“Lily?”
“I’m fine,” I bit out.
“Just ignore him. He’s just angry because you don’t want to be with him. Plus, he hates me and that only makes it worse.”
I wasn’t sure that was the whole story...
“I’m fine,” I said again, this time softer. “Rain check?”
“Of course,” Nash said.
Chapter Sixteen
Clouds rolled in the sky, hovering over the college and threatening to open up. I hovered near the window, a blanket wrapped around my body, and watched as the clouds grumbled. Lightning flashed and I jumped, moving away from the window. I turned to watch Sabrina as she painted her nails. She blew on the fingers she just painted, her eyes never leaving my face.
“What’s going on?” she asked, climbing on top of my thin mattress.
I rested my head against the wall and yawned.
“Nothing, this weather just sucks.”
“Aw are you missing your little boyfriend?” she teased. “You didn’t get enough kisses or hugs before he left you?”
“Oh shut up. You’re just jealous because Nash is my boyfriend and not yours.”
Sabrina snorted.
“As if I want to deal with his baggage again.”
Again? Did she just say again? Sabrina went back to her nails but I couldn’t stop staring at her. What did she mean by again?
Did Sabrina date Nash? It seemed like she did…
“Sabrina,” I said, my voice sounding louder then I meant in the small room.
She jumped, painting her toe instead of the nail.
“What?” she said.
She glared at me as she tried to wipe the nail polish off the toe without smudging the nail.
“Do you mind not having a spastic moment? Now what are you squawking about?”
“Did you and Nash…” I bit my lip.
This was harder than I ever imagined.
“I mean… Were you and Nash…”
Sabrina through her head back and laughed.
“Are you asking me if I was Nash’s girlfriend?”
“Yeah, basically. You seem to know him really well and you said you didn’t want to deal with his baggage again. That kind of indicates…”
“I was never his girlfriend,” Sabrina said.
I almost smiled when Sabrina opened her mouth again and froze me to my spot.
“I made out with him is it.”
My heart stopped. .
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it doesn’t matter. It was at the beginning the school year.”
“But you didn’t tell me,” I repeated.
And neither did Nash.
Sabrina shrugged.
“I guess it just… Slipped my mind I guess.”
I wasn’t sure but it looked like Sabrina had a smile on her face as she finished up her toes.
“I have to go,” I muttered.
Throwing off the blanket, I grabbed a jacket and left the dorm room. I didn’t remember getting in the car or driving to Nash’s house. All I remembered was when I got to the front of the door. I banged against the wood, open palm. The rain splashed down on me, soaking my clothes and my hair.
I had to live up to Sabrina now.
“I know you’re in there, Nash,” I muttered. “Your car is in the drive way. You have to be home.”
I banged on the door again, my hand stinging with the contact.
“NASH!” I screamed. “NASH, OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!”
Finally the door opened and Nash stood on the other side of the door in his boxers and for the first time I saw his muscular tattooed cover body in the light.
“What’s going on, Lily?” Nash said.
He rubbed one sleepy eye and then the other. It was only then that I realized he wasn’t at his gig.
“What happened to your gig?” I asked, momentarily thrown off the reason I went to his house.
“It got rained out,” he muttered. “What’s going on?”
“Did you sleep with Sabrina?”
“What? What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Sabrina. She said that she slept with you in the past. Is that true?” Nash’s brows furrowed and he frowned. “Nash!”
“Why did she tell you that she slept with me?” he asked, not answering the question.
“I asked you if you did. Did you sleep with her?”
“We made out,” he admitted. “Once. It was a drunken night after a party.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Nash shrugged and grabbed my hand.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me something like this?”
“Because it didn’t mean anything. I barely remember it, I was so drunk. And honestly, I forgot that it happened until you just mentioned it.”
I pouted, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“Seriously, Lily. It meant absolutely nothing. It’s not like we had sex. This isn’t a big fucking deal.”
I knew he had kissed other girls. I knew he had sex with other girls. However, Nash kissing Sabrina was the worst of all. I didn’t want to be getting her sloppy seconds.
“You could have told me. I felt like a fool when she told me.”
Nash pulled me close to him, getting me out of the rain.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I should have told you. But Lily… Are you really going to keep getting mad at me for my past? You know I’ve been with other girls. Is this going to continue to be a problem?”
I knew that the right answer, the only answer, was no. I wasn’t going to keep getting mad at him because of his past. But I couldn’t tell him something that I wasn’t sure of. Nash was my first real boyfriend and the only person I’ve had any experience with. Unless you count Turner. I didn’t like to think that Nash was with anyone else, or loved anyone else. I would admit it; I was jealous.
“I’m not mad at you. You have to give me some kind of leniency though. I’m all new at this dating thing.”
“I know and so am I. Now what do you say we get you out of these wet clothes?”
The gleam in his eye told me that he had more planned than just getting me warm.
All I did was smile and let him lead me into the house and down to his room.
“Come on I want to show you something,” Nash said.
I was sprawled out on his couch, in his sweats, watching a re-run of The Nanny. I cocked my head to the side, staring at him.
“But I’m comfortable Nash,” I complained.
The rain stopped overnight and the sun was peeking up through the trees. It was cold out but at least there was no more rain.
“And I’m warm. Do we have to go out?”
Nash laughed as he tugged me to my feet.
“I want to take you somewhere and show you something. Are you really going to argue with me?”
With a sigh I shook my head.
“Fine, I’ll go with you…” I said, kissing him.
I buckled in the car as he started the engine. Soon we were off, driving down the stretch of road. The road was empty and the air was cold against my cheeks. I let my arm hang out the window and smiled at the sunrise in front of us. Just me, Nash, and the sunrise; the perfect morning. Suddenly, Nash made a left, pushing me into the car door. I held on as the tires climbed over the rocky road.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” he promised. “Do you trust me?”
I was in the car with him, alone. It was the type of question that the answer didn’t actually matter. For the first time I wasn’t the littlest scared about being alone with a guy because of my past.
“Yeah, I trust you,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to know what’s going on.”
“You’ll see.”
Nash made another turn and drove down what looked like a deserted road before stopping and turning the car off.
“You told me that seeing the ocean and letting your toes curl in the sand was one of your biggest dreams. Right?”