Summer Promise || Nathan Sykes

Chapter Five

Nathan had dropped me off at my cabin an hour ago. The whole ride back had been filled with an awkward silence. Nathan was clearly annoyed has he gripped onto the steering wheel tightly. The muscles on his arms had tensed and his knuckles had turned white. I hadn’t dared to say anything until I got out of the car and mumbled a thank you. Jake had mustered up the rest of our group and left for the beach just as Nathan had dropped me off.

I was laid on my bed with my legs resting on the wall thinking about the time I had spent with Nathan. It was only mid-afternoon and I was bored but I just couldn’t get him out of my mind. What was it that had happened to him to make him disbelieve in love? I know that I, myself had not yet been in love but what would life be if there wasn’t love?

I was becoming bored of the grey coloured ceiling so I decided to go for a walk. I slipped my converse back on my feet and left the cabin. The day was still relatively young and the sky was still bright as I began to walk along a dirt track I had not previously explored. The grass seemed to become higher as I walked further along the track. My thoughts still remained on Nathan. I was curious about his reaction to the mention of love but I also felt guilty for questioning it. Maybe he had had his heart broken in the past. Or perhaps he had developed this conclusion about love from second hand experience.

I was pulled from my thoughts when a Frisbee flew at me and hit my arm. I picked it up from the floor and looked ahead as two girls came into a view. One of them ran towards me and smiled.

“Hey, you’re the girl Nathan was talking to at the beach party,” she said as she took the Frisbee from me. I recognised her but couldn’t quite work out who she was.

“Uh…yeah,” I replied a little awkwardly.

“I’m his sister, Ruby,” she told me and held out her hand. I smiled and shook it. “Lilia.”

“I thought it was Rebel?” she asked and I smirked.

“He’s told you about me?” I questioned and she nodded.

“That’s Tilly,” she said pointing to the girl who was stood not so far from us. I waved at her and she returned it.

“Are you coming to the party tonight?” Ruby asked me and I shrugged.

“You should go. We’ll drag Nathan along with us. He seems very interested in you,” she told me making me smile.

“He’s only known me three days,” I pointed out and she shrugged. “Maybe you’re different.”

I said goodbye to her and we went our separate ways. When I returned to the cabin everyone had come back to get ready for the party so I did the same. I put on a black lace dress with long sleeves and black dolly shoes.

“You’re a little overdressed,” Jake said as I entered the living area. I shrugged and sat down on the sofa. I grabbed my makeup bag and started applying makeup.

By the time April was ready the party had already started so we headed straight to the beach. When we arrived I drifted from the group and headed up the beach. I sat down on one of the logs that had been put there this morning. I looked around the beach hoping to see Ruby or Tilly. My eyes landed on the blonde haired Ruby who was talking to some guy who looked about five years older than her. She was laughing and playing with her hair obviously flirting. I watched carefully as Nathan came into view. He walked over to Ruby and started saying something to her while frowning. She rolled her eyes at him before walking away from the guy she had been flirting with. Nathan shot a warning look at the guy before walking away. He looked around the beach and his eyes settled on me. I smiled as he started walking towards me.

“Good evening,” he spoke as he sat down beside me.

“Hi,” I smiled and he grinned.

“You look nice,” he complimented making me blush.

“Thanks,” I muttered as we both looked down at where the mayhem was happening.

“I’m sorry about this morning,” Nathan said breaking the minute of silence.

“It’s fine. I won’t ask about it again,” I replied and he smiled.

“Listen, you and my sisters are the only people I know here so this party kind of sucks. I have beer and movies at my cabin if you fancy it,” he told me. I looked down at the party to see Jake and April dancing together.

“Sounds good,” I spoke and he grinned before standing up. He pulled me up from the log and we walked up the beach together.

“How’s that song coming along?” I asked as we headed to the east side of campus.

“It’s not. I still don’t know enough about you,” he replied looking at me.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you about myself,” I said while shrugging.

“I guess you’ll have to spend more time with me so I can get to know you then,” he told me and I smiled.

“I guess we will,” I agreed as we walked past my cabin. We continued further up the dirt track until Nathan stopped outside a cabin larger than my own. It was one of the more expensive cabins on the campus which made me believe that he was actually a songwriter. He unlocked the door and we entered the cabin. It was a similar layout to my own cabin but much larger.

“Have a seat,” he said gesturing towards the sofa. I did as he said and sat down on the leather sofa as he got two beers out of the fridge. He handed one to me as he came over and sat down. I watched him as he took the television remote and turned on the TV. He picked a random film and played it. I didn’t get chance to see the name of the film but I watched it anyway. I sipped my beer as we sat in silence watching the film.

There were no cheesy moves like him yawning and putting his arm around me which made me feel as though I wasn’t just another girl to him. He had the looks to have as many girls as he wished but he didn’t seem like the type to sleep around. And his disbelief in love made me wonder about his love life.