Chapter Twenty-seven
CAN WE STAY OUT HERE awhile?” Nora’s lips are against my neck. “I’m not ready to go inside and face either of them.”
“Yeah, we can. Let’s play a game,” I tell her, less spirited than the last time we played this game. “I’ll ask my questions first.”
I don’t give her a chance to opt out of participating. I lead her to the couch and look around again, to make sure we’re still alone. The wind has picked up on the roof, and her hair is blowing in front of her face. I sit on the opposite side of the couch and prepare my questions. I don’t need much time this time.
“Why did you and your sister get in a fight? What are the papers they all want you to sign, and why did you bring me here knowing that I was clueless? And how long had you known I was dating Dakota?”
Nora lets out a dramatic sigh and lifts her legs and props her feet up on the table in front of us. “That’s four. But I’ll let it pass, given the circumstances.” She eyes me. “I was fighting with my sister because she hasn’t had my back for the last three years, and I needed to pull away from my family for a while. I’m skipping the next one, and I brought you here because I wanted to make you happy. I was hoping that for one night my sister wouldn’t be a cunt, and that they would love you as much as I do. I knew for a little while.”
Nora shrugs and leans up to take her shoes off. She drops the sandals on the dark-stained wood, and I watch her fingers brush over the neckline of her shirt. We are still the only people up here, and for a moment I can imagine the two of us on a rooftop patio drinking sparkling red wine. We are older and without so much weight on our shoulders.
That moment ends with the obnoxious blaring of a taxi horn. I will never understand why the drivers honk, as if it’s going to get them anywhere. I miss the luxury of having a car and the freedom that comes with it.
“My turn.” Nora lays her feet back on the table. I wish I would have asked for another glass of wine. Not for me, but for her.
“Why did you come here tonight? What did you and Dakota do that binds you so tightly to her? And . . .” She taps her almond-shaped fingernails against her chin. “And if I met your family”—another pause—“and they didn’t already know me, what would you introduce me as?”
With that, it’s Nora’s turn to stare out into the skyline. It really is beautiful up here.
“I came here to get to know you a little more. I had planned to do that by meeting your sister and her husband. That didn’t go as planned . . .”
I hesitate, but realize I need to answer the questions Nora listed for me. If we are going to move toward any sort of relationship, I shouldn’t be skipping questions. We are past that, right?
Dakota. . . Dakota, Dakota. Where should I start?
“Well, for starters, she is all alone in the world. Except me. I’m it. So regardless of what happens between us or how irrational she’s being, I’m always going to look out for her. I know it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to you.” I move closer to Nora and stretch my legs out onto the table a foot or so away from hers. “But she’s like my family. I can’t just completely quit her.”
“Quit her?” Nora’s brows curve together, but she moves closer.
“I mean quit on her. And for my third answer . . .” I look up at Nora to show her that I’m not skipping. I crack my biggest grin for her. “If you didn’t know my family, I would say, ‘Mom, Ken, Hardin, this is my lady friend, Nora.’?” I dramatically wave my hands through the air, presenting her to the imaginary crowd of the Scotts.
Nora laughs and puts her finger into her mouth. She sucks at it, and I don’t know if she’s doing it on purpose, but it sure as hell seems like she wants to disarm me.
Not on my watch.