Falling

Chapter Fifteen

"Well if it isn't Nate 'with the high sex rate' Tabor." Demi said, her arms crossed with judgement. I could tell Nate was holding in a smug comeback.

"Charlotte, sweetie, what are you doing?" Wendy asked me with worry in her rasp. This is when I realized the compromising position I was in. I was sitting on the marble counter top with Nate's hand on my thigh. Nate was still very close. I pushed him away, and stood up, mortified. Mortified because my parents and my step sister had just walked in on the guy I liked and me almost kissing. And mortified because the guy I liked had just been caught for almost kissing me. I had backed away, when our lips barely brushed. It was a half kiss, a tease kiss.

"I- uh- I thought you guys weren't getting back till tomorrow?" I said, as soon as I have enough composure to speak.

"We were but we caught an earlier flight. Your father hates-"

"California. I know." I said, finishing Wendy's sentence. My dad just stared at Nate, silently. His gray eyes were like sharp icicles darting at Nate. I was scared my dad might actually do something, before he could I said something else. "Nate uh- was just leaving." I looked at him to agree with me. Nate cleared his throat.

"Uh yeah, I was. I'll uh- just be going then." He said.

"I'll walk you out." I piped. My dad gave a disapproving look, but I ignore it. Nothing was going on, he had nothing to worry about.

Once we were on the porch, I shut the front door so we wouldn't be heard.

"So, I guess I'll see you at school then." I said, weakly. Nate continued to his car. He didn't look at me.

"Uh yeah I guess," was his hallow reply. His eyes were intent on his truck. He wasn't being easy to read. I kept looking for signs of embarrassment or hurt but when I looked all I could see was his emotionless manner. Which for some reason made me feel guilty. Usually I liked his hard to read manner. It enticed me. but at that second it made me feel like I had done something wrong.

We made it to his truck and Nate began to get in it. "Thanks again for today."

Nate narrowed his eyebrows. He was biting the inside of his cheek, thinking very hard about something. I wasn't sure of what. I was hoping he'd tell me.

"Yeah, no problem." Again his tone was flat and hard. "Goodnight Charlie."

"Goodnight," I repeated, giving a weak smile. We were saying goodnight even though it was the early morning. I felt like I had to give him some sort of explanation as to why I didn't kiss him. I did want to after all. It was just the way I see him with other girls. I might as well be Darcy from history. After all he seemed to walk to her more. I didn't want to kiss him because I was afraid it would mean more to me then to him. But Nate was so distant right then, it made me feel so guilty for not kissing back. I had to tell him something.

He was about to close the door to his truck but I stopped him. "Nate?"

"Yeah?" His expression changed the slightest bit, it softened. His green eyes sparkled.

Right then I realized I didn't know what I was going to say. So I chickened out. "Drive safe." I told him, simply.

"Right." He replied, and just like that his soft expression was gone. With his jaw clenched, Nate shut the door of the car, pulled out of the drive way and was gone.

When I went back inside the house, I was praying to myself that everyone had magically forgotten that Nate was here and had gone to bed. Sadly that was not the case. I see Wendy and my dad sitting at the kitchen table while Demi stood idly by the staircase. They don't say anything when I first walk in. I stood in the corridor waiting for one of them to say something. None of them did. They just kept looking at me like I was supposed to say something. I at least expected Demi to say some snarky remark but she stayed silent also. I figured none of them were going to speak until I said something.