Page 126 of Perfect Enough
“What the fuck kind of name is Ted?” Nate sneered.
Sophia looked even more confused. “Wait, what did she do that made you so angry at her?”
“She pulled a typical Haven,that’swhat she did. I was driving along and saw her pulled over on the side of the road. She was attempting to change a tire.”
NowIwas confused. “And that pissed you off? Did you hit yourself because you were so angry?”
Nate shot me a warning look, and I held up my hands.
“I was kidding. Go on.”
“I stopped and offered to change it for her, but she’s so damn stubborn. She said she could do it, but she couldn’t turn the lug nuts. I bent down and tried to take over, and she started to argue with me—next thing I knew, her elbow was hitting my eye so hard, I fell back and damn near slammed my head on the road.”
Sophia’s hand flew up to her mouth to hide a smile. “Wow, she must have gotten you good for it to already be turning so dark,” she noted, still trying to keep from laughing.
Nate glared at her. “She did. Then she laughed.” He looked from Sophia to me, then back. “Shelaughed. Can you believe that?”
“Well,” Sophia gave a one-shoulder shrug, “I mean, itiskind of funny.”
“Does this look funny?” Nate asked, pointing to his eye.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Dude, it’s your right eye, not your left.”
Sophia lost the battle and started to giggle.
“Whatever. It’s not funny.”
I peeked at Sophia, then focused back on Nate. “Not going to lie, dude, it’skindof funny. I suppose you got mad that she laughed and said something mean.”
“No,” Sophia said as she walked up to the bar. “Nate, tell me you didn’t.”
He let out a long breath. “No, I didn’t. I just grabbed the iron and finished changing the tire. When I was done, she apologized and asked me to dinner. Can you believe that?”
Sophia gasped dramatically. “What?The nerve of her to offer to take you to dinner for helping out.”
Nate pointed to my girlfriend. “I like you, Soph. Don’t make menotlike you.”
“Nate, why is this such a bad thing?”
He ran a hand down his face. “I don’t know. She just…makes me so crazy!”
“Why does she make you so crazy?” Sophia asked.
“I don’t know,” Nate said, looking truly miserable. He walked over to the sofa and sat down. “One minute, she’s the normal Haven who pops off with a dig at me, then the next, she’s smiling all sweet and offering to take me to dinner because I changed her tire.”
I looked at Sophia, who shrugged once again.
“And that bothers you because…?” I asked.
“It doesn’t bother me; it confuses me.”
That got Sophia’s attention. She sat down next to him. “Oh, Nate. You have it bad.”
“I have what bad?”
“You have feelings for Haven.”
He narrowed his one good eye. “Yes, I have a feeling that she drives me crazy.”