L.O.V.E.

Chapter 23 - Nerissa

Golden rays filter through her long lashes, bringing the thin layer between reality and dreamworld to life. Darkness turned into a rather bronze-colored veil, cut across by a bright golden halo. The bigger the shimmering aureole is growing, the more absorbed her entity becomes into the present realm. Every single muscle and bone in her body twitches lightly as it lands where it belongs, until she's completely awake.

Her cheeks feel warm and she's ready now to let the morning light invade her whole body. As she slowly opens her eyes, the memories of last night start rolling one after another. Suddenly, the soft pillow becomes more rigid, moving slightly up and down to match her breathing. Then, his steady heartbeat cancels out all the bird songs and the leaves fluttering noisily in the wind, leaving her frozen and trapped in the chaos of her mind. Has she really fallen asleep on Nathan's chest? Remorseful, she gently raises on her elbows, her movements lighter than a feather. Unfortunately, she will have to step over his sleeping body to get up and move away from the bed. Already raised on her hands, Nerissa flips one leg over him until her toes touch the floor. Then, she slowly crosses her arm over, holding her breath and wishing the throbbing sound of her heart would stop pounding. Please be asleep, please be asleep. She keeps her thoughts busy as she is pulling herself up, her chest still a music box. While her left leg got lifted from the mattress, Nathan's tensed body starts stretching, taking up all the space.

'Good morning.' He murmurs, his eyes half open and asleep.

She straightens her posture, waving back her hair before taming it in a bun.

'Morning!' She replies a little too cheery, her cheeks on fire.

Then, without saying another word, she spins on her heels and gets out of the bus.

'Did she really think I was sleeping all this time?' He grins at her clumsy effort as he steps outside after her.

They walk silently for the first part of their journey. If they were to be caught together so early in the morning, they would both face harsh consequences. Still, with the risk of losing everything, Nathan's heart is smiling from the inside out. Last night was proof that he and Nerissa have so much in common and they are meant for each other. A flush starts creeping across his cheeks, giving away his jubilation. He walks patiently behind her, following the waving path deep into the forest, the only witness that will hold their secret for eternity. Nerissa, on the other hand, is caught in a witty battle inside her head. Her subconscious decided to intervene, complicating things even more. Roone might have stolen her heart, but Nathan has always been there for her. Will she ever be able to see him as more than a friend?

By the time they reach civilization the curfew has already been lifted. The more people on the streets, the more embarrassed she becomes. Afraid someone might read her thoughts, her eyes are busily fixing everyone, all except Nathan's. He tries in vain to hide his amused look, but does nothing to make her feel more uncomfortable. Instead, he's faithfully following her all the way to the Institute, replying in between snickers to her constant blabber.

'See you later, Ner!' He exclaims when the Navion stadium comes into view.

He decided to give her a break. Besides, he has to make himself look presentable before showing up in front of the leaders. There is only one day left until the big upgrade and he cannot afford even the slightest mistake.

'You bet!' She yells after him, wishing, a second later, she shouldn't have done that. Who in his right mind says that?

She gently pats her flushed cheeks telling herself she's imagining things, and rushes into the building. To her luck, Ilya's curly hair comes into view, lessening the awkwardness from before.