heartstrings

Chapter 65

Evangeline
April 27th 2018

The evening sun filtered through Nic's bedroom window, casting a warm, golden glow over everything it touched.

Nic's new room wasn't particularly big, trust me it wasn't small either, but it had a sense of calm that I liked.

The bed was neatly made, the desk was clean except for a few scattered pens and papers, and there was a faint smell of sandalwood that seemed to linger in the air. I sat cross-legged on his bed, the softness of his comforter beneath me, while he rummaged through his closet for something.

"It's nice in here," I said, looking around, trying to keep the conversation going while my mind wandered.

My eyes fell on his nightstand, and I noticed a book resting on it. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was the one I'd bought him a couple of months ago. The cover was slightly worn, the spine creased from use.

Nic emerged from the closet, holding up a shirt as if trying to decide whether to wear it or not. He caught me looking at the book and smiled. "I've been reading it," he said, as if he could read my mind.

I picked it up, feeling the weight of it in my hands. There was a bookmark tucked near the end, showing he was almost done. "You're almost finished," I said, a mix of pride and curiosity bubbling up inside me. "What do you think?"

Nic tossed the shirt onto his desk chair and walked over, sitting down beside me on the bed. He looked at the book in my hands, his expression thoughtful. "It's... intense," he said finally. "A lot more than I expected. But in a good way."

I smiled, relieved that he was enjoying it. "Woah, I didn't really know what it is about when I bought it, I guess I made a good choice?"

Nic nodded. "Definitely. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it kind of drew me in, you know? Like, I'd find myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading."

I could tell he meant it, which made me even happier.

"You've got to tell me what you think when you finish it," I said, setting the book back on the nightstand.

"I will," Nic promised, his eyes locking onto mine for a moment longer than usual.
There was something in his gaze that made my heart flutter, a quiet intensity that I'd come to recognize over the time we'd spent together.

We sat there in comfortable silence for a while, the quiet sounds of the neighborhood filtering in through the open window. I could hear kids playing outside, their laughter faint but clear, and the occasional car driving by. It was one of those moments where everything just felt... right.

But there was something else on my mind, something I'd been thinking about ever since Cass mentioned it earlier that day.

I shifted slightly on the bed, trying to find the right words. "So, there's this party on Saturday," I began, keeping my tone casual. "It's like hosted by someone from your old basketball team and was wondering if you'd want to come with me?"

Nic raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the invitation. He wasn't exactly the partying type, which I knew all too well, plus the fact that it was a basketball party didn't make it better. These parties are known for doing a lot of drugs, so it would definitely be hard for him, but I knew that he was ready.

If he wanted to.

Also Nic was more about quiet nights in, reading or watching movies, and that was part of what I loved about him. But I also wanted him to be a part of my world, to share in the things that I enjoyed, even if they weren't his usual scene.