Read Online True Love and Magic Tricks by Cassie Mae - Free Book Online

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whatever weird chemistry is—or isn’t—happening between Nate and I,
I nod at Ryan’s tray and ask, “What do you eat here?”
    He half-grins and picks up a carrot
from his salad. “Vegetables.”
    “ Rabbit food,” Lexie
snorts.
    “ Don’t knock him for
wanting to save little animals,” I defend, finally getting my
burger vegetable-free.
    “ Oh, it’s not because he
wants to save lives.” Lexie laughs, and Ryan wrinkles his nose at
her. “He just doesn’t like the taste.”
    “ What?” I’m laughing now.
Nate shifts in his seat and pulls his phone out. Gar.
    Ryan takes the lid off of his shake.
“Meat is greasy and chewy and I’m just… not a fan.”
    “ Cheese is also greasy and
chewy.” I eye the melted stuff all over his side of
fries.
    “ That’s what I keep telling
him!” Lexie shouts to the skies. We all laugh into our food… well,
except for Nate, who’s tapping his phone like he’s waiting for
something.
    Okay… it’s settled. The moment we’re
alone, I’m opening my mouth.
     
    ***
    Nate doesn’t say a word
when I tell him I think he’s acting weird. He just stares out the
windshield and drives in silence to the movies. I try to sing along
to the music, keep things light so he knows I’m so totally into him
still… when he’s him .
    He reaches for my hand when we get to
the theater, and I take it, grateful he’s not mad at me. The warmth
rushes through my palm and up my arm, and I pull on him enough to
bend so I can kiss his cheek.
    Ryan and Lexie meet us in the lobby.
We’re all stuffed so we forgo popcorn and just head to the theater
after we buy tickets. Ryan sits on Nate’s right, while I plop on
his left. Lexie sits next to me, totally sandwiching us in. Nate
squirms in his way-too-tight shirt, pulling at the collar and
accidentally elbowing me in the cheek.
    “ Oh shit, I’m sorry,” he
babbles, and red spreads over the tops of his ears. “Man oh man oh
man, I’m sorry .”
He pushes the heels of his hands to his eyes and rests his elbows
on his knees. Finally. There is the Nate I’m totally crushing on. I flip the armrest
up and squeeze into his side before he changes back.
    He gives me this weird look, like he
has no idea why I want to cuddle, but he moves his arm so I can get
closer. I don’t think he knows what to do with it though. It keeps
hovering over my shoulder, then he’ll move it to my hip, then he
shakes his hand out and leaves it suspended in the air over my
waist. Giggles burst through my lips, and I grab at his palm and
push it to my ribs. His heart jackhammers against mine.
    “ Second base is right
there,” I tease in his ear. “You know, for when the movie gets
boring.”
    He snorts out a giant, nervous,
finally-sounding-like-Nate laugh and bumps his nose into mine. “Do
you have change hidden in there, too?” He keeps one arm wrapped
around me as his other pulls a penny from my ear. Oh, there is no
way we’re watching this movie if he keeps that adorable stuff
up.
    “ Nice to see you again.” I take the
penny from his fingers. “For a while there I thought I was going
out with your evil doppelganger.”
    He pinches his eyes shut and drops his
forehead to mine. “I was… nervous.”
    “ So you acted like a
douchebag?” I chuckle so he knows I’m not trying to insult him, but
well… he was .
    He cracks a smile and opens
his eyes. “I’m not good at this stuff. Taking girls out and well, I
don’t know, dating . And I really like you and didn’t want to mess this up. So I
asked my brother for a few tips, I guess.” His hand flies up to
cover his face. “Damn, that makes it sound so lame. Forget
it.”
    I pull his hand down and kiss his
cheek. “That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
    “ Huh?”
    The lights dim, and the Dolby Digital
logo pops on the screen. I lean in close to his ear so he hears me
over the previews.
    “ When you worry so much
about this.” I wiggle my finger between us.