After telling Sunny to tell our moms I'd be over later, I walked away with Mariah in tow.
I couldn't believe her right now; the nerve she had, trying to invite herself to a dinner she was never going to.
"What the hell, babe? That was kinda rude?"
I looked over at her in disbelief before rolling my eyes.
"You're joking, right? Mariah, you--"
"You could've just let me come."
"How am I supposed to invite you over to someone else's house?"
"Well, Sunny--"
"Sunny was being too nice to tell you no. I, on the other hand, have no problem with that."
"God, what is your problem, Nathan?!"
"Right now? Just you. Don't think I didn't see how you tried to force her into inviting you. Not cool, Em."
"But, Babe--"
As we made it to the senior parking lot and over to our cars, I stopped to look down at her, huffing in frustration.
"No, look— I can't do this right now, okay? And I don't feel like arguing about this. I gotta go get ready for dinner."
✨
After getting home and taking a quick shower, I changed and was soon speeding impatiently down the street to the Prescott house.
There was no 'family dinner' tonight, but after what we left unspoken at the fence after practice, I needed to talk to Sunny.
After punching in the code to their private gate, I made my way up the long driveway and parked behind Sunny's little white roadster.
I went up to the door and stopped myself after I lifted my fist to knock, deciding instead to use the key I still had.
The house was quiet, and as I made my way down the hall to her studio, I stopped, hearing her voice bouncing off the walls. I walked up the stairs slowly, taking each step one by one, as her voice resonated.
The door to the studio was slightly open and as I peeked in, I could see her playing her keyboard with her headphones plugged in; she was jamming out, lost in her own world and she had never looked more beautiful.
As she began singing again, I focused on the lyrics and my heart twitched, and my skin began to tingle as I hoped-- no prayed-- she was singing about me... about us.
✨
Here we are... We've been here, yes we have... Can you tell me we're okay?
We're face to face... But are we still apart? Can you tell me it's okay?
You can't know what you've done! No, you don't know how I've changed...
Oh, I can't believe... That I'd say this to you... You can stay, you can go Still I'll never be the same... But I hope that we're okay
You can't know what you've done! No, you don't know how I've changed... I know I was wrong! I'm sorry that I hurt you... Can you tell me it's okay?
Here we are... We've been here before... Can you tell me it's okay?
You can't know what you've done! No, you don't know how I've changed... I know I was wrong... I'm sorry that I hurt you! Nate just tell me it's okay?
✨
Her eyes had been shut for a while and when she finally opened them, she sniffled a bit, and I could tell even with her back turned, she was crying.
She nodded to herself and crossed out a lyric, replacing it with another.
"I know I was wrong... I'm sorry that I hurt you... Nate, just tell me we're okay?"
She stopped playing the melody she was plugged into and as she yanked her headphones off and set them down, she let out a defeated huff.
"It's... it's okay. We're okay."
She turned suddenly, her eyes widening as she caught me standing there in the studio doorway, and as she opened her mouth to speak, we were both on the brink of crying.
