My Mess

Chapter Thirty-Six: Calm Before the Storm

Chapter Thirty-Six: Calm Before the Storm
Nathaniel's POV

"No nachos?" I asked with a frown. 

Cole laid down on his back, stretching out on my floor. "No nachos." 

Yeah, something was wrong. 

I laid down on my floor next to him, turning towards him. "Why?" 

I was probably one of the worst people at comforting. I really tried my best when it came to Cole. He had and is going through so much, and I wanted him to know I would do anything I could to be the best... friend? That I could. 

"I'm not hungry." He said with a smile as he opened his eyes, "You better get off the floor quickly. Down here too long and you might get-" He gasped, "Dirty!"

"Actually, this floor is cleaned like three times a day." 

"Good to know your room is probably cleaner than my entire house is combined." 

"Stop changing the subject," I murmured, brushing his hair slightly out of his face. "You never say no to nachos. Why don't you want them?" 

He laughed, "It's a crime not to be hungry? Or maybe you're trying to fatten me up." 

"Maybe you're just trying to change the subject." I didn't think it was possible for someone to look so pretty laying down.  Some of his hair was on his face, some of it spread out slightly across the floor. It had gotten longer since we met, his skin was darker. It almost pained me to say he was very obviously sleep deprived. 

His grin fell into a closed-lip smile. "I just don't want to throw up all over your nice ass house." 

"Well why would you throw up?" I kept my voice gentle, in hopes that he would understand that I didn't want him to tell me, if he didn't want to. 

His smile fell completely and I knew that look as soon as I saw it.

 He was thinking of his mom.

"I keep thinking of my mom." He murmured, and I felt a breath of relief that he was talking to me. "It's stupid, I know-" 

"It's not." 

He smiled, "But it's like, I'll think of something small and then something surrounding my family will pop up in my head and then I'll start thinking of my mom. I don't want to ruin us hanging out." 

I frowned, "Cole, you could be throwing up on my shoes again. I still wouldn't mind." 

I wish there was an easier way to tell him that I wanted to hang out with him because I liked being around him. Not just being around his outgoing personality. If his mouth got sewn shut for some reason, I'd still be here, right next to him. 

"I just don't want to think of her anymore." He sighed, exhaustion seeping into his words and I could tell it was more mental than it was physical. 

I didn't know how to help him. 

I wanted to, I just really didn't know how.