Finding Ourselves Together (READ REVAMP VERSION - IN WAVES)

13 | Comfort Food

"Told you." He grinned and swiftly took back his food in case I didn't leave him any.

"I mean, it's good, but waffles over burgers any day." I stated and took another sip of coffee.

"Agree to disagree." Nate chuckled and eyed me. "How's the hangover?"

"Way better, thanks for bringing me here." I sighed with comfort as my thumping head eased and my stomach happily sat full of good food. "I really needed it."

"Anytime." He smiled crookedly, tapping the base of his milkshake glass with his long fingers. "So, I take it you normally don't drink? I thought you would be a little blurry about last night but not forget most of it."

"I don't really go to parties in general." I admitted sheepishly. "Last night was the first in a long time."

"And you're warming up to them?"

"Yeah, I think they're growing on me." I said with a shy smile, thinking how if I hadn't gone to that party, I wouldn't be sitting here with him. His lips curved up and the warmth met his bright eyes, which lingered on mine for a few shining seconds.

I basked in the summery air that always seemed to be vibrating around him, but something had been nagging me in the back of my mind ever since I saw it earlier, and that was the scar on his back. It was so big and irregular that it made me really curious, and I didn't know how to ask him about it without being insensitive. I decided to just come out with it and ask him, otherwise I'd always be wondering.

"Nate, can I ask you something kind of personal? You don't have to answer."

He slowly set his glass down and leaned back in his seat with a slight frown, quietly observing me carefully.

"It's about my scar, right?"

"Um, yeah." I was stumped. "How did you know that's what I was talking about?"

"I'm actually surprised you didn't ask earlier," He shrugged indifferently. "It's cool, I don't mind talking about it."

"So, how did you get it?"

Nate leaned forward again and folded his arms on the table. "I was attacked by a shark."

My eyes automatically shut as a laugh escaped my lips when I heard his joke, but when I looked back at him, he was just chewing his food with a straight face and watching me.

"You're not kidding!" I gasped, covering my hands over my mouth.

"Nope."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry I laughed. I don't even...I..." My smile had extinguished as fast as the burning flame of a candle in the wind. I was at a loss for words. "Wow...I've never met anyone who—"

"Yeah not many people have." He interjected calmly. "Can I just tell you the short version?"

"Sure, yeah whatever's easier." I propped my elbow on the table and rested my chin in my palm with curiosity.

"Well it happened when I was fifteen, a friend and I were surfing at a beach we weren't really familiar with—"

"You surf??" I interrupted with shock. Nate laughed at my reaction and shook his head.

"That's what you're taking from this story?"

"Well, you just don't seem like the surfing type." I stated honestly.

"Oh, because I'm not some typical suntanned, blonde haired and blue-eyed Californian guy?" He said sarcastically.

"I mean, not only that, it's like your whole image." I shrugged and looked him over. "You just seem like an indoor person."