I Adore You // Braeden Lemasters

Chapter 2: What You Like

Later that Evening

Natalie rode with Aubrey to Grand Central Market, where they met with Hailey, Mikey, and a couple of their other friends. The Market was busy even for a Sunday. Mikey reached for Natalie's hand, helping to guide her through the crowd of people. She was a little uneasy, but they were surrounded by people and it seemed easy to get lost, so she didn't think too much of it. Her hand was clammy in his grip. He flashed a quick smile at her. Soon they all sat together, eating tacos and filling their stomachs.

Mikey made a lot of small conversation with Natalie throughout the evening. He was really polite and sweet, and it had been a while since a guy showed her much kindness. They made plans to have dinner together Friday night at his apartment.

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The Next Day

Natalie, Aubrey, and Hailey sat in the living room, having some beers and celebrating that it was summer vacation. Natalie had Mikey in the back of her mind.

"Hey have you guys checked out any more music from that band we saw the other night?" Hailey asked.

"What were they called?" Aubrey asked, swigging her beer.

"Wallows," Natalie smiled.

"Oh yeah," Aubrey said. "They were pretty good. And hot." she laughed drunkenly.

Natalie laughed and shook her head. "What about Mikey?"

"What about him?" Hailey asked. She was a lot closer to him than anyone else.

"I'm supposed to have dinner with him on Friday. What's he like? What do you know about him?"

"Well, he's a good guy. He's super nice. And he hasn't had a lot of relationships, so that's probably good. Or maybe really bad, I don't know." she laughed.

"And what about you?" Natalie turned to Aubrey.

Aubrey let out a small burp, "what about me?"

"Where were you the past couple nights? You've been disappearing again."

"Don't worry about me," she giggled drunkenly.

"Well I hope he's a nice guy," Natalie laughed.

Natalie lay awake on the couch, mind spinning a little from the alcohol, thinking about Mikey. She smiled at the thought of finally having a decent relationship with a guy. She'd been a little homesick lately, missing her family. She planned to visit them soon. Five months was a long time without seeing them, and her sister grew so much every time she came home to visit. She had spent her whole life in Ohio, and hadn't ventured out of state much until she decided to leave for college. The idea of going away for school was something she fumbled around with for awhile, and something in her just told her to take the chance.

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Friday

Natalie stood in front of her mirror for a while.

"No," she said with a frown. "This isn't cute,"

"You literally look fine," Aubrey chuckled.

A cropped Led Zeppelin t-shirt and some ripped jeans was what she ended up deciding on.

When she arrived at his apartment, Mikey answered the door with a smile.

"I hope you like pasta" he said.

"I do," she smiled.

The food was okay. The meatballs tasted a bit undercooked, and the sauce was a little bland. But she appreciated somebody taking the time to cook for her. After dinner they watched a movie. The movie, too, was kind of bland. She sat on the couch with Mikey's arm around her. She felt nervous, almost as if this was her first date ever. It had been a while since a guy showed her much attention. She went home that night and relayed to Aubrey everything that happened.

"So," Aubrey said. "What do we think about him? Is he what you like?"

Natalie shrugged. "I think I like him."

She purchased her plane ticket back to Ohio that night as she lay wide awake in bed. The thought of being at home with her family made her heart feel warm. Family had always been everything to her, and she actually felt a little guilty when she chose to leave for California. It was always in the back of her mind what it might be like to adjust once she graduates from college. Her plan was always to move back to Ohio after graduation.

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A/N: Hi! Sorry it's a little slow starting out, but it's about to get super interesting :)