Norah & Daniel

Chapter-20

Dedicated to MusicGurl8192. I just love reading your comments. They are so detailed and encouraging. Thank you so much for your support. ♥

So here's the 20th chapter. I can't believe I actually made it so far.

Hope you enjoy the chapter =)

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It's true what people say to be careful about whom you give the power to affect you, or else you might end up being really sorry. And I was.

I tried telling myself that I was fine, and his act had no effect on me and, yet here I was standing at the exact same spot on the bridge where I met him for the first time.

Alright, not exactly for the first time but it was still the place that started it all.

I pushed my gaze upwards and stared at the morning sky and listened to the sound of freely flowing water. Taking a drag of my third cigarette of the day, I walked over to the wooden rail of the bridge and leaned on it at a dangerous angle.

It was still just probably eight in the morning so there wasn't much movement around the place, making me feel I was in the company of complete solitary.

I brought the half-smoked cigarette back to my lips, as if it was supposed to prepare me for the call I was about to make.

Bringing the phone to my ear after selecting his number from the list, I waited for him to pick up which I knew he would.

"Hello?" Nathan answered in a groggy voice. I had disturbed him from his sleep.

"Good morning sunshine," I spoke.

"Norah?" He was alarmed.

"Who else?" I chuckled, dryly.

"Is something wrong? What happened?" He inquired, the words leaving his mouth hurriedly.

"So you think I call you only when something is wrong? That hurts."

"No, that's not- anyway how are you? I was going to call you today," he said with a hint of guilt.

"It's fine. You check up on me all the time," I tried to make him shed the guilt.

"And judging by your voice, I think I should've done that soon. How many cigarettes?"

I rolled my eyes. "And here I thought mom was bad but you definitely take the cake."

"You're talking to your mom again?" he asked with surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, we're trying to mend bridges. Well, she's trying to. I'm just being a bitch about it." I shook my head and I could picture him doing the same.

"Give her a chance, Noh." He paused. "So anyway you wanna tell me why sound like you're more smoke than a person right now?" Nathan said and I could practically see him scowling through the phone.

"You're no stranger to the art of exaggeration, are you now?" I chuckled again.

"And neither am I a stranger to the bad effects of smoking and I know you aren't either so tell me why have you started smoking again?"

"Cause I need it today," I answered softly.

He didn't say anything for a while. Only silence loomed in the line.

"How are you holding up?" I asked. "Going to visit her today?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I wish you were here too."

"Now if only I had enough courage to do that," I answered in a light tone to uplift the heaviness of the conversation.

Literally three years had passed and yet it hurt the same.