With a view like that, you don’t need much else in the room.
“I felt the same the first time I saw this,” Nate says.
The moon hangs low, luminous and magical, spilling silver ribbons across the waves.
“I’m guessing the sunrise must be beautiful to watch from here,” I say, mesmerized by the view.
He nods. “It really is. I haven’t watched many lately, but whenever I get the chance, I love it.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it with the moon like this, Nate. You’re right—it’s incredible,” John says, bringing Maria in to cuddle against him.
“I didn’t love having to pick a place so quickly to move into last year… but I’m really grateful for this place.” He moves around the room until he’s standing near where I am.
He motions to a console table near me. There’s a beautiful oil painting of the sea hanging above it, and a vase filled with delicate glass flowers—murano Italian glass flowers from the ’70s. They’ve become trendy again recently.
“I didn’t get to keep much of anything in the divorce. This painting and the flowers were the first things I bought to make this house feel like a home and restart my life,” he says thoughtfully.
“That must’ve been hard,” I murmur.
He nods slowly. The room grows quieter for a moment, like everything is suspended in that admission. I know he shared earlier about his divorce, but I’m not sure how much we’ll dive into it now.
“It really was. I’m grateful to have this place. It feels like I’ve got nature on my doorstep without even having to leave my house.”
“Probably a lot of people’s dream,” I say. I imagine waking early just to catch the sunrise here.
“What about you? What would be your dream view?” he asks.
“I don’t know that I have one. The beach has always had my heart though.” I grin at him.
“Then this must be one of your favorites.” His gaze fixes on me.
My stomach flips—sharp and sudden, like I’ve missed a step on a staircase. Butterflies burst alive inside me. My body is doing things without my permission tonight, apparently.
“It really is,” I say, looking straight into his eyes.
We end up chatting a little more—basking in the moonlight glow and laughter between us—because there’s just a feeling of suspended possibility neither of us wants to let go of.
But it’s getting late, and I know Nate’s got to drive us all home.
“Nate, we don’t want to keep you up,” Maria says. “I know you have to drop us all off.”
I’m glad she spoke before I had to.
“I’ve had a great night with you guys. It’s just easy to talk for the whole night,” he replies.
I give the view one last lingering look. We all shift to grab our things and move toward the door. Nate grabs his keys, and we head to the elevator.
We head down to Nate’s car and climb in. I sit in the front this time, with John & Maria in the back since they’ll get dropped off first. Nate’s cologne subtly floats through as the breeze blows in the window and my breath catches a little.
Nate begins driving toward John and Maria’s place, the windows down just a crack to let the fresh salt air in.
We pull into the driveway, and they step out.
“Take care guys, it’s been a great night!” John says, and fixes his gaze on Nate—a silent language that I’m far from being fluent in.
Maria reaches over to kiss my cheek from the back.
“Lizzie, I’m really glad we got to spend so much time together today.”
“It was great to hang out with you, too!” My grin is wide. I’ve loved spending time with her. She’s a real sweetheart.
They shut the doors and head into the lobby of their apartment building. Once Nate sees that they’re safely in the lobby, he pulls away to drive.
I see a book by my feet, and reach to pick it up before asking anything.
“Oh, sorry. I forgot to remove that earlier.” He glances over at me.
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, the cover says.
“What’s it about?” I cock my head to the side, emphasizing my question.
“It’s a fiction book, about a pastor and a newspaper editor, and how spiritual warfare comes into their lives. It’s actually a thriller.”
“Oooo, that sounds interesting!” I reply, intrigued by the concept.
“Yeah, it really is. I loved reading it because it felt real. It made prayer feel so much more important than we give it credit. And it doesn’t hurt that you want to turn the page immediately,” he chuckles.
“I do love books like that, where you just get lost in the story.” I grin over at him.
“Do you read much?” he asks, a smile on his face.
His hands are on the wheel, and his gaze keeps flitting between the road and me. His gaze always feels weighted, like there’s more behind those eyes than I can understand.