What if I’d just taken everything that had been building between us and completely misread it?
But it wasn’t like I could take it back now.
Not without looking like a complete idiot.
So instead, I just gave him a small nod and stepped back from the car, watching as he pulled away from the curb. And only once he was gone did I let out the breath I’d been holding.
Apparently, I needed a little space before I did something stupid.
Like admitting how much that small bouquet of flowers had gotten to me.
41
THEO
I pulled awayfrom the curb in front of Nora and Lucy’s house, my hands tightening slightly on the steering wheel as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Because something was off.
Had I read everything wrong on the hot air balloon?
I must have.
Because from the way Nora had been so quick to put distance between us… The way she’d casually brought up the hockey guys she used to hang out with all through college… it felt pretty clear she was trying to redraw a line.
Reminding me where I stood in her life and that she wasn’t interested in changing that anytime soon.
I exhaled slowly, shaking my head.
How had I gotten it so wrong?
On the hot air balloon ride, I’d been sure the feelings had been mutual.
She’d leaned into me.
Stayed there.
Looked at me like I was someone she might want… someone she might want to kiss…
But… apparently, that had just been the thin air messing with my head. Because if the last few minutes were anything to go by, starting something romantic with me was thelastthing she was interested in.
I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair.This is just great.She was probably thinking now that I was some creepy older guy trying to put the moves on her.
Which was the last thing I needed when she was Charlotte’s nanny.
A young, twenty-two-year-old woman who was living in my house.
I blew out a breath. I needed to fix this.
And if anyone would have any insight into what Nora might be thinking and how I could possibly mend things, it would be Lucy. So reaching for my phone, I tapped on her name.
“Hey,” Lucy said, picking up on the second ring.
“Hey,” I replied, not quite sure how to begin.
I just put the moves on your best friend and it backfired,didn’t exactly seem like the best way to start.
“Uh, what’s up, bro?” she asked when I didn’t say anything immediately.