Begin Again || Nate Maloley

|| Chapter 5

I sat in a chair across from his bed which he sat up in, channel surfing. I wasn't sure of what exactly to say, I just needed to see him.

"You gonna talk?" He asked with his eyes still glued to the TV. He wasn't wearing a shirt, so his tattoos & big white bandage stood out. He still looked amazing.

I cleared my throat. "What-uh...wh- who was that at the hospital that day?"

"I told you her name was Mya," he responded.

"No, I mean who is she to you? Girlfriend?"

"Something like that."

"And...did you care to consider how she would feel knowing you were out on a date with my best friend?"

He chuckled. "That's your best friend now?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She gives you so much shit and you just take it. You know what she said to me when the four of us split during the date? She told me that she hopes you don't embarrass yourself with Sammy. She was going on and on about your wardrobe and how you're always borrowing her clothes."

I scoffed. "Yeah okay. She practically shoves them in my face."

"But do you see the point at all? She's not as much of a friend to you as you are to her."

"So kind of like you aren't as much of a significant other to Mya than she is to you?" I folded my arms and waited for him to outsmart me.

"Mya is my ex, for your information. We still fool around here and there and we still care for each other but...that's it. I'm done."

"I wouldn't exactly say you were done if you still fool around."

"And I didn't ask for your opinion."

"Whatever." I shook my head and looked around at the various drawings taped to his wall. He was actually very talented.

"So that's all you wanted to talk about? My ex?" He asked.

"No...maybe." I folded my arms.

"You could've just texted then."

"Why are you being an extra asshole today?" I squinted my eyes.

"I thought I was being myself, honestly." He slowly got out of bed and walked over to get his laptop off his desk.

"You...are a piece of work. I'm leaving."

I make my way toward the door and I hear Nate come towards me. I felt his hand wrap around my upper arm as I touched the doorknob.

"Whoa whoa, where you goin'?" He laughed. I was completely confused about this guy. One minute he's a dick to me and the next, he's concerned about where I'm going. What does he even want from me?

"Away, obviously," I answered.

"Just like that, huh?"

"You obviously don't want me here." I looked to my side and saw The Giver on his dresser. I picked it up and tucked it under my arm. "I guess you won't be needing this either."

"Wait, Liv, stop." He snatches the book back and holds it up out of my reach. I don't even bother trying to reach for it. I knew any vigorous activity would probably hurt him or break his stitches.

"Nate...I'm just gonna leave you alone, okay? If you want to read the book then you can go to the library. But considering I'm not coming to see you ever again, I'm gonna need it back."

His playful facial expression faded and his arm dropped back by his side. "You don't wanna see me anymore?"

"It's not that I don't want to. You just confuse the shit out of me & everytime we see each other there's some form of disappointment." I was irritated and rummaging through my bag to find my car keys. I'm about to name my purse Narnia because shit kept getting lost in it.