Wyatt sighed and rolled his eyes. "Give me your phone."
I passed it over while regretting ever bringing any of it up. Not because I wasn't still confused about what to do to keep Phin in my life, but because the situation was speeding out of my control. But, before I could put a stop to anything, Wyatt spun the laptop back around. "You're in, lover boy."
"What do I do?" I asked as Wyatt set the computer in front of me.
Riley stood behind me, feeding the baby his bottle as he swayed from foot to foot. "Say hello."
"Type anyone DTF?" Wyatt said.
"I know what that means, dic—" I looked back at the baby. "Wyatt. I just don't know this internet stuff." The chat room was much more intimidating on Wyatt's larger screen. "Crap, I think that one's talking to me."
Registered_Companion: Hey new face. How'd you stumble in here?
"What does she mean?"
"Because the server isn't a popular one. It wasn't password-protected, though. That's on them. They probably want to know how you found them. Say you were just passing through."
I thought the words over, arranging them in every configuration I could think of, trying to come up with a way that it was dirty. When I couldn't, I typed the message out and pressed send.
ChuckShurley: This is a private server.
I frowned. Who the hell did that dick think he was?
GoblinKing: Don't be so unfriendly, Chuck. It's been just us for a while. I, for one, welcome new blood.
"That's Phin! That one is Phin." I beamed while pointing at the screen. "See, he wants me here."
ChuckShurley: You know what they say. Four's company, five is overcrowded.
Xcept4Bunnies: Literally no one says that.
"That Chuck guy doesn't seem to like you," Riley said with a frown.
He didn't. Not that I cared, but I didn't know what I was doing here. I couldn't only talk to Phin, but he was the only reason I was there.
"This is useless." I closed the lid and reached for my phone before I lost my nerve. It rang three times before Phin picked up.
"Hello?"
"Phin, it's Nash. We're meeting tomorrow. Be ready, early."
"Nash, I—"
"Be ready," I barked and then hung up the phone like a coward. I didn't look at Riley or Wyatt, though I felt their amusement as I inhaled the rest of my food, dropped the dish in the sink, and stomped to my room.
But not before I heard Riley's joking whisper, "They grow up so fast, don't they?"
Yeah, okay, I was acting like a hormonal teen. I also didn't like that Phineas had this part of him that was obviously important but that I completely didn't understand. I knew how I felt when he was with me, though, and how awful it felt to be away from him. And for as confusing as he'd been, I thought he felt the same. He was scared of something, but he didn't need to be. I'd protect him from the world.
I stomped into the bathroom and splashed water over my face, staring at my scruffy reflection. I needed a shave, and then tomorrow, I'd prove to Phin that the safest place for him was in my arms.
Chapter Ten
Phineas
Nash called again to specify we should meet at the coffee shop. Then he called once more to make sure I had a way of getting to the coffee shop.
He'd seemed odd. I thought he was angry about what happened at the station. Maybe he didn't want me at his place of work without his permission and I'd overstepped my bounds? But he also wasn't shy. If I had irritated him, he would tell me. Wouldn't he?
With all my unanswered questions, I was a bundle of nerves by the time I got to the cafe.
I spotted Nash through the shop windows from down the block. His dark head was down, looking at something on the table. Watching him without his knowledge sent a secret thrill through me, like I'd seen something I wouldn't normally be privy to. His face lifted as if his name had been called, and our eyes locked. My knees buckled, and I stumbled. Catching myself, I gave him a shaky smile.
Even the air between us felt different: thicker, more charged. Had I ruined everything by stopping by the station unannounced? More importantly, didn't I want to ruin everything? Leaving Nash would be easier if he didn't look at me the way he did now with that knowing sexy smirk and tight jawline that I just wanted to lick.
Now that I was at the cafe door, about to enter into the same enclosed space with him, I couldn't remember why I'd ever wanted to stop seeing him.
Nash waved me over, indicating a second coffee cup sitting at his table. I wondered what he'd ordered for me.
"Hey," I said, giving him a wide, round wave. "Thanks for…" I had been going to thank him for meeting me, but he'd called me. My brain blanked. "…being here."
Nash grinned, and it did wicked things to my body. I'd started tingling at my first glimpse of him, and that wasn't stopping. Every time I saw Nash, it felt like I was witnessing his physical perfection and rugged charm for the first time.
"I called you. Thank you for being here." His words sounded like they held more meaning than simple gratitude. Was he teasing me? Something seemed different about the way he watched me. He was always a big, opposing presence, but this time, he seemed more aware of it than ever.
Truthfully, he hadn't given me the choice to decline when he'd called. I wasn't going to bring that up now. I was too busy being ecstatic that I was with him again. I sat down and eyed the paper cup.
"It's coffee, nothing weird going on," Nash said with a smile. "I had them put in a dash of cream on a hunch."
"That's perfect, thank you." I reached for the cup, glad to be doing something familiar. In the sea of uncertainty I jumped in whenever I was around Nash, doing this normal, everyday task grounded me. But I didn't know why he'd asked me here, so even after I swallowed the comforting, rich flavor, I had no idea what to say. "So…"
"I thought we'd continue your lessons," Nash said suddenly. "After all, you fulfilled your portion of our bargain. You told me what I wanted to know."
"You gave me a lesson," I mumbled. It hurt hearing that he'd called me solely to fulfill his part of our bargain. He was only here out of a misguided sense of duty. "We're even."
His forehead wrinkled with a scowl. "We most certainly are not even." He flexed and leaned back, hooking his hands behind his head. His elbows stretched out on either side of him like wings. He wasn't in anyone's way, but he had an air about him that demanded to be accommodated. "I didn't even teach you a fraction of what I know."
If he was worried I wasn't appropriately impressed by his skills in seducing objects of his affection, then he worried for no reason. If I was honest, I'd confess that it was never about learning to flirt. None of this was. I'd pretended the silly crush I had on Zach was the reason, but really, I wanted to be around Nash in any way possible. At least he didn't seem aware of my crush. I couldn't handle the rejection on top of the ridicule I'd feel if I thought about him joking about me with his real friends.
I brought my coffee cup to my lips, speaking before I took a sip. "And I didn't tell you everything about me, so, like I said, we're even."