“Nolan is sweet,” I say quickly, defending him. I look up at Tyler who has all of his attention on me, a smirk on his lips. “I just opened my eyes a lot while I was with him. He was patient with me during a hard time. Sweet and there when I needed him to be. He was only being an ass because you were around. He’s not too fond of other guys talking to me or . . . touching me, I guess.”
Tyler chuckles and I look up at him. “Natalie, I can understand why you don’t want anything serious. I understand we should just stick with friendship—to be honest, I don’t want to push it. It’s fun being around you and I’m not trying to ruin it. I won’t give more unless you ask for it.” I grin, my gaze lowering bashfully. Bringing a hand up, he runs his finger across my chin to tilt my head up. “It would be amazing to share more with a beauty like you, but I’m not the kind of guy who rushes into things. I won’t press it unless you’re willing,” he murmurs.
“Tyler—”
He cuts me off, placing his finger against the fold of my lips. He then leans forward to place his against mine. The kiss is slow, sweet, and simple. “Slowly but surely, I guess,” he whispers.
For some reason, I melt and I’m surprised my ice-cream hasn’t melted with me. “Have you been to a game-arcade down here in Miami?” he asks, snapping me out of my daze. “I bet I can whip you bad in some Pac-Man.”
I nod, laughing as I take another lick of my ice-cream. “I haven’t, but that sounds fun.”
Tyler stands and offers his hand to me. I take it and we walk away from the table, hand-in-hand which is odd but it doesn’t feel wrong. At least he knows where we stand. Nothing more than friends with minor benefits, I suppose.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nolan
“We shouldn’t have come back,” I growl, slamming the door behind me. Mills frowns at me from the sofa as I storm past him to get to my bedroom. I tug my shirt over my head a little too aggressively and then take my jeans off. I don’t want any trace of her on me. I’m already pissed I had to walk from her place to mine. The walk made me think way too much.
“Have we established that maybe you are gay?” Mills quips. I turn around and he folds his arms, leaning against the frame of my door.
“Fuck you.”
“Why are you so hostile?” he chuckles.
“Natalie’s been with somebody else. She’s been hiding it from me the whole damn time, Mills.”
Instantly, Mills’s features stiffen. He unfolds his arms while narrowing his eyes at me. “How do you know?”
“He came by her condo and said she went to a bedroom with him. She had to be with him last weekend and it explains why she wasn’t answering my calls. There’s no telling what she did with that fucker or how long she’s even been with him.” I struggle to pull my black cargo shorts over my legs. I’m so boiled over I can’t even think straight.
“What?” Mills gives me a dry laugh as he takes a step forward. “That just seems so unrealistic. That girl loves you. I saw it in her eyes. She can’t possibly move on that fast.”
“Well I saw him with my own two eyes so screw it.”
“You aren’t really going to assume shit, are you? Assumptions are what kill relationships.”
“Mills—” I shake my head as I stare at him. “I. Saw. Him. He came to her condo in broad daylight.”
“He might just be a friend.”
“Friends don’t take one another into their bedrooms and then brag about it.”
“Maybe he just wanted to get under your skin. She’s probably been telling him all about you and he was just trying to get you to stay away. I guess it worked because now you’re here . . . pouting like a damn baby.”
“Okay—just shut the hell up,” I snap. “You aren’t making it any better.”
“I’m just saying. I know you. I know how you like to jump to conclusions. I swear you’re worse than a girl sometimes. I know for a fact you didn’t hear Natalie out. You most likely ran away, like you always do. It’s always been who you are. A runner. You never hear anyone out.”