The Movies Make It Look Easy

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Shannon's P.O.V:

We walked in a comfortable silence. I glanced up at the sky. It wasn't late but because it was winter the days were shorter and the darkness crept up quicker.  

I shivered.  

I didn't know what caused it - it could be any number of reasons like how cold it was, walking so close to the particular person beside me or it could be a shiver of fear caused by the other person I'd left behind only minutes ago - the person I was supposed to feel safe with.

I obviously wasn't the only one who noticed my seemingly random shiver. "Are you cold?" he asked it quietly but it seemed to echo in the still air.  

I shrugged because I wasn't sure - yes I was cold (I was in a dress after all) but I didn't know if that was why I shivered, so I stayed silent.  

Nick touched my arm causing goose-bumps to cover my skin at the contact. He'd stopped walking, so I stopped too, waiting for him to say something. He clasped both my hands between his own as he frowned at me; "you're freezing, you should have said something."  

I just shrugged again. I didn't want to speak; I knew once I did, we'd have to talk about what had happened at the restaurant, so I let the silence grow.  

Without another word, he took off his jacket and gave it to me. I put it on, nodding my thanks as I zipped it up. It smelt like him and I had to struggle not to bury my nose in it - to say that would be embarrassing would be an understatement.

We turned to walk on and he slipped his arm around my shoulders, drawing me close to him to give us both some extra warmth, especially now that he had no jacket. I wrapped my arm around his waist, resting my head against his shoulder - just for warmth and no other reason, I reassured myself - until we were as close as we could possibly be as we walked. I was instantly warmed right to my core and I could feel the thudding of his heart from where my head was pressed against him. We walked on, both content to stay silent.  

I watched the stars as we walked.  

Unlike in every movie I'd ever seen or any book I'd ever read with a scene similar to the one I was experiencing, there wasn't a full moon brightening the night, just a crescent moon, surrounded by those few stars that could be seen through the city lights and wisps of cloud - everything tinted with an orange glow from the collective light that was inevitable in a city. There were more stars than usual though and I took it be a good omen.

I had a sudden urge to fill the silence, to hear Nick's voice. "Do you ever miss the stars?"  

He glanced up at the sky with a look of confusion on his face, "but the stars are there, how can I miss them?" he asked.  

I smiled, "I know they're there, I mean do you not ever miss being able to look up at night and see the whole sky filled with them? You can't do that in the city." I paused, "it's one thing I miss from home."  

He was silent for a moment, "I've never been out of the city; this is all I've ever known. I suppose you can't really miss something you've never seen can you?"

"You've never been out of the city?" I repeated slowly, "not even for a holiday?" I asked doubtfully.  

He shrugged, "not that I can remember anyway, maybe when I was very young though" he looked thoughtful.  

I couldn't believe it, almost every year during the summer I'd go somewhere with my family even if it was just down the country, though we hadn't gone in a couple of years because both of my brothers had moved out. I'd never been a city kid, so I found it weird to hear him say he'd never experienced something that I usually took for granted.