Terminal Velocity

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After tiptoeing up each step, both to waste time and to be quieter, I'm finally standing outside the room that Nate is in, and have nothing else to do as task avoidance. The door opens noiselessly as I open it, so much so that I don’t even attract the attention of the man sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring out of the window. I clear my throat, and he jumps, swearing under his breath. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.” He says as I will myself not to laugh. That probably wouldn’t be the best conversation starter. Although his reaction had been pretty funny.

“Um, yeah, uh, Andy said I should come talk to you. Are you okay?” He turns back towards the window and mutters something inaudible under his breath. “What was that?” I'm not being sneaky or anything, I literally want to help him.

“I said I'm fine.” Bullshit. Moving swiftly on...

“Well then, if you’re fine I'm gonna go back downstairs where I can talk to someone who wants to talk to me.” Bitchy, but hey. He’s being as much of a bitch as I am.

“No, I wanna talk to you.”

“The last time we talked, Mr Smith, you reduced my to tears. I promise it won’t happen again.” After a flat look, I clap my mouth shut, murmuring a “sorry,”. Couldn’t resist.

He’s hesitant to speak, making me think that what’s coming is hard for him to say, and therefore will be hard for me to listen to. “I just... I guess, I thought you liked me.”He runs his hands over his face and through his hair, trying to hide the pink patched that’re growing on his pale Irish face.

“I do.” I answer without thinking, but don’t really regret it. Let’s hope he doesn’t make me regret it.

He looks up at me, then laughs under his breath. “I mean, like liked me.” No shit.

“Yeah, me too...”

His face turns from confused to shocked to incredulous. “How can you say that?!” The words are almost spat at me.

“Well you just said you thought I liked you, and I said I did. It’s not that complicated.”

“No, I mean how can you say that when you were in town less than an hour ago with your boyfriend?!” He says with narrowed eyes.

“Boyfriend?” I'm confused. Really confused.

“That guy you got up close and personal with on the sea wall.” And suddenly, I'm not confused anymore. I am trying to keep a straight face though. “Or was he just some guy you met while you were ‘in your room’.” Imagine the air quotation marks with his fingers. Really mature.

“Oh yeah, I know the one you mean. Tall, good looking, black coat?” I am one actress on fire. He nods. “The one that, the moment I saw him I smiled and hugged and kissed him and then got worried about what he’d think if he found out I was living with three men around my age. The one with the overprotective fatherly instincts.”

“Yeah. That one. The one you bought home.”

“Mmm, his name’s Will.” Nate’s eyebrows furrow, as if to say ‘why do I care?’. “Will Taylor.” Another moment of confusion, and then one of realisation, then many of embarrassment. Suddenly, all has become clear and the pink spots return as red fire burning all over his face. “The guy who’s room you’re currently sharing with Cal. That one.”

“Oh god no!” Is all he can manage. I wait, highly but silently amused, for him to calm down. “I'm so sorry!”

“It’s okay, it’s an easy assumption I spose.” Pause. “Wait, do you mean sorry you jumped to conclusions or sorry he’s my brother.”