Souled [Editing]

Chapter 14

Nate and Meredith ended up watching Tangled with Jane and most of the family. Meredith later learned that Jane was Logan's daughter. Currently Jane was sprawled across Logan's lap and Meredith could see the resemblance between him and Nate.

Earlier when she had met Logan he was kind enough but distracted. During dinner he seemed to loosen up. Nate's father had yet to make an appearance. Carrie brushed off the questions about it saying he was at work but Nate felt tense beside her.

Now Nate wrapped his arm around Meredith casually pulling her closer to him. It was a gesture a guy might make if they were at the movies – minus the fake yawn. She paused and looked up at him in the dark. Even though the room was full of people, it felt like they were the only two people in the room. They were aptly put on the loveseat by Carrie, forcing them to sit close before he pulled her closer still. Children started laughing at something that happened on screen and Nate took the opportunity to whisper in her ear.

"My mother is watching us like a hawk. She is really happy that I found you." Meredith looked down in guilt. It felt like a lie to his mother. "While we are here we might have to pretend a little."

"Okay?" she whispered back. She didn't necessarily know what pretending meant but it couldn't hurt. Maybe even acting like a real couple would make them grow closer in the way they were supposed to.

"Thanks." His lips were still millimeters from her ear. He insinuated something else in her ear, which made her blush, and pulled away with a smirk on his face. "This will be fun," he said.

Meredith tried to keep her gaze forward after that. Only Nate was making it hard to do so. He was taking advantage of this pretending they had to do. His hand wrapped around hers and he traced lazy circles on the back of it. He never let her scoot away from him so she was practically laying on top of him.

Carrie watched their small exchange from the opposite couch. Her heart inflated with joy. Nate used to bounce from girl to girl that she was afraid that once his Countdown ended he wouldn't want to settle down. Though she knew the right girl would make him want to stop bouncing and only focus on her. Carrie believed that Meredith was that girl. When Nate called to inform her that he would be bringing someone with him to graduation she could hardly contain her excitement over the phone. Meredith was sweet and was able to keep up with Grandma well enough that she knew Meredith was the missing piece to this family the entire time. She just hoped that Nate truly knew it, too.

Meredith nudged Nate's arm, which was still wrapped around her, and she tried to stifle a yawn with little success.

"I think I'm ready to go to bed."

"Of course. Let me show you where we are."

We?

He stood up and took her hand. It was the same gestured he'd be doing all day, only now she knew it was for show. Meredith didn't miss Carrie's smile as they left the room.

"Enjoy the movie?" He asked as they climbed the stairs in the dark.

"It was interesting."

"Jane didn't ruin the experience did she? She's quite an outgoing child and she loves to sing."

Meredith shook her head before she realized he couldn't see. "No."

He playfully nudged her arm. "Be honest."

"Okay, maybe a little but I also think my exhaustion has something to do with it."

Nate flipped on a hallway light. "It has been an exciting day."

Her gaze went down to their still intertwined hands. "It has."

"My family hasn't convinced you that they're crazy, have they?" He stopped in front of a white door.

Meredith stopped next to him. "No not yet." She winked. "It's actually sort of nice."

"Being bombarded by twenty Tuckers?"

She shrugged. "I've never been bombarded by family before." Her gaze shifted to her feet for a moment.

Nate swallowed thickly. He had completely forgotten that she really only had her father. "Right. I'm sorry, I forgot." He scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

"No. It's fine. Really. I'm enjoying seeing such a large group of people who love each other like that."

"Yeah we really are a large group. My dad has four brothers and a sister. Anytime that something happens everyone comes. You should've seen it in second grade when I wrote the best poem and there was a ceremony for it."

She giggled. "That's actually really sweet."

"I don't think I deserved it, though. It was four lines and didn't rhyme if I'm remembering the right one."

She shrugged. "It was second grade."

"That's very true."

"I do like your family, though. They have all been very kind to me."

"They love you. My mother wouldn't stop talking about it and neither would Grandma. Everyone else is subtler with their emotions."

Meredith smiled and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. A few strands didn't quite make it. Nate reach over brushed it back. Her hazel eyes were wide and glistening as she stared up at him. She hadn't noticed before that his blue eyes were as deep as the ocean itself.

"T-Thank you."

He nodded and cleared his throat. "This is our room." He twisted the doorknob and opened the door. The suitcases were on an ottoman at the foot of the bed, unopened.

"Our room?" she blurted out.

"Yeah. The house is full and Mom...well, she assumed. Anyway I can sneak down on the couch later."

Meredith worried her lip. She didn't want to force him on the couch. "You don't have to sleep on the couch..."

He looked down at her. "It's that or the floor. I'll take the couch. It doesn't bother me. Besides, I wake up early anyway."

"Okay. If you say so."

He started to walk to the door before pausing at the threshold. "I'll be back later to grab clothes. I won't be long. You can leave my suitcase by the door if you want.

"Will do."

"Goodnight, Meredith."

"Goodnight, Nate."

He closed the door behind him and headed downstairs, leaving Meredith alone for the first time all day.

She took a deep breath and stared at the room. The walls were a dove gray with yellow accents. The black furry rug was at the base of the queen sized bed. All furniture was dark wood. She quickly rolled his suitcase by the door, though she didn't mind if he stayed in here longer.

As she walked over to her suitcase she was suddenly grateful that Ella made her bring her nicest clothes. She threw on the Victoria's Secret PJs that Ella gave to her last Christmas.

Meredith climbed under the sheets and rested her head on the pile of pillows. She quickly realized Nate would need some so she grabbed three and placed them at the footrest.

One day down, three to go...

Sometime after she drifted off to sleep Meredith thought she heard someone come in the room. She felt her hair being brushed to the side and the whisper of something before the door shut again. Thinking it was a weird dream, she fell back into the land of the unconscious.