CHANGES | Nathan Scott

48

"You'll be fine," I mouthed to her, then closing  the door and pressing my back flat against it. Immediately I smile at our apartment. It may be small in comparison to the room - house we'd just left. But here it's home, especially when Nathan crosses the lounge, taking off his shirt, my eyes raking across his toned and muscular body.

"Shower?" He tilts his chin towards the bathroom and the direction he'd been walking.

There's be no reason for him to ask me twice, as I start to shed away my clothes. With a swift force he grasps my arms in his big hands and hauls me into the quick to turn steamy room.

Oh home, sweet home.

Later that night a knock sounds at the door. Both myself and Nathan peel our eyes from the TV and glance at the door. If only we had mind controlling powers. I groan when getting up to answer it, Nathan's watchful glance still at the door.

When opening, no one is there, only because of a whisk of wind coming past, a paper bag by my feet rustles.
The bag is small and no flames. I pray this isn't a poo bag. Nudging with the tip of my slipper, the bag is flatten, which is a relief. Picking up and peeping inside, I find an envelope.
Closing the door, I make my way back to Nathan; we discover the letter has my name on the front. I spare no more time to shred and see a small calling card.

'Meet me at William and King street, before light, tomorrow,' the cursive text reads.

"I'm going with you," Nathan say defensively in time when we both finish reading the short message, "Who knows what creep did this."

"I-I yeah, well maybe you... no. I can't go." My eyes read the single line over and over again, as though I'll decode a hidden message. But it's plain and simple. "I mean, if I go, no- I won't."

"Well what is it? We going or not?" He asks and takes his turn to do the same to read it.
Yet this time he's up from the couch, reaching for a bat hidden under the couch, which I didn't know he'd placed there and goes for the door.
There's a roaring engine that sounds when he's on the balcony and I come up behind him. It's too dark out for us to see the escaping vehicle.

"Do not go without me," he warns me and searches my eyes for understanding to his request. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens to you," he says this a little quieter.

The night's sleep was restless. I wanted it to be morning so I can get this over with. I knew I was crazy for even doing this but my curiosity was always going to get the better of me. I had to do this.

With no effort, I slipped on some joggers, tee and a jacket with a hoodie to shield my unsightly bed hair.
Nathan wasn't far off the same look as me but with his trademark look that includes his baggy basketball shorts. I didn't know how his chicken legs weren't freezing against the fresh morning air but I wasn't too concerned about arguing this early with him over shorts, when we're on our way to meet god knows who.

"I'll be right here," Nathan says again, after going through the plan several times on our way over. His pace slows down and goes ahead with taking his seat. He'd found a spot across the intersection, shielding anyone from where I am but still within eye view from where he sat, perched behind a newspaper.

I don't bother to wait for the traffic lights for the pedestrian crossing, there's not many people, let alone cars shout. I'm standing beneath a tall street signs reading King and William. I didn't know who or what to look out for, and I still couldn't let go of the unsettling feeling of how stupid this is.

A small throaty cough sounds and I slowly turn, eyes widen but I blink them a few times to settle my gaze and land my eyes on to...

Lucas.