Social Experiment

40 | Because I Wanted To

THIS CHAPTER THOUGH. Vote if you screamed and comment the immense amount of feels you experienced during this chapter
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All conversation about Nathan's parents came to a screeching halt when Esther brought out our food. I was thankful for the distraction, though, because the change in Nathan's demeanor was almost relieving. His shoulders relaxed as his expression softens, and eventually, his eyes follow suit. 

And when Esther places our plates in front of us, I suddenly understood why her and Nathan had smirked when I ordered earlier. The burger that I requested was the "usual" that Nathan seemed to get every time. 

Nathan watches me with a smirk as I realize this and look up at him with the beginnings of a smile. "You're kidding." 

"I order this every time I come here," He promises me with a chuckle. "Unless it's breakfast."

"Don't lie to the girl," Esther reprimands with a taunting smile. "This boy orders that exact burger every single time he comes here, whether it's eight in the morning or eight at night. His parents used to yell at him, but they gave up after awhile. There's no use in trying to get him to order anything else."

The endearing story sends warmth coursing through my body for a few reasons. One, I loved to hear about Nathan's childhood. Or hear about anything about Nathan's personal life at all, really. And two, I loved watching Nathan grow embarrassed by Esther's words. His cheeks even turned a rare shade of pink as a huge, satisfied grin spreads across my face. 

"You couldn't have lied this one time to spare me?" Nathan groans at Esther, though he even has an amused smile on his lips. 

She laughs jovially at him and sends him a motherly smile. "I have to make sure that this girl knows what she's getting into if she's going to be involved with you."

Her words send a spark of nervous excitement throughout my body as my gaze flickers to Nathan's carefully. I bit my tongue from telling her that we weren't involved because, honestly, I didn't want to admit it out loud. Nathan's gaze catches mine and he doesn't say anything, either.

After a beat of sharing a heart stopping look between us, Nathan looks away from me and to Esther and mumbles, "I'm going to the bathroom."

My excitement is short lived and seems to deflate when Nathan excuses himself from the table instead of addressing what Esther had said. But the woman herself gives me no time to mourn the loss of his presence when her hand rests on the back of my chair and she smiles warmly down at me. 

"You know," Esther says sweetly with a motherly look in her eye. "You're the first girl that Nathan has ever brought here."

And despite the awkward moment between us a minute ago, her words make my heart skip a beat. This restaurant was a fond childhood memory for him, where he used to spend his beloved Sunday mornings, and he brought me here. I mean, that had to mean something, right? 

"I'm happy that he did," I tell her with an honest smile. "Or else I would've never found out about this place. I love how secluded it is."

"It's nice to see Nathan so happy," Esther continues and pays little regard to my small talk about the restaurant. "I almost thought that he would never find a nice girl."

This time, though, I had to force out the words. "We aren't dating."

Her smile freezes before it lessens and Esther raises her eyebrows with a look that screams she's unimpressed. "You're telling me that boy hasn't asked you out yet?"

I noted the way she said yet.

With great reluctance, I tell her, "We're just friends."