eyes glisten from the glow of the television screen. “How? Tyler is one of the coolest guys in Miami.”
“I don’t know. I thought that as well and I don’t want to assume anything or go off of someone else’s judgment. He took me out for ice-cream earlier and we talked about what he had said to Nolan. He apologized a million times and I started to feel bad. I didn’t think I’d like him this much, but I do.”
“So you’re just gonna ditch Nolan for Tyler?”
I shake my head. “No—well I don’t know. I’m confused about Nolan. I don’t know why his ex-girlfriend is here. She told me she and Nolan were more than friends in California. They were spending time together. I know it could have happened while we were on our break but it just confuses me that he would actually mess with another girl when he told me he didn’t want to deal with anyone else’s emotions outside of his own. Considering how drunk Nolan was getting over there, she may have been telling the truth. He could have been doing anything over there.”
“Wow. You’ve got a sticky situation.” Her lips press as she stands. “I say sleep on it. Maybe call Nolan and talk to him about it?”
“He’s not answering my calls. I called as soon as Tyler dropped me back off.”
“Oh.” Harper’s lips twist as she takes a step back. “Damn it, Nat. You’ve confused me. You can’t have both. Keep calling Nolan until you can figure out what’s really up. Communication is key, remember? It’s what you always tell me.”
I force a smile because she’s right.
“Get some sleep. It’s late. I know you’re stressed but tomorrow will be a new day. On the bright side, you’ll know who’s really meant for you when all of this dramatic shit is over with.”
She winks and then makes her way to her bedroom with a loud yawn. Her door clicks shut and I stand. I pull my phone out of my back pocket and turn for the balcony. Sliding the door open, the breeze whips against me but it feels nice, considering how flushed and bothered I am.
I call Nolan’s phone but of course he doesn’t answer. It’s starting to make me nervous. I’ve never been this confused before. I know I’ll take Nolan over Tyler any day but if he’s been talking to his ex, I don’t think I can handle it.
I can understand how he feels, though. To know someone else is touching me has to be killing him. To know some other girl might have been touching him is destroying me. I want him for myself but I don’t know if I will be able to trust him if he and Sharon actually had something going on while we were dating.
By this rate I don’t know if our relationship is going to survive.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Nolan
I haven’t talked to Natalie in a week. It’s been a long ass week, too. I don’t like knowing she’s with someone else but I’ve been trying to occupy myself with working. I’ve been picking up double shifts and whenever I couldn’t get one, I’d go to the gym to work out.
A part of me knows I don’t deserve her but a part of me knows she’s all that I want. I’ve changed. I guess Dawson was right about that one. It wasn’t like me to chase after a girl constantly but with Natalie it’s different. No one’s been on my mind this much before outside of my mother and father.
A knock comes from the front door, interrupting my guitar strum. Placing my guitar down, I make my way to the door and swing it open. At the sight of Harper, I frown. “You’re late.”
“I got caught up with shopping,” she snaps. “Don’t be a baby.”
“Whatever.” I let her in and she shuts the door behind her.
“You’ve changed the place,” she says, stepping forward to look at the picture frames on the wall.
I grab my guitar to strap it around me again. “Where’s Natalie?”
“Out with . . . you know who.” She glances over her shoulder to look at me and then turns around. She takes a seat on the sofa across from me but I keep my gaze down and allow my fingers to work. The melody is soft, slow. It causes Harper to actually shut up and listen.
“That’s nice. What’s the title?”
“Broken,” I murmur without looking at her.
“Oh.” I look up and her eyes have saddened. She sits forward