Nick and Charlie

Chapter 21

I open my eyes, and sunlight is the first thing that hits me. I squint, sitting up and looking around the room. The curtain had been left ajar, and conveniently let a ray of sunlight right on my face to wake me up. Note the sarcasm.

I huff, getting out of bed and padding down the stairs.

When I walk in the kitchen I see Nick leaning against the sink, drinking what looks like tea. Oh, I forgot to mention that he was shirtless. Silly me.

"Oh, hey," I say, running a hand through my curly hair.

"Good morning, princess," he says, smiling. My inside goes warm, and I can't help smiling back.

"Have I mentioned you look really adorable with bed hair," Nick says, and my heart starts beating fast.

"What?"

"Just an observation I took," he says, winking at me. I playfully roll my eyes, but my stomach starts twisting up.

"Why are you up so early?" he asks, turning on the kettle.

"Sunlight got through the window," I say, and he smiles to himself.

"Hate it when that happens,"

"What about you? Why are you up now, early bird?" I ask. He pours the water from the kettle into a mug.

"We have to start the day at some time, why not in the morning?" he says, and I shrug. He puts chocolate mix into the mug and stirs it, then adds milk, more chocolate, then hands it to me. He knows just how I like my hot chocolate.

We walk outside onto the verandah, and I sit on one of the deck chairs, curling my leg under me.

"How's Katie going?" I ask Nick as he sits next to me.

"She's good. Mason comes over every other day, so that seems to be going well," Nick says, sipping his tea.

"Well, that's great," I say, smiling. We sit in comfortable silence, and I realize that I like this; being able to sit in quietness and not feel the need to fill it with pointless conversation.

...

"I want to go shopping!" May says, stamping her foot.

"Well, it is kind of a shitty day, maybe we shouldn't go to the beach," Grace says, looking outside. Fog had settled over the bay, and it was raining lightly.

"I don't want to shop," Aug says, reciprocating exactly what May did, including the foot stomp.

"Why don't we see a movie?" Nick suggests, and I agree.

"Let's see The Dressmaker!" May says, and all the guys groan.

"I swear, everything has to be about clothes with you," Will says, and May pokes her tongue out at him. He does the same thing to her.

"What about The Danish Girl?" Grace suggests, and the guys look at her, questioningly. She begins to explain what the movie is about, and they reluctantly agree to see it.

This would be interesting.

...

A half hour bus trip, five-minute walk and a two-minute wait in the line at the cinema, we finally make our way to cinema 5 to watch The Danish Girl.

I sit next to Jane, and Nick sits on my other side.

I suddenly remember something.

"Hey, what's going on with you and Seb?" I whisper to Jane, who smiles a little.