The way back home was kinda fun;we got coffee and sung old songs,Nate told me some awful jokes but I laughed by his humorous way of saying them. When we arrived,he stopped the car a block away from my house,so that we could be sure that no-one-aka Ashton-would see us.
I didn't really know what to say to him first.
Will you come back and stay with us?
You will go home now?
I sighed. Our situation was difficult but I wasn't planning on giving up on it. I took a look at him;he looked a bit nervous,like me,and he wasnt taking his eyes off the wheel.
"What are we going to do?" He spoke first and to be honest I relaxed a bit.
"I don't know..." He turned his body and looked at me.
"I hope we had more days together."
He smiled. "We will have,Eva."
Okay
I leaned in to give him a kiss. His lips gently touched mine and he placed his hand in the back of my face to keep me in that position. He didn't deepen the kiss like I would love him to,he did a step back and kissed my nose.
"You should go baby,I don't want you to be yelled because of me."
I nodded and took my backpack in my hands. I kissed his cheek and then got out of the car. He opened the window and winked at me.
"I love you." I said. Please say it back please say it back
"I love you too angel." And then he turned on the engine and left.
I felt tears coming up but I wasn't planning on crying; It wasn't the end,and I'm sure that we would find a way for this. I walked the way to my house thinking what to do and my phone buzzed. It was a notification from my phone,saying that in two and a half weeks our "last dance" was happening. That's it! Why didn't I think of it earlier? I am allowed to bring a plus one,so why not Nate? I decided to text him but I was already in front of my house. This is it Eva. I took out my keys and opened the door. A beautiful smell poked my nose and I knew what is what and by who. I was walking towards the kitchen when I saw her.
"Mom!" I hugged so tight. So tight that she was trying to do a step back but she couldn't. I felt tears for the second time forming,but I was so happy I didn't care.
"My baby,I've missed you so much!" She said and did a step back.
"We came back on Easter break and look at you! You look gorgeous!" I blushed and thanked her. Then my dad came and I hugged him too.
"My little girl.." He said and I felt a tear rolling down my chin.
"Why are you crying?" My mom said.
"I am just really happy to see you here,that's all!" My mom 'awed' and made me blush again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So now that we're here,we can go house hunting near your college! What do you think sweetheart?" My mum spoke while we were eating her amazing bolonez. How was I supposed to tell her that I've already found one?
I nodded." We can talk about it later." She looked suspicious for a moment but she nodded.
"So did you have fun with Jade?" Ashton asked me and for one moment I was clueless.
"Of course! We stayed in most of the time,having many F.R.I.E.N.D.S marathons,talking until the sun rise and other stuff. Did you have fun with the boys?"
"Uhm yeah.we did. Darcy joined us too..." I felt my blood boil even with her name referred. I hated her so much but I couldn't talk in front of our parents. Instead,I smiled and nodded again.
I was helping my mum wash the dishes after we finished eating.
"So did you have any time alone with Nate?" My mom said out of blue. We were so close when she was home and she knew everything about me.
"Oh,about Nate...we are a couple now." A plate slipped off her hands. Nice
"What? When did that happened? And you told me nothing?" She hugged me tight and kissed my cheek.
"I am really happy for you! So he found you a place to stay for University too?" She smirked. Shit she knew me too well.
"Well....it's amazing,everything I've ever wanted for my own home. We should go and check it out. I know you'll love it!" She laughed and continued washing the dishes.
"Okay sweetheart,we'll just have to find a way to tell your dad.
"We should find a way to tell him about how I found the house."
"That's the easiest part Eva!" We laughed and she kissed my cheek again.
We finished washing the dishes and I went to my room to call Nate and possibly sleep for a little amount of time.I got worried when he didn't pick up the phone but I tried to sooth myself by telling that perhaps he's sleeping and he's not with another girl. That thought couldn't really escape my mind since day 1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The song "Wherever you will go" was echoing from my headphones when Nate called me.I answered it right away and waited for him to talk first
"Did I wake you up?" I smiled.He knew me well after all.
