If Only (18+)

Chapter 13 (Part II)

Happy reading, darlings!❤️

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"Valerie, we're here." A deep voice quietly spoke, pulling me out of the deep abyss that was my mind.

Fluttering my eyes open, I lifted my head and felt something... wet, dripping down my face.

"Oh!" I exclaimed and began rubbing away the drool that managed to escape my mouth as I slept.

"I take it you had a good nap?" Nathan mused, and I couldn't stop my cheeks from burning.

"Y-yes, I did." I stammered.

Goodness, I could be such a stuttering idiot sometimes...

"Good." He said, and when I looked over at him, his silver grey eyes were light and familiar, like we've had this blossoming friendship for longer than it seems.

Friendship.

Was that what this relationship between us was? Was Nathan De Luca someone I could confide in and trust? 

Suddenly, the car door opened and I looked up in shock at the dark blonde-haired boy in front of me.

Holding out a single hand, I unbuckled my seatbelt and took it nervously. Pulling me out, my hands felt clammy and I prayed to God he wouldn't notice.

Looking around, I noticed we were at a park. The tree branches swayed with the wind, the sun making the leaves shine as if they were emeralds. Since school was still going on, there were no children around, only elderly couples sitting on the park benches and the occasional runner.

"This is where I go when I feel like the world is too much for me. It helps me see that I am bigger than my problems." Nathan said, and I looked up to see his eyes glazed up in fondness.

This is his safe place, yet he brought me here...

"Thank you for showing me." I grinned, tucking a light blonde strand of hair behind my ear.

"It can be yours, too." He said, looking down at me with such intensity that made my heart race and blood burn.

"W-what?" I stammered, his eyes becoming too intense, yet I couldn't break his stare.

"I don't mind sharing." He grinned, nudging me.

I nudged him back, all the while sporting a small, kind smile to the man in front of me. In a way, it almost surprised me how mature he is, despite his small outbreaks towards our English teacher. It made me wonder what all he's been through and the hardships he's dealt in life to get where he was today.

He was perfectly imperfect in the most beautiful way possible.

He's far from beautiful, he is so handsome... I mentally trailed off, my face burning as I stared at him and the way the wind delicately played with his hair.

"Let's go over there." He nodded at a swingset and before I knew it, I was being tugged along his side.

Glancing down, I noticed how perfectly our hands linked together. His hands felt so gentle but firm. My eyes trailed up, and I spotted the slightly plump veins protruding through his tanned arm. I wondered if he even knew how much I was secretly enjoying this.

Stop it, Valerie! They're just hands, I told myself, blushing anyway.

As we reached the swingset, our hands disconnected and instead latched onto the chains as we sat on the swings.