Heart Me

Chapter 11

Nate's POV

Mia and I sat on the school bus while she fed me a stream of unnecessary gossip. Her sudden change surprised me. She had gone from being infatuated with me to seemingly indifferent, reverting to the sweet girl I remembered from our childhood—a girl who would do anything to make others happy. In between, she had become spoiled and selfish, traits that emerged after her parents divorced.

"So, how did it go with Kayla yesterday?" Mia inquired.

"You're awfully interested in her," I grinned. "Are you sure you're not hurting yourself?"

"Hurting myself? How? I just want you two to be together. She's a good person and she deserves someone genuine, like you." Mia avoided looking at me.

"And what about how you feel? Mia, you shouldn't ignore your own feelings."

"Oh, there's Kayla. She's about to board the bus," Mia interrupted.

"Mia, you..."

"I have no problem with you liking Kayla or Kayla liking you back. I'm happy for you. Don't worry about me." She smiled, looking directly into my eyes. "I'll go sit with Tristan." I nodded. She got up and went to sit near Tristan two seats behind me.

Kayla entered the bus followed by Grace. They were the last to board. Grace sat at an empty seat at the front. I was seated somewhere around the middle. Kayla walked towards the back, searching for an empty seat. The only seat left was beside me, and she sat down with an annoyed expression.

We were going on a three-day tour to a national reserve. During the first few minutes on the bus, Kayla and I exchanged glances. She kept catching me staring at her, and every time she did, she rolled her eyes in annoyance. The bus hit a sharp corner, causing Kayla to lean towards my side. She quickly composed herself, pretending it hadn't happened.

"You look amazing," I said, breaking the silence. She was wearing a white summer dress that reached her lower thighs, and her curly, silky hair cascaded over her shoulders and back.

"Thanks," she replied in a hoarse voice.

"What's wrong with your voice? Do you have a sore throat or something?" I inquired.

"A sore throat," she confirmed.

"But yesterday your voice was fine."

"Yeah, I've had a sore throat since Monday. Today it's worse," she explained.

I reached into my jeans pocket and pulled out some mint sweets.

"Here," I handed them to her. "They'll help relieve the soreness."

"Thank you," she smiled slightly, unwrapping one of the sweets and popping it into her mouth.

We hardly spoke for several minutes. I just kept looking at her, noticing her discomfort. She had dry coughs, and she alternated between wearing and removing her jacket. She also seemed to be fighting sleep. Her head would drop onto my shoulder before she immediately straightened up. When it happened again, I spoke up.

"It's okay," I said, passing my hand behind her back and wrapping it around her. She moved closer and placed her head on my shoulder. I could tell she was uncomfortable by her frequent movements and irregular breathing. "Are you uncomfortable? You don't have to be," I sighed.

I stroked her hand until she relaxed. Her body temperature was very high despite not wearing her jacket.

"I'm cold, I need to wear my jacket," she complained.

"Kayla, you're burning up, and it's hot and sunny," I reprimanded.

"I'm cold," she insisted, her voice shivering.