5 More Minutes: Chapter 4

I WATCHED HER leave and felt Sam come up next to me.

“That’s the famous Nina?”

“That’s her.” I couldn’t deny the smile on my face as I watched her. She had taken the black robe off, and the sweet red summer dress she had been wearing beneath showed off the sweet curves of her body.

“I get it. I think. Who’s the girl with the red hair?”

“Her best friend, Macie.”

“Nice ass.”

“Shut up, man.”

“So? How badly did you fuck up?

“Scale of one to ten?”

“Sure, let’s start low.”

“Twenty probably.” I sighed, running my hands through my hair and resting them atop my head. I’d moved too fast. Pushed too hard. But there was a chance. She didn’t hate me. She still loved me.

“Salvageable?”

“I think so.”

“So?”

“She said to text her my hotel number.”

“Then what the fuck are you waiting for?”

“For her to really think what giving her my room number means for us.”

“Dude.” He laughed, and I turned to look at him. “I hate to break your bubble here, but you do know even if you give her the number, there’s no guarantee she’s coming to see you?” he said, planting the seed of doubt in my head. He wasn’t wrong.

“Shit,” I cursed. Here I had been feeling slightly confident the ball was in my court, but it really wasn’t.

Fucking Sam and his practical logic.

What if I did text her and she didn’t show up?

Nina “Leti,” I warned as we stepped into the bathroom.

“Oh no… nu-uh. There will be no Leti’ing me. Not when you have that dopey look on your face,” my younger-by-two years sister said, and I rolled my eyes trying to school my face. I just couldn’t. She was probably right. I was probably sporting a dopey smiley look.

“I agree. Something’s up. Spill,” Macie added as we stepped into the spacious bathroom at the restaurant. “Something’s up with you. You’re like a huge bundle of nerves all tightly wound.”

“Spill what? I have no idea what you guys are talking about.” It wasn’t that I was trying to keep Brandon a secret. I just had no clue what had happened and much less of an idea of what would happen. I glanced at my cell. Still no text.

“She has no idea,” Mace repeated, looking at Leti, and Leti had the nerve to laugh, shaking her head.

“I know that look, Nina.” She grinned, pressing her lips together, her eyes wide and on me, waiting me out like the nosy younger sibling she was. “You’re nowhere as smooth as you think you are.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I denied, acting like I still couldn’t feel his lips on mine and his arms around me.

“Brandon freaking Chu, that’s who I’m talking about.”

“What about him?” I asked, but even I could hear the tremble in my own voice.

“Oh my god, was he there?” Macie asked, looking back and forth between Leti and me.

“What?” I scoffed, but Leti was looking at me like she knew, and I cracked, “How did… When did you see him?”

“I didn’t.” She giggled. “I just guessed, and you confirmed,” Leti said with an I told-you-so smile pasted on her face.

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

“You love me though.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“Wait, focus!” Macie ordered. “He was at graduation?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“And we should get back to the table before Mom and Ita come in here and—”

“Nina.” Leti spoke softly knowing the tone would get me to stop and look at her. “What happened?”

“I have no idea.” I shrugged. “I promise I’ll tell you. I just… My mind’s still spinning, and I seriously need some food so I can process it all. Okay? Just… give me a little time.”

“Was it good or bad to see him?” Leti asked, wanting to take the pulse of the situation, but before I could answer, Macie cut in.

“Was he not hot anymore?” she asked. The worry in her face made me laugh.

“I wish…” I shook my head, the image of him and what he looked like now fresh in my mind. “He’s hotter. All muscly and strong and… and the ball is in his court because I stupidly did it that way. I just…”

“Okay. Food and sake and then some talky,” Leti said, hooking her arm in mine and pushing me out of the bathroom, ready to feed me. Little sisters might be a pain in the ass sometimes, but most of the time, they were exactly who you needed in you corner.