His name was Nathaniel

55

Nathaniel woke up with a start, his heart racing, his body feeling strangely warm. For a moment, he wasn't sure what had happened—his mind was groggy, still caught in the hazy remnants of a dream. And then, it hit him.

His face flushed with heat as the details of the dream came rushing back—Adaliya. Her touch, her warmth, the way she looked at him, all so vivid in his mind. It was overwhelming, and his body had responded in kind.

He groaned inwardly, his face burning with embarrassment as he threw the blanket off and quickly looked down at himself. Great. Of all the things to happen while he was trapped here at his grandparents' house.

Nathaniel scrambled out of bed, clumsily trying to clean himself up before his grandmother came to bring him breakfast, as she did every morning. His mind raced as he grabbed some tissues and tried to hide the evidence, moving as fast as he could in his injured state.

"Just my luck," he muttered under his breath, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck. He quickly grabbed a fresh pair of pajama pants, tossing the soiled ones in the laundry hamper.

He glanced at the door, the sound of footsteps approaching from down the hall. His grandmother would be there any minute. Panic surged through him, and without thinking, he rushed over and locked the door.

Just as he turned the lock, he heard the soft knock.

"Nathaniel, dear? Are you awake? I've brought your breakfast," his grandmother's voice called from the other side of the door.

Nathaniel's heart pounded in his chest. "Uh, yeah, Grandma. Just a second!"

There was a pause, and he could almost hear the concern in her voice. "Why is the door locked? Are you all right in there?"

Nathaniel swallowed hard, trying to steady his voice as he pulled the fresh pyjama pants on. "I'm fine, Grandma. Just... getting dressed. I'll open the door in a minute!"

Another pause. He could practically feel her worry through the door. "All right, but don't lock the door like that, Nathaniel. You know I worry."

Nathaniel squeezed his eyes shut, internally cursing himself for making her worry. "Sorry, Grandma. I'll unlock it in a second, I promise."

He quickly finished tidying up the room, making sure there was no lingering evidence of his embarrassing morning ordeal. His mind was still racing with the vivid images from his dream, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the flustered feeling that clung to him.

Finally, he took a deep breath and unlocked the door. His grandmother stood there, tray in hand, her face lined with concern.

"There you are," she said, stepping into the room. Her eyes flicked over him, as if trying to assess if something was wrong. "You look a bit flustered this morning, dear. Are you sure everything's all right?"

Nathaniel forced a smile, hoping it didn't look as awkward as it felt. "Yeah, Grandma. I'm fine. Just... didn't sleep well, I guess."

She didn't seem convinced, but she let it slide, placing the tray of breakfast on the bedside table. "Well, make sure you eat. You've been skipping meals again, and I won't have it. You need your strength."

Nathaniel nodded, sitting down on the bed and reaching for the plate of food. "Thanks, Grandma. I'll eat."

Grace gave him one more concerned look before patting his shoulder and heading for the door. "And no more locking the door, Nathaniel. You know how that worries me."

"I won't," Nathaniel promised, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him. "I'm sorry."

She gave him a soft smile before leaving the room, the door clicking shut behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Nathaniel let out a long, frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. What was wrong with him? He felt like a teenager all over again, flustered and awkward because of a dream. And not just any dream—a very intimate, very vivid dream about Adaliya.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he started eating his breakfast. But even as he focused on the food, his mind kept drifting back to her—the way she'd looked in the dream, the feel of her skin against his, the sound of her moans. It had all felt so real.

And that was the problem, wasn't it? He couldn't stop thinking about her. Ever since that weekend, she had been on his mind constantly. Every day, every hour, his thoughts always seemed to circle back to her.

Nathaniel sighed, pushing his plate aside. He couldn't let this get to him. He needed to stay focused, especially now that he was stuck here recovering. But no matter how hard he tried, the thought of Adaliya lingered at the back of his mind, refusing to be ignored.

He knew he had feelings for her—there was no denying that anymore. But how was he supposed to navigate those feelings while they were still on shaky ground? She hadn't even said if she wanted to start dating him yet, and here he was, getting flustered over a dream.

Nathaniel ran a hand over his face, letting out a long breath. He needed to get himself together.