Free For Nicky by A. D. Ellis

her; I’ve never had trouble getting a girl to at least smile once I flash a little grin at her. I know I was pretty standoffish to her the couple times we ran into each other, but I’m hoping I can fix this. Hmmm, Elizabeth, I wonder if she’d let me call her Libby? She seems like a Libby.  Everyone else seems to call her Elizabeth or Beth but she looks like a Libby to me.  My Libby.  A special name just for me to whisper in her ear.  God, slow down, Morgan.  She can barely look at you without a growl, I think nicknames may be getting a little ahead of yourself.
    I loved the fact that Libby…..Elizabeth…..had a plate loaded with food.  It means she’s not the rabbit food, pick at a meal, pretend water is enough for a meal, type of girl.  She eats real food and enjoys it.  I head back to the table with my own plate loaded down, determined to figure out why she seems to not like me and scared to find out she’s not there.  I smile when I see she’s still sitting there, enjoying her hot apple cider and pumpkin spice bread. I swear, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a prettier girl before.  I sort of feel like she has me under some magic spell. It’s slightly disconcerting; I don’t dislike it, but it’s a new feeling for me. Her hair is this gorgeous dark brown and so thick, I want to run my hands through it.  My mind strays to a darker place where I have a vision of MY Libby on her hands and knees with me behind her, gently pulling on that hair while she moans….damn, again, Morgan, slow the train down. You spent the last couple weeks being a total prick toward her and she appears to be very uninterested in you right now. Reign in the fantasies. Great, now Maverick has jumped to attention again.  Luckily, I can hide him under the table.
    “So, Miss Libby, you don’t seem to like me very much.  Care to share your reasons?” I ask as I sit down.  I love the look of shock and then slight softening in her bewitching grayish-green eyes when I call her Libby.  My heart tells me I need to make it my mission to always surprise her and soften those wary eyes. My head tells I need to choose my words carefully and tread softly.
    “Listen, Nate, people know I’m shy and awkward, but surprisingly, I don’t feel that way around Nicky, your parents, and you so it seems. So I’m just going to come out and say this straight up.  One, my sister is hot for you.  I don’t interfere with who she dates or has sex with and I won’t come between you two. Secondly, I’ve been in Audrey’s shadow her whole life.  Never the popular one, never the pretty one, never the loose one.  I’m the shy, freaky sister, the one Audrey had to coerce a boy into kissing and dating only to screw him herself for the year that he was dating and having sex with me. I’ve heard about how freaky I am all my life from her friends and boyfriends.  I know I’m a freak.  Third, I accidentally overheard you and your dad talking and I heard you say the words the pretty one and not the freaky one.  SO, even though I think you are extremely attractive and you seem to be a good guy, I’m sure you can understand my reasons for not getting to close to you.”
    Libby stands and gathers her trash and walks away while I sit there with my mind racing and my mouth gaped open. What the hell? So many things are running through my mind…..she’s definitely not shy with me and I’m pretty sure I like it. I like that sass. I like that she spoke her mind and put me in my place. But, wait, she’s encouraging me to date her sister? She thinks she’s the not pretty one? Who gave her that idea? Who let her think that? Ten bucks says it was Audrey. Why would her father allow that? And, shit, I hurt her feelings even though it was a total misunderstanding.  I grab my own trash about 10 seconds after Libby walked away and bolt out of the tent to follow her.  I had to make this right.

Chapter 26
     

Elizabeth
     
    LIBBY!  He called me Libby.