Slow It Down

Part 6 •REWRITTEN•

I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips. "Lucky me." My tone was full of sarcasm.

He let out a chuckle, and we fell into a comfortable pace as we weaved through the crowd, heading toward the exit doors.

Outside, the air was crisp with the faintest chill—one of those perfect late-summer, early-fall days where the sun was warm but the breeze kept it from being unbearable. I was wearing a baggy cardigan over my t-shirt, but I would have still been comfortable in just a t-shirt. Students were scattered around the campus, some sitting on the grass, others gathered in front of buildings, chatting and laughing.

The walk to the café was a short one, yet my hands trembled slightly at my sides. I wasn't sure why I felt so nervous. This wasn't a date. It was just a casual lunch with someone who was being nice to me. But that was exactly the problem—I had never done this before.

I kept sneaking small glances at Nate, still trying to process the fact that this was happening.

I was walking across campus, on my way to lunch with a guy who had flirted with me, and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me.

This was new. This was... surreal.

Not once in high school had a guy ever paid attention to me like this. Not once had I been complimented in a way that wasn't backhanded. I felt like I was juggling my thoughts and feelings coming from this moment, unsure what to do with it.

The thought made my stomach twist in a way that was both thrilling and unsettling.

Nate was saying something, but I was too lost in my own head to catch it. When I glanced up, I realized he was watching me expectantly, waiting for a response.

"Huh? What'd you say? I'm sorry, I was lost in thought," I admitted, biting the inside of my cheek in embarrassment.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You do that a lot, don't you?"

I started to protest, then hesitated. Had I always been this distracted, or was it only since Friday night? My jaw tensed as I fought back the image creeping into my mind—inked hands, silver rings catching the light, piercing blue eyes that had once been soft but were now sharp with something unreadable.

No. I wasn't thinking about him. I refused to.

I forced myself to refocus, only to find Nate watching me with mild concern. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Nate glanced at me again, noticing my silence. "What's on your mind, hun? You've been quiet." His voice was gentle, but the affectionate nickname sent a jolt through me.

I knew it was probably just something he said to everyone, but that didn't stop my face from warming. I had never been called anything like that before. Not in a way that felt... sincere.

He studied me for a second, clearly able to see I was anxious, then smirked. "You're not secretly plotting how to escape once we get there, are you?"

I laughed softly, thankful he saved the moment, and shook my head. "No escape plans. Yet."

"Good," he said with a wink. "Because I locked in a non-refundable lunch reservation for you, and I'd hate to be stood up."

I gave him a skeptical look. "Pretty sure cafés don't do reservations."

He grinned. "They do when you're as charming as me."

I snorted, rolling my eyes again. But I couldn't deny that it was easy talking to him. Once my cheeks weren't hurting from smiling, I heavily sighed before finally speaking up. "I think I'm just already getting a little stressed about school and fitting in." I admitted to him.