“Neither. Well, a little Amber, but I’m not trying to crush your nuts. I want to keep things good between us and if we take a leap, I’ll crash us both into a hillside. Blood splurting from our arteries. Fires burning off all the flesh until our hearts disintegrate. Trust me, a kiss and a few charged moments aren’t enough reason to explore this. Attraction comes and goes, but you and me? We’ll still be annoying each other when we’re hobbling around with walkers and fake teeth. Let’s leave things the way they are.”
Nick nodded. There was nothing else he could do. Arguing with her would only make her dig her heels in and besides, he’d spent the last eight years with someone who ended up not wanting him.
If Noel couldn’t see how good they could be, then he’d let it go. For now.
She said he didn’t know her? That he couldn’t handle her at her worst?
Bring it on.
“All right, then. I won’t bring it up again.”
“Are we okay?” she asked, hesitantly.
“Yeah, but so we’re clear, just because you want to ignore what’s between us, won’t make it go away.” He held up the grub in his hands, looking for any excuse to end this torturous moment. “I better get these over to the house before they start calling me, wondering where I’m at.”
Noel shuffled her feet, her hands back in her pocket. “I’ll text you later.”
“Sure. Have fun on your date.”
She sighed. “Not a date.”
Nick didn’t argue anymore or look back as he set the pastries and drinks on his front seat. What an idiot he’d been, thinking that Noel was feeling it too. Maybe she did but she didn’t want to do anything about it. He could admit it wounded his pride. He was a great guy, a catch. Noel told him so herself. Yet she didn’t want to snatch him up?
Nick’s head was still pounding by the time he pulled in front of his parents’ house. He barely released a grunt in greeting as he walked up the porch steps to where Pike and Anthony waited for him. He handed the box to Pike and the coffees to Anthony.
“Let’s hoover this and get to it. I don’t want to take all day.” Nick pushed open the front door and stepped inside.
Pike followed him, muttering behind him. “Damn, Grinch, who pissed in your Who pudding?”
“Not in the mood.”
“Danger. Danger Will Robinson,” Anthony said.
Pike laughed, but Nick didn’t even turn around. His parents were out on the farm, so the house was quiet except for the scuttering of nails on hardwood. Butch greeted Nick first and he scruffed the hound one-handed before grabbing his coffee from the carrier Anthony set on the counter.
“You’s a good boy, huh, Butch? You think I’m great, right? I’m awesome.”
Pike set the pastries down next to the coffees and opened the box. He took out a cinnamon roll and pointed it at Nick. “Ah, now I get it.”
“Get what?”
“Why you’re acting like a surly prick.” Pike took a huge bite and with a mouthful, elaborated, “You got rejected.”
“I did not.”
“Who rejected him?” Anthony asked. “Amber?”
“Nah, too obvious and besides, he locked himself in a room with sad music when she dumped him. Nothing special about that. For Nice Guy Nick to turn into such a raging asshole, it has to be someone special.” Pike took another bite and looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling, as though he really needed to think about it. “I’m gonna go with a certain brunette we all know and love.”
Nick crushed his Styrofoam coffee cup in his hand before he thought better of it. Piping hot coffee erupted all over his hand, sizzling across his palm and fingers. He dropped it and the rest of the contents onto his parents’ tile flooring.
“Shit. Butch, get back.”
The dog moved away from the dark liquid, sniffing Nick’s hand with a whimper.
Anthony grabbed his wrist, checking out his hand. “Damn, are you okay?”
“Yeah, just burns,” he gritted out.
“I rest my case.” Pike took two more bites, swallowed, and smiled.
Nick glared at his grinning buffoon of a friend. “She didn’t reject me. Didn’t even give me the chance to do something to warrant a rejection. A simple no thanks before we even got started. You happy?”
“No, I’m not happy.” Pike grabbed a paper towel and finally set his food down. “I’m actually surprised.”
“Why?”
“Because I can tell she is into you.”