"Well,I actually tried to but failer miserably."He laughed
"Why?"
"Well I was thinking about you and I think you know how these things happen,don't you?"
There was a pause after that but he talked again."I was thinking about you too.And I was also thinking...that we should tell Ashton."...and that's the last thing I expected to hear from him.
"What?"
"I know it's crazy,but think about it;we won't have to hide from him and the other guys and we could visit each other more often.Right?"
I sighed.Everything he said was really sweet,but I knew Ashton,and I knew how cruel he could get if he would have find out about Nate and I.
"I really like this idea of yours Nate,but I don't think that you know Ashton that much.I am pretty sure that he hates the idea of us together and I also know that he would make both our lives a living hell if he finds out about us.I really don't want to sound like a bitch,but I think that he sees you like a heartless manwhore and wants you a hundread miles away from me."
There was an awkward pause this time."Do you think that I am a heartless manwhore too?"
Good job Eva. "What?Of course not!Why would you ever say that?"
"I don't know,I'm sorry.It just makes me angry that he sees me like an unstoppable sex hunter.."
Well it's not like you showed him something different... I decided to keep my mouth shut this time and just sigh.I didn't know how Ashton would react,but knowing how easily he gets furious when he sees me talking with his friends,I could bet that he wouldn't applause this realtionship.
" Perhaps I could talk to him these days..."I heard something breaking from the other side of the line and I got worried.
"What was that?"
"My beer bottle just slipped off my hand.You would do what?"
"Why not?I never told anything at Ashtons face to face.Maybe I should do it know.If he cares about me,only a little,we could understand.Right?"
Now it was his turn to sigh."He loves you Eva.Very,very much.And beacuse he loves you,he wants the best for you."
"Well you're the best for me..."I was sure that he smiled after my loud thought but he didn't comment on it.Instead,he told me that I shouldn't tell him alone and that I should get some rest.
When we hung up,I slept for two hours and when I woke up,the room was darker than before.I decided to go downstairs and grab a fruit and then have a series marathon of ''Chuck''.When I went in the kitchen,I heard some sounds from the garaze and I knew instantly who was.
"What are you doing?"I said and sat next to Ashton who was playing NBA on his Play Station.
"Well I am playing online with someone and I am not that good.Oh come on!"I laughed at his childish reaction when the other guy scored three more points.
While I was watching Ashton playing,I watched him;he was focused on the game and even though he was so mad that he was losing,he would still handle himself.I thought about telling him about Nate and I,but I thought that it wasn't the right place,so I did what I hadn't done in months;I asked him to go out.
He turned around and just noded.For one moment,I thought that he was more surprised than me and happy at the same time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We went at the cinema and watched Doctor Strange,which was amazing,even though Ashton fell asleep during the film,and if that wasn't enought embarassing,he snored really loud and half the people who were watching the movie with us too,laughed.When we left the booth,we bought frozen yoghurt and decided to go in a playground where we used to play there all the time when we were kids and was near the cinema. We sat in a bench and watched as the cars went by.He was so calm,and I knew that it was the right time,even though Nate would get mad at me.So this is it Eva.
"Ashton?I wanted to talk to you about something."He turned around slowly and smiled.
"What is it?"Breath in,breath out
"Well,do you remember the party we threw for your birthday?Well that night almost everyone got drunk,including me and I didn't really think about what I was doing.Then 'Locked out of heaven' started playing and I was dancing with Jade,and then somehow I was dancing with Nate.Then while we were dancing,we kissed."I waited for his reaction but he didnt't talk,he was waiting for me to continue talking.
"And to be honest,I don't regret it at all.After that I don't remember how but we went to my room and you got in..."I was waiting for him to flip out,but instead,he laughed.
"I did?Damn,that would be a huge cockblock!"I was SHOCKED. Did he really say these words?After that I was speechless and I couldn't really talk,but somehow got the courage and talked again.
"That was not the response that I was waiting from you,honestly."I heard him sigh and immediately regretted what I said.
