Page 31 of Passing Notes

“I know that. And I have to say, you’re a master at it. We’re neighbors and I hardly ever see you. I remember you being sneaky, but obviously I liked it a lot better when I was the one you were sneaking around with.”

My nostrils flared at the amused twinkle in his eyes. He wasn’t taking this nearly serious enough for my liking. “Hmph.”

“Why do you think I asked you out?” he pushed. “We have to talk this through. We have to clear the air. I want to be on the same page as you.”

I shoved a finger in one of his impressive pecs. “We’re not even in the same freaking book anymore, Nick,” I huffed. “What if I don’t feel like talking about any of this? What then? What if all I want to do is eat a free steak and glare at you from across the table?” I took a step back and crossed my arms. Take that.

He shrugged as if it was all the same to him. “I don’t care. I just want to be near you. And being your neighbor is not enough for me. From the moment I laid eyes on you in the parking lot, you’re all I can think about. I want to know you again, Clara. That’s it.” As if it would be that simple.

Have dinner.

Know each other again.

That’s it.

Warning bells went off in my head, bing-bonging all the ways I could end up getting hurt if I let him into my heart again.

Picking a fight was the only way to get him to back off. I saw how he had shut down with his ex the other day when she was being all bitchy and I needed him to do it with me.

Shut it down.

The emotion in his eyes was too much for me to handle; the nostalgia was killing me. He was too sexy, too determined, too damn engaged in this conversation and I was about to give in to anything he asked me.

“So, you tricked me into going out with you?” I accused.

His eyes flashed fire before he threw his head back and laughed, showing no sign of relenting. “How is me asking you a direct question tricking you?” This was the exact opposite of shutting down. What the hell? His eyes blazed into mine as his lips quirked up at the corner. “I invited you to dinner. You said yes. Could I be any more blatant with my intentions?”

“You’re confusing me, and I think you’re doing it on purpose.” This was a lie; I was not confused. Not one bit. I was no fool—I knew when a man was interested, and Nick definitely wanted another piece of me. I was halfway tempted to yank him into my garage, shove him up against the wall, and give it to us both—conversation and clarity about our past be damned. “You’re infuriating, quit it.” Instead of jumping him on the lawn and having my way with him, I shoved a finger in his chest again. “Don’t think you’re gonna get away without hearing about this at dinner. I think I might have a lot to say after all.”

He bowed forward until we were eye to eye with our foreheads almost touching. “I can’t fucking wait,” he growled, the sound of it sending goosebumps across my skin. Then, ever so gently, he removed my hand from his pec and kissed the tip of my pokey finger. “I want you to talk to me. I don’t care if you’re yelling, screaming, glaring at me across a table, or poking this cute little finger of yours in my chest. I’ll take anything I can get from you. See you in the teachers’ lounge, heartbreaker.”

My hands hit my hips as I stood there sputtering as he walked off, mad at myself for letting him get the last word. And even more mad at myself for still wanting him so damn bad.

CHAPTER 10

NICK

I wish I had a cell phone. All this note writing is exhausting. I’m not as good at words as you are. But I love you more than the entire world. - HB

Eavesdropping is wrong.

Clara and Mari were across from each other at the big table in the middle of the lounge and I’d been lurking at the door like a creeper for the last few minutes, listening in as they bonded over their collective feminist rage, complained about men, and ogled my buddy Court after he passed me going in.

“Heeeey,” they greeted in unison when he cleared the doorway.

Like Clara, Court was a sub. Sometimes he joined us at the Smoky Mountain Inn’s huge back lawn area for touch football with Clay, the Monroe brothers, and a few of the other guys I had played ball with back in high school. He was a good guy, but he’d better not even think about trying anything with Clara.

Since I was busted anyway, I headed inside, making a beeline for my favorite Keurig as I tried to catch Clara’s eye.

She patted my shoulder on her way to the door as Mari darted past me toward the band room with a wave. “Later, neighbor. Maybe I’ll see you around the block sometime.”

“Hey, wait up a sec,” I called, gratified when she came to an immediate stop and spun to face me. “Maybe I’ll catch you at Genie’s tonight instead. Mari invited you, right?” A couple times a month a varying group of teachers met at Genie’s Country Western Bar to commiserate about our job complaints over margaritas and nachos. Tonight was one of those nights.

“She mentioned something about it, but no. I can’t make it.”

I took one step closer. “I think you should come. I’ll drive you.”

Old man Neal shoved around me on his way to the cursed couch that sat along the back wall. “She’s not invited, of course,” he muttered without looking up. “Midweek margarita night is not for subs. What could she possibly have to complain about?”