He Thought I Was Being Good, I Was Just Getting Ready to leave Chapter 12

He Thought I Was Being Good, I Was Just Getting Ready to leave Chapter 12

A month after I came home, my mom started out being nice to me. Now she was getting impatient again.

I’d quit my job and come back without any warning. She didn’t ask why.

She just kept saying she couldn’t sleep and kept pushing me to go on more blind dates.

One night I snuck into her room in the dark and shook her awake. I asked her if she was sleeping okay now.

She slapped my shoulder. “You impossible child.”

I couldn’t say no to her. Finally, I gave in and agreed to meet the man she was so excited about.

To my surprise, he was gorgeous, broad shoulders, narrow waist, perfect features, high nose bridge, thin lips.

Not as stunning as Harrison, maybe, but he had presence, the kind of face you wanted to keep looking at.

I was suspicious. What was a man like this doing on a blind date in a town like Willow Dale? My mom hadn’t accidentally signed me up for a scam, had she?

Dinner went surprisingly well. We talked easily, like we’d known each other for years.

I was convinced this had to be a setup. No one was this naturally charming unless they’d practiced.

“Sorry,” I said after a while. “What did you say your name was again?”

He looked at me and smiled helplessly. “Ella. You really don’t remember me at all.”

I studied him harder. “Sorry. You are…”

“Nathan,” he said. “Nathan Cole. Back in high school, I moved abroad with my parents. I just came back recently for a research position. I’m single. No bad habits.”

I laughed. “You’ve changed so much. I can’t believe you still remember me.”

He used to be the perfect student, smart, good-looking, always wearing glasses. The classic straight-A, overachiever type. Now he looked cool and untouchable.

I decided to follow the standard blind date procedure and asked my usual question. “So… did my mom tell you the thing about the kids having my last name? Would that be a problem?”

He blinked. Then he smiled. “Not at all. Actually, I’ve always thought that childbirth should be entirely the woman’s decision.”

I looked at his face. He wasn’t joking.

Rationally speaking, a man like Nathan would be a smart choice.

But emotionally, I hadn’t cleaned out the rubble yet. I couldn’t drag someone else into my mess.

Nathan walked me to my door. I watched his car drive away.

A voice behind me came out of nowhere, cold and sharp. “If I’d come one day later, would I have been crashing your wedding?”