"Well,that makes more sense,doen't it?And I hate to admit it,but it's my fault.All this time I was cruel to you and you didn't deserve any of my shit and I realised it when you actually shut my mouth the other day,when we were fighting over Darcy.And I also heard you talking on the phone with Nate this evening,when you told him that I would make your life both a nightmare.I couldn't believe that I made you feel this way about me.I know that you won't trust me right away,but I really want you to,Eva.Besides,you're my little sister.And I want you to be happy.I guess I missread Nate;he is not heartless after all.But please,do me a flavor and be careful,okay?"
"Careful on what?"
"I don't know.I just want you to be happy and not heartbroken."his look fell immediately on the ground and I could understand why.
"Why would you say that?Nate is not who you think he is;he is sweet and overprotected as much as you are and..."I decided that I shouldn't tell him that he loved me,and maybe keep that for another bonding time.
"I am saying that because I am your brother and I just want you to take care.That's all."He hugged me tight after he finished his speech with those last words,but I didn't believe that he wanted me to just take care.I din't want to push this talk any further,I was just glad that we were okay.
"And now that big question;do I have your aprooval?"My heart was racing faster than any time before and for one seconf,Ifelt myself slipping of the bench.
He smiled and then talked."Of course!"My face should have gotten so bright after that and I literally fell on him and hugged him as tight as I could.
"Thank you so much!This means a lot to me."
He smiled.''I know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When we returned back home,mom and dad were sleeping on the couch and we tried our best to be quiet. When Ashton locked the front door,we went upstairs to our bedrooms and said to each other goodnight.
Then I closed the door to my room and jumped to my bedroom. I couldn't believe that Ashton approved Nate and I's realtionship!
I was putting my pajamas on when Nate called me. I quickly picked it up and said hello.
"Hey baby. Why are you so happy?"
"Well,I know that you will probably get mad but I thought that it was right. I talked to Ashton about us. I told him about our kiss on his birthday party and that we are together and do you want to know his reaction?" There was silence on the other side of the line,so I took that as a yes.
"Well he approves! And he also realized how awful he treated me and how terribly he misread you." There was silence again and I got worried.
"Nate? Are you still here?"
"Are you serious? You're not joking me,right?"
"Why would I joke on that? I am one hundred per cent serious. We won't have to lie anymore,Nate."
"That's amazing. I'll text him after call to make sure that he's not mad."
"Okay." There was silence again.
"You should sleep now baby,today was a stressful day. Goodnight,I love you."
I smiled."I love you too."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two and a half weeks after Ashton and I's conversation,it was the day of our class fiesta and Jade and I were getting ready in my room.Nate actually visited me two times in those two weeks and he even hung out with Ashton,who seemed to be okay with Nate putting his hand around my shoulder when we were playing 'Call of Duty' on my brother's play station or being close to me in general.If someone would ask me to bet about Ashton's attitude my relationship with Nate,I would say without a single doubt that he would never approve any kind of relationship between him and I.
While Jade and I were getting ready,we did each other's hair and I did my make-up by myself,which was a light brown smokey eye with with more highlight wherever I was able to put than normal-because why not-and finished by adding a pinkish nude liquid lipstick.Then we wore our dress.
When we got downstairs my parents were sitting on the couch and were in awe when they saw us.My mum even teared,which made me feel akward and she offered to drive us to ourhigh school but Jade had already brought her car.
When we arrived at our school and entered the Lecture Room I was amazed by the decoration:the lights had a dark blue colour wich reminded of a beautiful clear night sky and they had small white light decorated all around the room too. When almost everyone had arrived,the girl who organized most of this,Cece,did a small speech about our new goals and wished everyone the best about our new starts.
Jade and I found Rita and Jane and I was excited to see them because I hadn't seen them since my birthday,which was almost a month ago.Then we danced the whole night and at 12 o'clock,Jade told me that she had a surprise for me outside.When I followed her at the parking lot,I saw Nate standing in front of his car.I wanted to scream because of the happiness he made me feel and I ran to his arms.He kissed me on the lips and then smiled.
