Beautiful No Longer

Chapter four pt.2

I make it to 'our' spot as I claimed it to be yesterday, and see him sitting by the rocks. I stumble forward, catching his attention before he turns around and grins at me.

"Anna?"

"Nathan," I say before running into his arms.

"Woah!" He says catching me and hugging me tightly.

"Uhm.. Anna are you okay?" He pulls away slightly, enough to look me in the eyes.

Still speechless, I just shake my head no.

He pulls me over to sit down by the rocks before turning to me.

"Anna, tell me what's wrong."

I stay silent, not quite ready to speak just yet.

A comfortable silence takes over before I'm ready to speak again.

I tell him everything, right from the beginning to the murder lead in Lana's case. He stays quite the entire time, taking in every word I say. By the time Im done, we're both taking a moment to process everything I said. I still have a hard time believing if anything that's happened over the past two weeks is real, or if this is all just some awful nightmare that I have yet to wake from. I sincerely hope it's the latter, and that I will awake any moment with Lana by my side. But we all know that isn't going to happen.

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted when Nathan turns to look at me.

"Do they know who did it?"

It comes out more of an angry statement than a question.

I shake my head, eyes drifting to look anywhere else but into his.

He stares at me for awhile, eyebrows furrowed, expecting me to speak. I probably should, the silence is uncomfortable and full of tension. He finally turns his head away, looking at the creek infront of us.

He breaks the tension by placing his hand over mine, I don't look at him, I don't even flinch. I know I only met him yesterday, but it feels like I've known him forever. And plus, I think I really need a friend right now. I'm really sick and tired of being alone.

When I finally do look up at him, he looks emotionless. He then snaps out of whatever trance he was consumed in, and meets my eyes. He half-heartedly smiles, I know it isn't genuine.

I don't know how long we sit like that, still and lost in our own similar thoughts. I notice one thing though, his hand is still covering my own. I feel a blush creeping onto my cheeks.

Time passes to quickly, and before long it's grown dark. As much as I don't want to, I know I will have to leave soon. I start to stand up, but something pulls me back down. I look over to Nathan, before he speaks.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" he says in almost a whisper.

"I really wish I could," I meet his eyes before continuing. "But my mom is probably worried."

"Wait, but since when do you care if she's worried?" He asks.

"Since Lana's gone, shes fallen apart. It's not really that I'm concerned is shes worried about me, I'm worried for her. Who know what she could do." I say quietly.

"..What do you mean?"

"What do I mean what?"

"Nevermind." He says quickly.

"Okaaay." I say, dropping the subject.

"But seriously, do you really have to go?" He says with a puppy-dog face.

"Sadly, but can you be here tomorrow?" I ask, laughing a bit.

"Sure. Same time?"

"Yeah." I say turning to leave, but I'm quickly spun around.

"You jerk! You think you can get away without a hug?" He says with a 'Tsk tsk tsk', pulling me into a tight hug. I laugh, hugging him back tightly before leaving.

~

When I make it home, suprisingly I'm not greeted by my mother. The house is dark and quiet when I enter. I tip toe to my mothers room and peer in on her sleeping, curled up on the bed with a blanket draped over her bony figure. I suspected this to happen, since Lana she hasn't been eating, let alone doing anything. But that's okay.

I walk up to the bed and tuck the blanket around her more securly, before bending down and pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead. I slip from the room and shut the door before going to bed myself.

I try to comprehend everything that's happened, as I drift into a deep sleep.

Before I slip fully, Something, or should I say someone, surfaces my

mind before I drift off.

Nathan.