Heart Strings <3 ~Complete

Heart Strings Chapter Thirteen

I was speechless.

'That's what I can remember. I'm sure I've missed a bit out, but...' Nathan began. I looked up at him. He was running a nervous hand through his hair, his cheeks slightly pink.

I shook my head.

It was amazing. But how could I say that? How could I say anything? His eyes were looking at everything but me, and though my mouth was opening, nothing was coming out.

His voice sounded so much more, real, and more beautiful than it had done at the gig.

My hand reached out and held onto his. Nathan looked at me, surprised for a moment and then seemed to relax. Finally, our eyes met. Every time they did, it seemed to do something to me. But this was Nathan. Nathan, who I'd only know for two days, if that.

I was trying to tell him so many things. To show him how good it was, but he didn't seem to be able to understand.

'It's amazing Nathan,' my voice eventually broke through.

'Thank you,' he replied. Slowly our hands found their way back to the swing chains and I forced my eyes to my scruffy black school plimsolls. The sun had made its way down.

'It's getting dark,' he stated.

'Yeah,' I agreed.

'It's five thirty,' he said.

'Really?' I asked.

'Yeah.' Pause.

‘Does anyone ever call you Nate?' We were silent for a moment before he twitched slightly.

Then we were in hysterics.

'Sephy?'

I turned around, still spluttering, to see Nick strolling towards me from the field beside the park followed by some of his friends.

I stood from the swing, quickly sobering up, just as Nick jumped over the gate and jogged over to me. There was a moment of awkward silence as Nick noticed I wasn't alone, and the person I was in fact sitting, or standing, next to, was Nathan.

'… Hey.' Nathan coughed as he stood up and offered Nick a hand.

'Hello.' Nick glanced at me before staring at Nathan's hand coldly and watching it drop.

'What are you two doing here?'

'Just talking about the band and stuff...' I told him.

'The band?' Nick asked, turning an accusing eye to Nathan. 'He's in the band?'

'No we-'

'-Just found out. He has a band too. He was at the gig last weekend. Just talking about that.' I interrupted, trying not to look at Nathan. Nick scowled at me.

‘I need to go now Sephy,' Nathan said. I nodded, still keeping my eyes on Nick. 'See you later.'

I could hear him turn and walk away, his footsteps on the brown bark of the park getting quieter. Panic was growing in my chest. He couldn't leave me alone... 'Would you like to tell me what that was really about now?' Nick gritted his teeth. His ice blue eyes wouldn't leave my face. 'Don't have his number but you are still managing to meet up with him?'

I closed my eyes, feeling tears blurring my vision. Why was he saying this in front of all his friends?

'It's everything I said Nick, now I need to go.'

'I don't think so-'

'I need to go. I need to think about some things,' I told him. I heard an immature snigger and looked to see that it was coming from a stupid wanna-be thug with a huge nose and a skin-head. He looked like a duckling that had had all of it feathers plucked off.

I manoeuvred myself around them, dodging as Nick's hand tried to grab mine and ran out of the park as fast as I could, struggling to keep my head up and my eyes dry, forcing myself not to look back. I saw Nathan up ahead and began to head towards him.

Behind me I could hear Nick swearing. He'd changed so much and hung out with a totally different crowd that I didn't agree with. Maybe I should’ve asked the girls but I was scared of what they would say... I didn't know if I still had feelings for him. Should I let him go as Nathan had advised?

“Let it go and it may come back...” That's what Nathan said right? But if I let Nick go, would I want him to come back? And would I have the courage to let him go in the first place?

I was so confused and frustrated, but I smiled, remembering how awkward Nathan looked when he was explaining it, then felt almost weightless thinking about when he was singing No Time. I still couldn't believe it. How he seemed to have sang that song, but rather than my ears hearing it, my... heart did...

Dammit.

How cheesy was that?

Besides. I didn't like Nathan. Not in that way. Nope.