"Wake up, wake up," I say, pushing Nate's shoulder.
He rolls over and groans, looking up at me. "What do you want, Adya?"
"I have an amazing idea," I tell him. "The best idea in the whole fucking world. I need you to get on your bike."
He sits up and grabs his phone. The light illuminates his face as he turns it on. "It's two in the morning," he mumbles.
"Exactly," I say. "Come on, Nate. Don't spend your whole life sleeping. The best stuff happens at nighttime."
"I beg to differ," he mutters, but he gets out of bed and heads into the bathroom. I hear him brushing his teeth, and then he comes back out and brushes past me. "What, exactly, is your amazing idea?"
"You're not gonna put on a shirt?" I question, raising my brows at his shirtless chest.
He sighs and heads down the stairs.
I follow him out the front door and into the night air. It's cool but not cold; in a cropped tank top and joggers, the cool night air kisses my bare stomach. Considering it was just snowing a few days ago, this weather is a drastic difference.
We get on our bikes and Nate pedals behind me, not questioning where we are going. When I stop in front of the gas station, he gives me a look.
"You dragged me out of bed to go to the gas station?" he says.
"Shut up and buy me a slushie," I says.
We get our slushies and I continue to lead Nate down roads. His face lights up when he realizes where we are. I drop my bike and run down a ditch, climbing to the other side and putting my hands on the fence.
It's the airport.
The fence is high, and I wedge my toes in the little gaps until I reach the top. I look up at the sky and sip my slushie. "Slow poke," I call down to Nate.
He grins and hoists himself up next to me, his strong arms gripping the fence.
The first plane comes.
It barrels fast towards us, and I close my eyes and reach my hands towards the sky. The whooshing sound fills my ears. The wind pulls at my hair and clothes and I feel like I am flying.
Next to me, Nate is smiling. His hair is tousled. His back and chest are bare. He looks over at me. "This is such a dumb idea," he tells me.
"Shut up," I tell him. "Look, the next one is approaching."
The next plane is much bigger. The nose of the plane looks centimetres away from me, but I know in reality it's quite far away. At the last second, I bring my legs up to the top of the fence and let go of the fence, reaching my hands towards the plane. Fear and excitement drills through me.
I whoop and Nate whoops.
I'm reminded of that part in the perks of being a wallflower, where Charlie says that he feels infinite. I finally understand what he means. It is a feeling I cannot put into words; I cannot describe it on paper. You just have to be there.
When we get back home, our hair is wind whipped and our clothes are ruffled. I sit in my room in silence for a couple of seconds. The air whistles in through my window. Books are piled and scattered everywhere. Clothes are strewn across the floor and my mascara is smudged all underneath my eyes, like black tears.
I stand up and walk to Nate's room, knocking on the door.
I open the door and stand in the doorway. My hair falls around my shoulders. I am cold in a tank top and sleep shorts. Something unsettling has burrowed deep in my stomach.
"Can I sit with you?" I ask quietly.
Nate tilts his head and squints his eyes a little. "'Course," he says, shifting over. I sit on top of the duvet cover and curl my knees to my chest, peering at the book he's reading.
"Vonnegut," I say. "The sign of a true intellectual."
"What's wrong?" he asks, examining me curiously.
"Nothing," I lie. "I'm fine."
Nate doesn't call me out on my bullshit. I'm glad he doesn't. If he did, that means I'd have to explain myself. And how can I explain something I don't even understand?
He looks at me. And then he pulls me into his arms. They are strong and warm and smell like cigarettes and vanilla. I exhale and close my eyes. I relax my body and uncurl my legs, stretching them out. Nate pulls me under the covers and I instinctively lay my head on his chest. I put my ear to his heart. I listen to his heart beat fast.
"Is this okay?" he murmurs.
"Yes," I say softly. My voice breaks a little. I swallow back the tears and look up at Nate. "Thank you."
He reaches over and turns the lamp off. Darkness covers the room like a blanket, and I drift off to sleep to the sound of Nate's heart.
YOU ARE READING
Right Where You Left Me
Romance𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 "What?" I ask. He brings his hand to my face. His fingertips brush my lips. "What would you do," he says, "If I kissed you right now?" "I'd probably push you away," I say, and huff out a nervous laugh. I've never been a good liar, and...
