Chapter 12: Chapter 12

ANGEL

“I have to head out of town for a few hours today,” Nash said to Angel over breakfast. “You and Moe can stay here if you like, or I can drop you at my mom and dad’s place in town until I get back.”

“Out of town?” Angel asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, there’s a town about two hours away. It’s a lot less well-off, and the families don’t have much, so we buy presents for the kids and turkeys and all the trimmings for a Christmas dinner.

“Our mayor usually delivers everything, but Mom says he fell and broke his leg, so she asked if I’d do it.”

“Wow, that is such a wonderful thing to do. So generous.”

“We couldn’t imagine those kids waking up on Christmas morning without any gifts from Santa. We’ve been doing it for a few years now. They’re good people, just down on their luck.”

“Well, hanging out with your parents would be nice and all, but I can think of a third option.”

Nash looked up from his coffee.

“Why don’t I come with you? I can help carry the presents. I’d love to help.”

Nash smiled, but Angel could see the worry in his brow.

“You don’t want me to come with you?”

“It’s not that I don’t want you to come. It’s just that we need to put some distance between us if we want to stick to our promise.”

Angel broke eye contact with him, turning her head to face the window. “I thought we were friends. I thought you liked me.”

“I do like you. That’s the problem, I like you too much. To be honest, it’s killing me thinking there’s a man in your life. He must be worried sick wondering where you are.

“I know, if you were my girl, and you went missing, I’d do everything in my power to find you.”

Angel blinked back the tears and dried her eyes with the heel of her hand. “Well, maybe I don’t have anyone looking for me. I feel like I’m single. What are you really afraid of, Nash?”

“What?”

“I’m curious if someone else besides Charlotte hurt you. Is that why you don’t want to get close to me?”

“I don’t have a good record with women; they keep leaving me for the bad boys. I was raised to respect women, so that’s just not me.

“No one has hurt me yet. But with you, I worry that if you’re wrong, if you are involved with someone, and if I fall for you, I’ll be crushed.”

The slight shake in his voice caused a pain in her chest, and Angel reached out to touch his hand.

“I’m sorry, I would never want to hurt you.”

“I know you wouldn’t.” He stands up and grabs his coat. “But you’re right, I would love for you to come with me today. But as friends, okay?”

“Okay, if that’s what you want.”

***

A storm had rolled in by the time they reached the church where they had to drop off the food and presents.

The wind was blowing snow everywhere, knocking them over and slamming doors as they carried everything from the truck.

Nash had tried to get Angel to wait in the vehicle while he did the work, but she insisted on helping.

“That’s the last of it,” Nash said, climbing into the truck and warming his hands over the heater. “There’s no way we’re making it back in this storm though. I can barely see the road.”

“Didn’t we pass a diner not far from here?” Angel said. “Think you can get us there in one piece?”

The diner was only a few hundred feet away, but Nash drove at a snail’s pace to keep from sliding the truck or in case of any hidden potholes.

Parked up, they ran inside, a woman took their order, and Nash went to use the phone to update his parents.

“It’s really coming down out there,” Angel said as the waitress served their steak and beers.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Nash said to the waitress, “any idea how long it takes for them to clear the roads after a storm like this?”

The waitress puffed out her top lip and raised her eyebrows. “Sorry, hun, I doubt anything will get done today. You’re better off getting a room for the night. This place is a motel as well.”

When the waitress left, Angel turned from the window to face Nash. “What do you think?”

“Looks like we don’t have much of a choice. Might as well make the most of it. Let’s eat up, then we’ll go next door and book a couple of rooms for the night.”

~A couple of rooms?~ Angel couldn’t help but feel a little insulted, even though she understood why he’d said it. She took a swig of beer to help remove the lump in her throat.

After finishing their meals and a second beer each, Angel followed Nash back into the storm, and they ran across the car park, covering their faces with their hoods, to the motel.

“You’re not full, are you?” Nash asked as he walked through the door, holding it open for Angel.

“You’re in luck, kid,” the old man behind the desk said. “We’ve got one left.”

“Oh,” Nash said, “no singles?”

Angel caught him eyeing her and she felt ashamed.

The old man shook his head. “Just the one room left. A double. You’re not the only folks who’ve been driven off the road because of the storm. Do you want it or not?”

Angel touched his wrist. “It’ll be okay, Nash.”

“I guess we’ll take it,” he said, handing the clerk his credit card and picking up the key.

They walked down the dingy hallway, over worn carpet and past peeling wallpaper, and found the room.

It was small but appeared clean, and beside the double bed, there were a couple of seats and a small TV. The bathroom was also small, with a shower and tub.

“I’ll push the chairs together and sleep on them,” Nash said, shutting the door behind them. “You can have the bed.”

“You don’t have to do that, Nash.” She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself. “It’s cold in here.”

He turned the heater up. “It’ll warm up soon. I’ll get some coffee from the lobby. Would you like something?”

“Maybe some juice.”

