Never (EDITING)

Chapter 24

     I must have been dreaming. Nathan had not actually decided that it would be a good idea to come knocking on my door so casually, as if it were something he did often.

     But, I wasn't. I wasn't dreaming. This was reality. And, in reality, I appeared as though I'd seen a ghost.

     "What . . . " Nathan didn't hesitate to take a step inside the house, disregarding the obvious fact that I hadn't welcomed him in. My parents would be home soon, and I was certain they wouldn't be happy walking in and discovering me alone with a boy. Especially not Dad.

     I don't know why, but I closed the door behind him anyway. He only stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets, analyzing me and not saying a word. If he'd driven all the way to my house just to do that, he was wasting his time.

     "What're you doing here?" The fear of getting caught was clear in my voice. I'd already disappointed my parents enough, I couldn't bear to upset them again.

     "I wanted to see how you were feeling." He took a step towards me, but it was too dim where we stood and not much of his face was visible.

     "Nathan, please go."

     "No."

     I froze in my spot, my eyes widening. "What?"

     "I'm not leaving."

     I crossed my arms over my chest, displeased with his stubbornness. "I'll call the cops,"

     He slipped his right hand out of his pocket and dug it inside the side pocket of his black hoodie, pulling out what appeared to be his cellphone. He extended it over to me. "By all means,"

     I groaned. Even with very limited lighting, I easily spotted that stupid grin creeping onto his face.

     I had to do something, but his lack of cooperation was only complicating things. So, I did the first thing that came to mind. I grabbed his wrist and darted up the stairs and into my room, slamming the door shut behind me and pressing my back to it.

     Nathan stood still in the very center of the room, taking in every little detail surrounding him. Except, there really wasn't much in my room to take in. Aside from the blue round clock hanging on the back wall above my bed, there were no posters or shelves present anywhere. I hadn't realized how lifeless my bedroom was until that very moment.

     "Nice room," he finally said, his back still facing me.

     I let out a heavy sigh, brushing off his lie. "Nathan, why're you doing this?"

     My question got him to look over his shoulder at me. "Doing what?"

     "This. I didn't ask you to come here and check up on me, so why . . . ?"

     He looked away again, shifting his gaze to the ground in front of him. When I thought he wasn't going to answer my question, he suddenly turned and approached me slowly, stopping so that there was only a small gap separating us. "You're so damn stubborn, you know that?"

     I shook my head. "What does that have to do with anything-"

     "Dani, I was fucking worried sick about you!"