New Beginnings (Charlie Bartlett Fanfic Starring Robert Downey Jr.)

Chapter 17 - More of a Gentleman

With no blizzard in sight, Sydney left Nathan's arms somewhere around one in the morning – with much reluctance. While she was still firm with herself about wanting to be more casual with him, that didn't mean she wanted to leave him in the middle of the night. He kissed her goodbye, the act lingering and neither of them wanting it to end.

Sydney drove home wondering where she would say she'd been. She wasn't sure if Jess and Arlen would be home, but if they were she was sure that Arlen would hear her the moment she opened the door and bombard her with questions. She parked in the driveway, rather than opening the garage, and made her way to the front door, feeling every bit like the teenagers she was teaching; she was sneaking home past curfew after being a "bad girl" with that cute boy she liked. Well, I didn't do it then, so why not now?

After successfully making it through the front door without any noticeable noise, Sydney held her breath as she approached the stairs; however, the glow from the living room caught her attention. As stealthily as she could, she peeked into the room. The television was on with the Sony logo floating across the screen, a telltale sign that those watching it had fallen asleep. On the sectional couch were three people: Jess was partially sitting up on the short end, his head flopped to the side, David on the longer end, he too asleep sitting up, and Arlen, the only one horizontal, with his head in David's lap. She felt a small ball of guilt in her stomach, leaving them the way she did wasn't usually her style, but Arlen's sister had pressed one too many buttons.

Sydney went to her room and closed the door. She was relieved that there was nobody interrogating her. Upon plugging her phone in and restarting it, the missed calls and text notifications poured in. She ignored them since all three of the callers were downstairs. When she finally crawled into bed, she inhaled deeply. She could smell Nathan on her skin and the comfort that brought her lulled her to sleep almost immediately.

The next morning Sydney went downstairs, ready for work. She was disappointed that Nathan's scent disappeared down the shower drain, but knew it was necessary. Arlen approached her immediately. "Sydney, I'm so so sorry for..."

"Stop right there," she interrupted, gently. "Arlen, please don't ever apologize for her. I'm sorry for leaving. I just..."

Arlen caressed her face, his eyes exhausted. "I would have left too. Are you okay? We were all worried when we couldn't reach you."

Sydney forced the corners of her mouth straight to keep from smiling too much. "I'm fine, I promise. I just had to clear my head for a while." She hugged her friend, knowing there was so much he wasn't planning on telling her right now. "How's the baby?"

"Stable, but weak," he whispered. She could see the heartbreak in his eyes. "I'm going back today, but Jess," he sighed. "Syd, he has every right to be angry, but it got so bad after you left." His exhausted eyes watered.

"Is he gone already?" Arlen nodded. "You take care of yourself tonight, I'll talk to Jess."

"Thank you, honey." He looked at the clock. "You better get moving. I'm sure you don't want to miss another day." He kissed her on the cheek and sent her on her way.

Sydney's heart fluttered as she made her way down the hall to her classroom. How she'd be able to cover up any excessive smiling or blushing around Nathan was beyond her; she knew she'd have to think of something, as they would certainly be seen together at some point in time. For now, she focused on the previous night. They had somehow mixed conversation and pleasure into an unforgettable time for both of them.

She went about her normal routine, which included unlocking her desk drawer and finding the pink rose and the envelope. The rose had a small, plastic vile full of water attached to the end of it, so it was still full of life despite its dark hiding place. I know his car wasn't in the lot yet. She smiled as she opened the envelope, Nathan's handwriting coming into view: