Blurb: Their pull was undeniable, like fireworks on top of flaming bonfires. But Anna can’t help wonder if she and Nathan are strong enough to survive a past that keeps resurfacing or if fate will keep shattering the world around her.
“F*ck!†She flung herself backward onto the bed, slamming her palms down on the mattress.
The doorbell rang. “Down it is,†she said, referring to her hair. When she opened the door, Nathan stood there wearing a cocky grin.
“Hi.â€
“Um…hello.†Anna barely recognized her own voice. It came out as a sort of breathy squeak. She tried to peer past Nathan, into his car, but there was no one else with him.
Nathan turned his head to look behind him. When he turned back to face her, confusion marred his features. “Are you looking for something?â€
“Where’s Ruby?†Ruby was supposed to be picking her up, Carla was meeting them at the restaurant right after her shift, and she wasn’t sure how Josh was getting to the restaurant.
“Ruby had a few last-minute errands, so I offered to pick you up.â€
Anna finally realized she was being rude by not inviting him in, so she gestured him inside. “I’ll just go grab my bag.â€
“My bag,†he mimicked in an exaggerated New York accent, making Anna laugh.
“Right, you guys say purse.†For the most part, Anna’s accent was nondescript, but certain choices of words and the pronunciations of them were definitely very Brooklyn. “You lived in the city. You should be used to it by now.â€
“Mostly everyone I knew were transplants just like me, but I did get my daily dose of New Yawk City speak.â€
“Oh shut it,†she said playfully. “We know there’s an r in there. I’ll just go grab my little ole purse.â€
“No rush,†she heard him say on the way to her bedroom. There was still a trace of humor in his voice.
Something had just occurred to her. Bag forgotten, she walked back out into the living room.
“Wait, are we being set up again?†She was going to kill Carla. This was surely her doing. “Are they all going to come up with some excuse and not show up, leaving just the two of us at dinner?â€
Nathan looked confused, or annoyed, at the possibility. She couldn’t tell which. “No. As far as I know, both Carla and Ruby are still coming, and you and I are going to go grab Josh from the station.â€
Well that won’t be awkward at all, she thought. She went back into her room to grab her purse, and after locking up, they walked back to his car in silence.
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