Dear Rosie, (Love Letters #2)

“I never should have written those letters. It was stupid, and I’m sorry if they weirded you out. I wasn’t obsessed with you. I just…”

“You don’t have to explain. I get it.” I do get it. She’d had no one.

I’d been her best friend, then I left.

And things got worse.

She’s shaking her head, not listening to me. “No. I shouldn’t have let you bring me here.”

“Don’t,” I growl, knowing where this is going and already hating it.

She lifts Charles off her lap and sets him down next to her. “I know we have history. And you’ll always be important to me, Nathan.”No. That now familiar lump in my throat starts to form. “But none of that means you’re responsible for some… fling.”

“Fling?” I shove up to stand and stomp the few feet over to her. “This isn’t a fucking fling for me, Rosie. You mean something to me.”

I drop down onto my knees before her.

Rosie reaches out and tugs on my shirt. “Stop doing that.”

“I can’t stop caring about you.”

She tugs on my shirt more. “I mean, stop kneeling on hard floors, you dummy.”

I lean into her space. “I will always kneel before you.” I lightly grip her wrists. “And you’re just proving that you care about me too. Even if you don’t want to admit it.”

“Of course I care about you!” she practically shouts as she throws her hands up pulling out of my grip.

Then she winces.

The bubbling anger inside me pops, morphing into guilt.

“Shit.” I gently cup her cheeks. “Just hold still and let me tell you something.”

“Tell me what?”

I ghost my thumbs over her cheeks. “We’re dating.”

EIGHTY-NINE

ROSALYN

“We’re… what?” I stare into his eyes, sure I heard him wrong.

“We’re dating. This isn’t a fling. It isn’t casual. You’re my girlfriend.”

My mouth opens. Then closes. “You want to date?”

He shakes his head. “Don’t want. We are. And we’re going steady.”

“But you?—”

“Swear to god if you say something about obligation or me being famous, I’m going to lose it.” He takes a slow breath. “Tell me you understand.”

I shake my head the smallest bit. “No one says going steady anymore.”

The side of his mouth lifts. Just a little.

Then it drops.