Smile Again

Chapter 23

The next couple of weeks went by slow and somewhat boring. It's the last week of April which means its roughly a month and half left of school. I've gotten closer with all of the guys, they've become my closer friends and its nice. They're like my body guards but they know not to protect me to much. Nathan is still picking me up from and to school, I've grown a bigger liking to him for it. I check my phone one Wednesday morning and text him if he wants to come inside he can because I'm running behind.

"Delia?" He asks nervously as he comes through the door into the living room.

"In here!" I shout from the kitchen. I hear him walk through the dining room in my direction. I'm just finishing up and wanted to grab a drink.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask nervously.

"Yeah, what is it?" 

"Do you want to... want to hang out with me this weekend? Here at my house?" I look at the ground shyly. 

"Yeah, that would be fun. I would love too." I look up and he smiles at me. I grab my bag and we head off to school. 

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"Delia, I don't want no funny business with you and Nathan," My dad warns me on Saturday before Nathan comes off.

"Trust me, dad, we're not gonna do anything. We're not even dating!" I explain to him. 

"But you want him, don't you?" 

"How do you know?"

"Just dad things." 

"He's here! Go to your room or wherever you want, just go!" I shove him off and he leaves. He walks up to my door and he's carrying a bag. I open it up for him and let him inside. 

"What's with the bag?" I ask him and sit on the couch.

"I plan on spending the night, or weekend. Doesn't matter to me." 

"Oh, I didn't tell my dad. Wa-" I stand up.

"He knows already, I told him the other day." 

"You have his number?" I exclaim.

"Of course I do, its when you were gone..." He glances down at his feet. I walk over to where he's sitting and lift his chin up. 

"I think its cute." I smile. "We'd probably have to sleep downstairs though, my dad wouldn't want you in my room. We could make the bed later-" 

He places a finger to my lips, "Let's worry about that later, let's go do something!" I nod and tell my dad we're going out. Nathan starts walking towards his car but I grab his arm and start walking in a different direction, towards the market store. He starts complaining about it but I just shove him and he shuts up. I don't think he has ever been there, so I'm excited to show him. We make it up to the market and he gasps when he steps through the door. He acts like a little kid in a candy store. I walk over to the drinks and grab a couple for us, leaving the snacks and or candy up to him.

"Grab some candy or snacks if you want, my treat." I tell him and he picks out some things for us. 

We head over to the cashier and check out. I then lead him into a different direction, down to a park but the store where I like to hangout at. It has a lot of open space, with red benches and a little gazebo for parties, its really cute. I pick a table a small ways away from the rest of them to watch everyone. He sets down our bag of things and pulls out the drinks and hands me one. Hands, hands, hands.... I think. 

"Its really peaceful here, you come here often?" Nathan asks me as he takes a drink.

"Sometimes, its like my own place that I like to go to when I'm stressed. I sit here actually." I gesture towards the table we're sitting at. "I thought I would show it to you because well, I like you a little bit more than everyone else."