While he was gone, Angel tried the TV, but there was nothing but static. The heating seemed to take an age to work, so she cranked it up as high as it would go.

Nash came back a few minutes later with coffee and juice and some crackers from the vending machine. While Angel got comfortable on the bed, Nash sat in a chair and put his feet up on the other.

Angel smiled at him. “Well, in the absence of any TV entertainment, tell me about you. In fact, tell me about your first girlfriend.”

Nash rubbed the stubble on his chin. “My first girlfriend? Let me see. Oh, yeah, her name was Annie. She had blonde hair that she always wore in pigtails. I had such a crush on her.”

“Tell me more.”

“She was Sherry and Gordon’s niece. We were in the first grade together. I sat behind her in class. One day, I dunked her pigtail into my paint.”

Angel giggled. “That was so mean of you.”

“I got into a lot of trouble that day; my parents grounded me for a week. But I didn’t mind because while I was waiting outside the principal’s office, she walked by and kissed me.

“Technically, that was my first kiss, and I must say, I liked it.”

Angel gazed at Nash with doe eyes. “That’s sweet. How long did you go out?”

Nash laughed. “She was only my girlfriend for two weeks. Her mother was a troubled woman and she just disappeared with Annie one day. Never knew why, and I never heard from her again.”

“I’m sorry,” Angel said. “That’s very sad.”

“It devastated Sherry more than anyone. Doris was her sister.” Nash laughed it off. “We were so young; I probably wouldn’t even recognize her now. But we liked each other for a while.”

He sat up and leaned forward. “What about you? I bet you had many boyfriends growing up.

“I can almost picture you with a ponytail, your hair a beautiful blonde, your eyes big and wide. I’m sure you were the prettiest girl in school.”

Angel stared into his eyes as he described what he thought she might have looked like. His soft voice and kind words were putting her into a dream-like trance.

She glanced at his lips, and a feeling of warm desire rose up through her body.

“I, er, think I’ll go to bed now.”

“Oh, um, okay, sure. Makes sense. Early to bed, early to rise, then we can hit the road.”

Angel lifted her feet off the bed but stopped before getting up to go to the bathroom. “I don’t have anything to wear and I don’t want to sleep in my clothes. Could I borrow your shirt?”

Nash got up and took off his shirt, his muscles twitching as he tugged it over his head. She pushed her thighs together.

“You sure you want to wear this? It has my smell from the day on it.”

Angel accepted the shirt; it took all her will not to press her nose to it. “It’s either your shirt or nothing at all.” She winked and made her way to the bathroom. “I’ll just have a quick shower.”

By the time she came out again, wearing just his shirt and her underwear, Nash had pushed the two chairs together and was attempting to lie on them.

His feet dangled over the edge, there was a huge space under his middle, and the pillow he’d taken from the wardrobe kept falling off.

“I just…don’t fit,” he said, adjusting this way and that. “Maybe I’ll just lie on the ground.”

“Come on, Nash,” Angel said, pulling back the duvet for him. “Get in the bed. The floor will be cold, and you paid for the room.”

Nash shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“It wouldn’t be proper.”

“Nash, we’re both grown-ups. Surely, we can share a bed without something happening. Come on, it’ll be more comfortable than the carpet, and you need to be fresh for the drive tomorrow.”

He bites the inside of his lip, thinking it over. “Okay. Turn around.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I can’t sleep in my jeans.”

Angel laughed, closed her eyes with a smirk on her face, and didn’t open them again until she felt the mattress move when his weight fell on it.

She pulled the covers up to her chin. “We put the heating on right? Why is it so cold?”

When Nash leaned over to pick up the phone, she couldn’t help but sneak a look at him. The dirty thoughts returned.

After speaking with the clerk, Nash put the phone down. “He says it’s not just us. Most of the rooms have lost heating. Probably due to the storm. At least we’re indoors, I guess.”

He looked at her like he’d suddenly seen food stuck between her teeth. “You do look cold.”

Angel giggled. “Touch my nose and feel how cold it is.”

He reached over and touched it. “Yikes! There’s one way I can warm you up.”

“Why, Mr. Harris, I thought you said we should only be friends.” She winked and ran her tongue along her lips, exaggerating every movement as much as possible.

He laughed and rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking about that. But come closer and snuggle up to me. We can keep each other warm.”

There was that throbbing in her core again.

~Serves me right for teasing him.~

She moved closer and, when he put his arm around her, she rested her head on his chest. Nash’s subtle aftershave and toned muscles made her body light up, so she shut her eyes tightly.

“This is much better,” she said, struggling with her dry mouth. “I already feel so much warmer, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I couldn’t let you freeze.”

His arms twitched, and Angel wondered if he was having as hard a time with this as she was. She was sure he was. With her ear on Nash’s chest, she could feel and hear his heart racing.

She thought about making a move on him, about sliding her leg over his torso and rising up to kiss his lips.

No, it was too risky. What if she pushed him too far? She couldn’t lose him. For all she knew, he was the only friend she had in the whole world.

~This is going to be a long night…~