Aimed At You

Chapter 16

Lexie went to the bathroom to wash her face and calm down before she made her way to the game site where the competition is held. She heard other people talking about a man named 'Luke Hane' - Nathan's competitor. They talked about him as if he was a godly being. Someone who is apparently better than Nathan. Others were talking about how he retired from shooting when he got a girlfriend, then came back when she dumped him for someone younger.

Her heart started to race again as she made her way to the room. She felt nervous for Nathan, but at the same time, she was slightly confident that he would win - like always. She didn't want to sit in her usual spot at the corner, but she had a feeling that Nathan would look for her, and that's the first place he'll check.

Everyone was already in the room, and the game was going to start in 5 minutes. People were loudly chatting, and there were conversations and laughs scattered all around the room. Vance was watching from the top floor like an eagle looking for its prey. Nathan was nervously looking around, making Lexie smirk. In the end, she decided to just sit in her spot. As expected, Nathan glanced at her corner and made direct eye contact with her. He was talking to Leo, but froze when he caught Lexie's eyes. Despite the loudness in the room, everything seemed silent for the two. They stared at each other for 15 seconds, then Nathan dashingly smiled from ear to ear. He looked like a puppy whenever their owner comes home. For some unknown reason, butterflies danced around in Lexie's stomach, and she couldn't help but smile back.

From a distance, Lexie mouthed, "Told you I'll come."

As if it was possible, Nathan's grin grew wider, and he held two thumbs up. He mouthed back, "I knew you would."

Lexie playfully rolled her eyes while still smiling, making Nathan chuckle. She looked past him and saw a tall and muscular man already holding his pistol. He had a grim look on his face, and Lexie started to get nervous again. Nathan noticed the sudden shift in her mood, and he really wanted to sit beside her and have a little conversation before he played. Instead, he waved his hand to get her attention and raised two thumbs up again. He dusted off his shoulders as if to say "I can do this".

The man from outside earlier this afternoon announced that the game will now start, and he requested everyone to shut their loud mouths - not his exact words. Like always, the challenger started first. There were three rounds, and Luke immediately started shooting. On the first round, he shot 4 out of 5 targets. Claps erupted in the room, and Lexie tried not to roll her eyes. Nathan could do so much better that that.

On the second round, he shot all 5, then smugly glanced at Nathan. His face wasn't showing any emotion, just like Nathan. Lexie's heart started to pound again, and she wondered if Nathan's were too. Luke exhaled for a second before he started round three. This time, he shot the targets slowly - stopping a second per shot. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

He shot all the targets, and almost everyone in the room cheered. He scored 14 out of 15. When the cheers subsided, Nathan cocked his pistol and glanced at Lexie before he started round one. She raised two thumbs up, mimicking Nathan. He smiled and took a deep breath, then began shooting.

He shot all 5 targets in the first round, and Lexie clapped instantly, making the others turn to her. She ignored them and focused on Nathan, who had a small smile on his face. On the second round, Nathan shot 2, then stopped. Lexie made eye contact with Joe, and her hand started to slightly tremble. Nathan never paused before.

After about 5 seconds, he started to shoot again and missed the last target - he only shot 4, like Luke. Lexie sat up straighter and started to bite her nails out of nervousness. She was staring at Nathan like everybody else. To others, Nathan appeared like he wasn't fazed at all, but she could see how Nathan's overall mood changed. She could feel what he was feeling.