I didn't want to hear him say he didn't need me anymore again if that was what he decided after I'd been around long enough to bore him once again. I felt deeply for him, but I was scared, too. Right then, fear had won. I didn't know what would win this time when he spoke to me.
"Hey," he said to both of us. Keno greeted us, too. The tension between the four of us was thick and heavy.
"Hi," I said shortly. I heard Makani clear her throat at my side.
"Nate, that performance was amazing. I had no idea you were so talented," she said.
"Thanks," he said, with a small smile. "I haven't played like that in a long time. I was hoping you'd be here to watch," he said, looking at me.
"You did really well," I said honestly.
"I was also hoping you'd be here so we could talk. I'm so sorry, Abby. I was an asshole. I hate myself for saying what I said to you, and I want to make it up to you," he said.
"Nate, I think-"
"She'd love to," Makani said, interjecting.
Nate looked from her to me, waiting for me to either say I was going or I wasn't. I sighed and nodded. How many more times was he going to reach out to me again? I was upset, but that didn't mean I had to punish him by turning him down even though I felt the same way he did.
"You would?" he said hopefully.
"I would, but we can't just pick up again like nothing happened," I said.
"I know. I agree. I feel like I ruined our last date. I want to take you out," he told me.
I bit my lip, remembering the night that everything fell apart. He had told me to get out of his life and I had. What had been his trigger that night? I still didn't know. Something I did know was I wasn't making the same mistake twice. My guard was up nice and high. It wasn't going down unless I was sure it was safe.
"I will go with you, on condition that Makani and Keno can come, too."
"What?" she said, "I can't come on a date with you."
"Fine. Keno will be there, too," Nate said quickly.
"Whoa. I didn't agree to this," he said, looking at Nate.
"I can’t come if it’s just the two of us,” I said.
“Makani,” Nate said plaintively, looking at her. “I wouldn’t ask you to do anything for me unless it was extremely important.” She sighed looking at him, then at me.
“I’m doing this for Abby, not for you,” she said firmly. “I’ll come if Keno does,” she said. Yes, I thought. This was good. They could finally talk, as well. The three of us looked at Keno expectantly.
“You owe me, big time,” he said to Nate. Nate clapped him on the back, relieved.
“Thanks, man. Tomorrow night?” he asked me. I nodded. We had a date.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nate
"I can't do this, man," Keno said, stopping beside me. I stopped and turned to look at him. We were walking down the lamp-lit trail to Abby's house on the beach.
"Come on, we talked about this."
"I can't do it. I can't talk to her."
"Abby won't talk to me unless you're there. I promised her that it would be both of us."
"You promised her. I had nothing to do with this."