If you want to support (To continue with the chapters and improve the quality of the language)or read some advance chapters (this week I will upload several chapters to Patreon) please follow me on: patreon.com/Jayjayempi
Chapter sponsored by:
EMMR
Nate's week continued with a monotonous, almost dull routine, shrouded in a fog of daily repetition. However, the clear sky of Forks was a rarity he appreciated. The warmth of the sun, though slight, encouraged him to leave his jacket open, roll up the sleeves of his sweater, and drive with the windows down as he felt the cold air filter through the woods. It was the kind of sunshine that felt borrowed as if the city had stolen it from somewhere less gray.
Classes passed without incident. Casual exchanges with Eric—who seemed to consider Nate his best listener—marked the beginning of each day. Chats with Bella, both during lunch and in gym class, had become part of their routine. There was an ease in their way of being together, a kind of unspoken understanding as if they shared a bubble where sarcastic comments and silly conversations made the day a little less boring.
The only difference that week was that was Edward Cullen still missing. Neither were any of his brothers. Nate, who had learned to notice the gaps, quickly suspected something else was going on.
On Thursday at lunch, he subtly avoided sitting next to Jessica—too many unsolicited questions—and instead found a spot next to Angela. She was flipping through her notebook, sorting through her history notes while poking at a piece of melon with her fork.
"Doesn't it seem strange to you that the Cullens all disappeared right now while the sun is out?" Nate asked casually, opening his water bottle.
Angela looked at him, raising an eyebrow as if the question wasn't new. "Not really. They say that when the weather's like this, they often go hiking. Like… a kind of family tradition."
"Hiking?" Nate repeated, tilting his head. "The whole family?"
Angela nodded, looking back at her food. "Yeah. Jessica says it's something they've been doing for a while. They camp out sometimes. You know, weird rich-family stuff."
Nate took a sip of water and nodded silently. It wasn't a far-fetched excuse, but it wasn't convincing either. He let it go, even though something didn't add up. Is an entire family missing entire days just to go on a hike? He was too meticulous not to notice.
Friday arrived with the same clear sky, but a different feel. Something in the atmosphere—the glances, the whispers between classes, the slight tension that permeated the cafeteria—told Nate that something inevitable was going to happen.
And he was not wrong.
During lunch, while sipping juice and talking with Bella about the absurd amount of homework for the weekend, Eric stood up from his seat. He walked toward them with a mixture of determination and nervousness. His tray was barely shaking. Nate noticed everything: the way he took a deep breath before speaking, the way his hands clenched around the tray, the way he looked at Bella as if he were about to cross a chasm.
"Bella, I know it's still a long way off, but I wanted to know if… you'd go to the prom with me."
The dining room didn't fall completely silent, but there was a change in pace. Some conversations subsided, and more than a few people looked up. Nate, reflexively, glanced at Angela. Her expression collapsed in a matter of seconds, though she tried to hide it by looking at her salad. Her fork twirled a lettuce leaf as if she could hide her discomfort there.
Bella hesitated for only a second. Then she smiled gently as if trying to soften the fall. "I'm sorry, Eric… But I'm not going. I already had plans for that weekend. I'll be in Seattle."
Nate narrowed his eyes. There was something about the way he said "Seattle" that didn't quite fit. As if the word was out of place in his mouth. As if he'd ad-libbed it.
Eric looked down and nodded with a forced smile. "Okay, no problem." He walked away without making much of a fuss, though Nate noticed his lips tightening as he walked away.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Mike's eye. He'd seen everything, too. And while Eric's rejection should have been enough, Mike's expression held a stubborn resolve. A spark that wasn't easily extinguished.
Nate sighed inwardly. It was clear his closeness with Bella was starting to create invisible friction. They shared lunches and laughed at gymnastics, and their little group knew they'd been out together, even if it had been a group thing with Jacob. For many, that was enough. He was taking up space that others wanted, and somehow that pressured them to act sooner than they should have. Nate found the idea of his desperation absurd as if asking her before others guaranteed a yes.
In gym class, the inevitable finally happened.
The sun shone brightly through the windows, and while the boys played a half-hearted version of volleyball, Bella and Nate sat on the benches chatting. He made fun of her clumsiness with the ball, and she tried to defend herself with ridiculous arguments that made them both laugh.
"If the ball comes to me, it's because it hates me," he said, crossing his arms.
"Sure, sure. He probably has a personal agenda against Bella Swan. Maybe you should make up with him before the next game."
Then Mike appeared. His stride was firm, and determined, and his eyes searched for Bella intently. Nate saw him approaching and knew immediately what was going to happen.
"Bella, can I talk to you for a second? Just alone."
Bella's discomfort was immediate. Her back tensed, her gaze wavered, and her hands reached for the sleeve of her sweatshirt, toying with the fabric as a shield.
"Does it bother you?" she asked Nate quietly, not looking him in the eye much.
Nate shook his head, giving a half smile. "Not at all. I'll give you a few minutes."
He calmly stood up and walked over to where the others were playing. He feigned interest in the game, but his attention was focused on the scene a few feet away.
Mike was talking to Bella. He didn't seem insistent, but he was expectant. She kept her arms crossed as if trying to distance herself. Nate noticed how she nodded without saying much. After a couple of minutes, Mike returned to the group with the typical expression of someone reluctant to show that something hurt more than expected.
Nate sat back down next to Bella, who didn't say anything at first. She stared at her feet as if the floor had something important to tell her.
"I have such a hard time turning people down… They've been nice to me since day one. I don't want to make them feel bad."
Nate shrugged. "Well, that's what you get for spreading your epidemic everywhere."
Bella looked at him, confused. "Again with that?"
"Swan's virus," he said seriously. "His symptoms are flaring. Eric, Mike… and don't even get me started on Jacob. You're wreaking havoc."
Bella let out a low, somewhat tired, but genuine laugh. "Thank goodness Jacob isn't in school with us. Now all I need is for the biology teacher to invite me."
"Give it time. It starts with an apple on your desk, and then he's already asking you out."
"Terrible," she murmured, shaking her head as she smiled.
And for a moment, as the sun continued to stream through the windows and the hum of the gym mingled with distant laughter, Nate felt that, despite everything, that day had turned out better than he had expected.
Author's Notes: Don't forget the Powerstones! :)