"You're beautiful"he said and made me turn around.I didn't respond at his comment,instead,I kept smiling like and idiot and I knew that my cheeks would hurt after tonight.
"So do you like my surprise?"Jade said and I looked at her with an are you serious face.
"Like it?"I said and we laughed.
"Well,that's your late graduation present bitch."She winked at me and I smiled.What would I do without Jade?She was always there for me and she would always made me laugh even when I am not supposed to.I just love her and she knows it.
"Oh I have a present for you too.'Nate said out of blue and I didn't expect that.
"Why would you have a present for me?"I said.
"Well since I didn't buy you a graduation present either,consider this as a late graduation gift,too."Then he took a small Pandora box out of his pocket and I couldn't feel my legs.then he opened it and there was a beautiful silvel multi-ring,full of little diamonds.He placed it on my right ring finger and kissed my cheek.
"Do you like it?"
"Are you kidding me?I feel like it's my birthday and Christmas at the same time!Thank you both so much!I love you"
Then both Jade and Nate answered 'I know' and laughed while staring at each other.
"Why don't we go inside?"She said and we went back to the Lecture Room.
This time there were less people than before and the dj was playing slow songs and balads for the couples to dance.
I saw Jade approacing the dj and asking him something,to with he nodded his head.Two minutes later,she took the closest microphone and said:
"Well this song is dedicated to someone who means a lot to me,and I know how much more this means to her."She locked eyes with me and winked at me.Seconds later,'Kiss me' by Ed Sheeran started echoing inside the room and I had the biggest,most genuine smile I could ever show her.
"That's our song babe."Nate said in my ear and he took me to the dance floor.He placed his hands on my waist and I placed my hands around his neck,looking into his eyes.Never in a million years I would believe that I'd have a chance with Nathan Kahn,to be happy and in a-more than I'd ask-realtionship.These past weeks were the best of my life so far and I knew that it was only the beginning.Then I looked up at "the sky" and remembered that night before my last year in highscool started.Jade and I were in my rooftop,watching the full moon and the lights of the town,looking so far away,yet so close.I remember that we had a conversation that night.
"What are you thinking?"Jade asked while I was silent,looking at the sky and hearing only the sounds of the birds.
"About our last year of high school.I really hope that something fun happens this year,because I feel like everyday is a relieving of the previous one."She agreed on my comment and then talked after staring at me.
"Let's make a promise then."I turned and looked at her.
"What promise?"
"Let's promise that this year we will try our best to succeed our goals and most of all,focus on that thing that we really want to for so long and make it happen."I chuckled.
"Besides our dreams jobs,what else should we focus on?"him
"Well you should try to kiss Nate or someting like that."
"Well,I don't think that something like that would ever happen between Nate and I.There is someone named Ashton out there who is that thrilled with that suggestion of yours and my long time wish."
"Oh,for once screw him!You can do things behind his back,right?So what not him too?"This specific moment I realised that Jade was right and if there was a single chance about Nate and I,I should try it,Basides,I would turn 18 this year.
I nodded and talked."I promise to try and if I fail,that's okay,because I will know that at least I tried.What about you?What do you promise yourself to do?"
She was hesitant for a moment and then talked."To fall in love..."I smiled and hugged her.
"Then promise me that you'll try."She smiled back and intwined her pinky finger with mine.
"I do."
That was the moment I felt that Nate and I were possible and the night that I promised myself that I would be try and and change my life.And it changed,because of him.He made me happy be being who he truly is with me and by making me show the best side of me that I ever had.
The song ended and Nate pulled me close.
"I love you Eva Benett."I could feel butterflies in my stomach,in my heart and everywhere else,every time he said those words.
"I love you Nathan Kahn"Only him,always him,my One and Only.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey guys or anyone who still reads this bokk until today.... :/I know that I promised you this chapter many monaths ago,but school started and I had to write many tests and I could harldy find some time for this book...but I am here now and I want you to know that there is only one more chapter left for this book and then there is going to be a sequel.I hope you like this chapter as much as I loved writing it and 'till next time... ;)
Xoxo,
Nina