"We're... Me and Paige are-" Nathan stops. Hinting for me to carry on. But with my mouth paralysed, I struggle to speak, just a faint stutter rolls off my tongue.
Ring... Ring...
Vibrating from my denim jacket, left on the kitchen counter, I run over to see my phone ringing. Excusing myself from the conversation, I calm my blush as I answer the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello dear." It is my mom.
"Hi Mom, what is it?"
"I was just ringing to ask if you could come home now."
"Umm, ok. How come?" My heart races. Has there been an accident?
"We are going out for dinner." My mom informs me, my accusation thankfully being incorrect.
"Ok, will be home in the next five minutes, bye." I hang up the call and turn back towards Nathan. His eyes had been on me the whole time.
"You're not leaving, are you?" He comes over to me and engulfs me in a hug, causing me to sile uncontrollably as his face pushes into my neck.
"Sorry but I'm going out for dinner, I have to get home," I explain, admiring how cute he looks whilst pouting.
"I understand," he lets out a reluctant sigh, releasing me from his arms. "See you Monday." He plants a quick kiss on my cheek while his mom isn't looking.
"Thank you for letting me come round," I say to Mrs Johnson as I go into the hall to get my shoes.
"No, thank you," she approaches me with gratitude. I glance up whilst tying my laces to see her looking directly into my eyes.
"How come?"
"Thank you for getting Nathan back to his old self. He hasn't been this happy in weeks," she beams, keeping her voice at a moderate whisper, cautiously aware that Nathan is in the next room. "I had no doubts about you being able to get him back to his true self and now I know why I trusted in you so much. He loves you, really."
Her comment make my skin blush, the rush of blood boiling under the surface of my once pale cheeks. My heart replays the beat I have just skipped.
"You really think he loves me?" I stand to my feet with a shy glance down to my feet.
Mrs Johnson places her hand on my shoulder. "I know he does. Don't give up on him, because he never gave up on loving you."
"Thank you," I manage to choke out and resist an emotional stream of tears from flooding out from the bottom of my eyes. Do I believe her judgment? Should I get carried away with the stampede of horses racing my heart?
He loves me?
I take my jacket and pull it on. With one hand on the door handle, I say good bye to Bailey then step out into the cool evening air. It only takes me five minutes to return home, just as I promised to my mom. Reflecting on the recent events of today so far, my grin can't stretch any further as I revolve Nathan's face in my mind: his eyes, his smile, his body. All equalling perfection.
"You're home," my mom states the obvious as I walk in through the front door, only a couple of minutes after 5pm.
"Yeah, when are we going out?" I call whilst already jogging up the stairs.
"Ten minutes!" She hollers after me. Oh crap!
It actually surprises me how efficiently I could get changed within the time limit of ten minutes. For most girls that would be considered impossible. I don't know how I chose an outfit in under five minutes, but hey, I did. Now in the car, I turn up the radio and lean back in my seat, my smile from earlier permanent as I continue to grin my face off.
"Which restaurant are we actually going to?" I ask between each verse of Lush Life.
"We aren't going to a restaurant," she answers, matter of factly, stirring the wheel making the car turn down a familiar avenue. Wait, this is a dead end.
"Then where are we..."
"Mrs Crawford invited us over for dinner." My smile flattens immediately in response to her answer, my face no longer mirroring her joyful grin. She stops the car then steps out. I stay seated in the passenger seat, frozen as I look through the curtains of the front room and see Josh deviously smirking back at me- I gulp.
"Paige!" Jenny, Mrs Crawford, greets me at the door with open arms, welcoming me with a hug. "How are you?"
I was in heaven until I realised I am going to be spending the rest of the evening with my EX-boyfriend! However that reply struggles to get passed my brain, not even close to escaping my mouth.
So with a fake sile I try my best not to grit my teeth. "I'm fine," I lie whilst walking in through the front door. If my mom had even been considerate enough to inform me, before hand, that my evening consisted of being with Josh then I would have changed my attire.
I suddenly become extremely uncomfortable as I stand in the hall way in my short black dress. I tug at the rim off my dress, becoming wary of the fact it crept up my thighs. Jenny then offers my mom a drink in the kitchen.
"Hey, you go find Josh," my mom winks, nudging my elbow. She still has no knowledge in the slightest to the fact me and Josh have broken up. "Don't have too much fun," she giggles and leaves me alone in the hall to follow Mrs Crawford into the kitchen. I hear Mr Crawford's deep voice through the walls.
"Hey girl." I jump inside at the sudden hot air blowing against my neck. I whip my head around to immediately become face to face with Josh. His teeth naw on his bottom lip suggestively. "Looking good babe," he comments with wondering eyes.
"What happened to you?" I spit out arrogantly. "You are not like the guy I used to date."
"You're not here to speak princess," his finger levitates to my mouth and presses against my lips. His pet name for me used to be princess, hearing him say it now just repulses me. I scowl at him and force myself back from his deathly touch.
"Listen, I never agreed to come here. I never even knew. So just leave me alone and let's get through this night without-"
Josh launches forwards and captivates his lips in mine. Powerfully, he dominates my entire body by forcing me up against the wall. His hands grasp my hips, his body pressed tight against mine. A bitter taste lands on my tongue as I squirm to the realisation that we are fully making out. I twist my head to the left and free my lips from his. I wipe the back of my hand disgustedly over my contaminated mouth.
"You got anything else to say, Princess?" A rough growl breaks from his mouth, a sound I had never had to be afraid of until now. "Ay?"
"N-no." I become helpless within the control of his body over mine.
"Good," his lips trail from my neck downwards, a shiver of inexplicable nerves taking over me.
"What do you want?"
"Come with me..." His hand covers mine and he drags me towards the stairs. We end up in his bedroom; he locks the door. Throwing me onto his bed I panic. No words can defend me as he approaches with a merciless smirk.
"Tell me what you want," I demand with a weak quiver of my lip.
"I already told you." He climbs onto the bed.
"When?" I shuffle back to separate our bodies. My blood pressure increases dramatically as he tugs off his shirt, eyeing mine.
"At school," his eyes target mine as he comes nearer.
"What was it?" My back hits the wall, my head flying back.
"You know."
"I don't."
"Remember."
"I can't."
"Try." He demands.
My brain strains, trying to think back to what Josh is referring to. But from all the confusion and fear, I don't know what to say.
"I told you at your locker, I miss you baby," his hand lands on my thigh. "I am still crazy about you," he hovers over me with his arms on either side of my body. I slip back so I am lying down. "I want you and don't say you don't want me because I know deep down you do."
How am I supposed to respond to that?
"Josh I-"
"If you don't agree to be my girlfriend, I'll..."
"You'll what?" By now his hands are holding mine.
"I'll make sure you're friend will never set foot in school again." He threatens.
"Lacy?" My heart jolts.
"No. Nathan."
A/N-
1st... Who believes Nathan is in love??? (I know I do!)
2nd... Who believes Josh genuinely has feelings for Paige???
3rd... How should Paige react to the fact Josh might beat up Nathan???
Also, I would like to give a quick shout out to my other book: Afraid to fall in love. The main guy in that book- Cameron- will have the same personality as the 'real Nathan' in Popular Nerd. If you like the real Nathan, you will love my other book!
Thank you for reading.
More coming soon... Xx