NURA

Chapter 16

Nate

Feb. 2014, Montana

A small smile spread over his lips as soon as they sped by the sign welcoming them to Montana.

It didn't matter how many countries Nate had visited, how many exotic places he had discovered, or how much he loved living in New York; there would never be a place on this earth more beautiful to him than his small ranch in the middle of nowhere.

A small movement caught his eye, and he glanced to his right in time to see Nura wriggle her nose a little, still asleep. Nate's face softened at the sight of her looking so relaxed and peaceful, a far cry from how she looked awake these days, at least in Nate's presence.

She was so angry with him, her eyes spitting fire every time they fell on Nate, as the hurt rolled off her in waves, threatening to drown him.

Nate could honestly say that he had never been more surprised than when Nura had agreed to let him take her to his birth home.

She had protested at first, stating that she didn't need or want anything to do with Nate, but after a few days with no other option in sight, she finally relented.

Nate knew that Nura was doing it because she didn't have any other choice, and the fact hurt, but a big part of him couldn't help but be over the moon to get to spend time with her again, no matter the reason behind it.

"Are we close?" Nura asked as soon as she woke up, her eyes trained on the passing hills covered in layers upon layers of fluffy, white snow. Nate's heart hurt a little at her obvious reluctance to look at him for more than a second, but he pushed it aside, knowing full well that even that was more than he deserved.

"We'll be there in 15 minutes," he said quietly, glancing to the side to see Nura nod before burying her face in her jacket, a screaming, pink hat pulled snuggly over her curls. It was the same one she had that night when she came to see Nate in the hospital, and the flashes of skin against skin, lips pulled between teeth, and the breathless whispers of pleasure flashed through Nate's mind so all he could do was quickly look away unless he risked crashing the car and killing them both.

The sudden tightness between his legs was distracting, so Nate tried to think of anything else to will it away, only managing to do that just as they were pulling up to the ranch's gates. The old sign proclaiming that they've just arrived at 'Robin's' hung to the side, a thick cover of snow weighing it down.

"Here we are," he said, stating the obvious, but the silence stretching between them was so oppressing that he felt the need to fill it with something, as the obvious black hole between them was slowly starting to kill him.

Nura nodded again, and Nate couldn't help but reach out to softly touch her hand. She looked his way at the contact for just a moment, her eyes closed off but for a glint of something coming through. She blinked, and it was gone as she quickly turned around and got out of the car, her hand slipping from Nate's and making the skin that was touching hers cold.

Nate saw his parents coming out of the house, so he took a big breath before exiting the car. The cold air hit his face, a drastic change to the warmth of the car, and he blinked away the tears caused by the sudden change in temperature, his eyes falling on Nura, who was standing to the side and silently watching their surroundings. He wondered for a second what the girl saw when she looked at the old ranch.

Did she find it as beautiful as Nate did?

"Honey!" Ma' yelled as soon as she saw him, and soon Nate's whole body was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.