❛ SUPERMARKET FLOWERS ♪ ❜ - z. herron

fifteen: you know I care for you, right?

"Babe?" Nate says, walking into Bella and my dorm room.

"Hi," I say, getting off my bed to give him a kiss.

"Hey Isa." Nate says, waving to her as she works from her desk.

"Hey Nate, what's good?"

"Not much." he says to her but looks back at me.

"Wanna come study with me?" He says, giving me pleading eyes.

"I don't know if I can, I have a paper to do and-"

"Oh shut up. Don't tell me you forgot." Nate says, cutting me off, taking his hands off my hips.

"Forgot what?" I say, looking at my calendar. There was nothing on my agenda today. I don't know what I could have possibly forgotten.

"What day is it today?" He beams at me.

It's Tuesday. It's August 30th. Holy shit, it's August 30th.

"OH MY GOD. I'M SO SORRY." I say, grabbing my jacket, luckily my paper isn't due until September 9th. "Happy one month babe!" I say, kissing him.

"Bye Isabella!" he says as I lock the door.

As we walk down the hall, hand in hand, I kiss the back of his hand. "I'm so sorry Nate, I didn't even realize."

"Don't stress about it, I didn't realize until I was on my way over here." he says with a laugh.

It's weird being in a relationship. Specific stuff you're used to is off-limits. Like sometimes outfits I can't wear because "Nathan doesn't like it" or certain nights are date night. But I never knew someone could care so much about you in only a month. As we walk to his car, he opens the door for me.

"Where do you wanna go?" he says, looking at me.

"Wherever. I honestly don't mind."

"Okay. I have the most perfect place."

*

As we sit eating tacos in his car, watching the stars, he says something that catches me off guard. "Hey babe?"

"Hm?" I say, taking another bite.

"I don't know if you should keep hanging out with Emerson." I choke. As I regain my breath, coughing, I say, "What?"

"I don't know if she's necessarily the best friend to you."

I don't even believe the words coming out of his mouth as of right now. 

"What the actual fuck are you talking about?"

"Well, she's not employed."

"She's a consultant at her father's firm." I say, cutting him off.

"You both always drink together."

"Yeah, who else am I gonna drink with?"

"Isabella." he says, looking at me.

"Isa and I are best friends, yeah. But not the same way me and Em are, Emerson is my sibling and if you don't feel comfortable around her, I understand. I'll give up clothes and self care days for you. But not my best friend."

"Okay, I'm sorry for always being the bad guy." he says, turning on the car.

"Babe, I didn't mean it like-"

"No, I'm sorry that I always make you feel like shit and will never be enough for you."

"That's not what I meant. You know that"

"Sure, I do," he says, sighing.

 When we argue like this, he never lets me say anything. I care so much about him, but he acts like I don't. Most of the time, it's when I don't like that he restricts me. I hope this blows over by tomorrow. I turn on the radio to mask our tension-filled silence.

"Next on 102.7 is Why Don't We, In Too Deep."

I smile slightly and look out the window remembering the concert. I quietly mouth the words; this used to be my favorite song for months. Even if Zach never dm'd me back, at least I got a banger out of it. Right as the chorus is about to play, the music abruptly stops.

"Why'd you turn it off?" I ask, slightly pissed.

"You really like that shit?" he says, "The boyband knockoff pop?"

"They aren't even that bad, you just won't give them a shot." I mumble.

"I knew your music taste was ass, but c'mon Kira. A boyband? Really?" he says, annoyed.

"I'm not asking you to like them, I'm just saying I do." I say, my eyes stuck on the road, so I don't have to look at him. "Fine, we can listen to another station." I state, pulling my hand up to the radio while he's at a stoplight. I turn to 106.7, but I immediately recognize the lyrics. 

This is Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran.

I hum along close my eyes, but it too abruptly turned off. "Jesus Kira, we have to work on your music taste." He says, pinching the bridge of his nose. We pull up to my dorm building. As I'm about to walk back up, he grabs my hand, making me sit back down.

"You know I care for you right?" he says, looking at me.

I look down at my hands, "Yeah, I know." 

"I really do." he says, gently grabbing my face, so I look at him.

"Okay, I believe you."

"Can I have a kiss?" As much as I really don't want to kiss him right now, I don't want him to feel like I don't care for him. I slightly kiss his lips and then pull away.

"I'll see you later." I say, walking out of his car into my building.

I hope that's not what love is. I hope he just had a bad day because that was terrible. 

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word count: 908; sorry for a short chapter

y'all are about to get a whole curveball next chapter!

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much love,

~ nish