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His eyes make their way over to my face as we stop at a red light. “It’s just, I never heard from you after that night. I thought maybe I did something wrong. I mean, when I saw you at the coffee shop last week, you seemed like you couldn’t get away from me fast enough, and then again at our film class. I don’t know. I just thought—”
I cut him off before he can finish. “Nathan, I’m so sorry.” I look away from him, embarrassed. After all this time, he thought I had stopped talking to him because of that kiss. My heart starts to ache. If only he knew the real reason why I had distanced myself from him and everyone else this past year. “That night on the beach with you was honestly one of the best nights of my life. I didn’t think it meant anything to you, though, like it did to me. So I tried to forget about it, which kind of proved impossible for me to do.”
His hand gently cups my chin and lifts my face, so my eyes connect with his. “You’re wrong. That kiss did mean something to me. It meant everything to me.”
We sit in silence, staring into each other’s eyes. Nathan’s palm rests against my cheek as his thumb brushes away a piece of hair hanging in front of my face. I start feeling self-conscious, so I bite my bottom lip out of habit, which he notices immediately because his gaze moves down to my lips. His hand moves softly against my skin until his thumb reaches my bottom lip, tracing it back and forth. My breath hitches and my pulse quickens in anticipation as he moves closer to me. But just as I close my eyes, the car behind us honks, letting Nathan know the light has turned green.
“Damn,” escapes quietly from Nathan’s lips. He shakes his head in frustration and turns back to the road.
I lean my head on the window beside me, hoping the glass’s coolness will help slow down my heartbeat for the remainder of the ride.
I replay the conversation in my head and can’t help but feel excited that he had been thinking about that kiss this whole time too. It also bothers me that he thought I stopped showing my face this past year because of that night on the beach when it was actually because … But then a large sign for the Boston Common catches my attention.
Nathan parks his car as close as possible to the Common, but we still have a short distance to walk. I open my door and step out into the chilly night air, quickly realizing I left my jacket back at my apartment. A tiny frown emerges as I wrap my arms around myself, and Nathan sees.
“Don’t worry,” I hear him say. “I always keep extra sweatshirts in my car.” He reaches in his trunk and then turns back around, standing only inches in front of me as he hands me his oversized sweatshirt.
“Th-thank you,” I reply, looking up at him. I’m worried that things are now awkward again between us after what just happened in his car, but his smile tells me not to be.
“No problem.”
He then pulls out a big thick plaid blanket and a rather large cooler. I give him a confused look, and he responds, “I brought some food and drinks for us to have during the movie.” This show of effort causes my tummy to do a few happy summersaults.
As we make the walk over to the ticket booth, I see lots of people sprawled out on blankets nearby, getting ready for the movie to begin. We find an open space near the back of the park, and Nathan spreads the blanket on the grass. I start feeling a little anxious when I realize what the seating arrangements may entail.
Looking around, I notice couples all over the place who show no concern that they are in a public place as they wrap their bodies around each other, using this event as their personal make-out session.
Nathan sits down and then lightly pats the spot next to him, while I awkwardly stand to the side.
“I don’t bite, Natalie.”
I laugh nervously at his comment and sit cross-legged beside him on the blanket. The chill in the air makes my body start to shiver, so I put on the sweatshirt Nathan had given me to wear. It is about three sizes too big for me but very soft and comfortable.
A familiar smell emits from the sweatshirt, and immediately, I recognize it as the same light-scented cologne he even wore when we were younger.
I remember a few years ago when I was at Vanessa’s for a sleepover. Nathan was outside playing basketball with Brian, so I took his bottle of cologne out of his gym bag before he noticed and sprayed it on my pillow. Thinking about it now, I can’t decide if it was romantic or creepy, making me laugh a little aloud.
“What’s so funny?” he asks casually, opening the cooler in front of him.
“Oh, nothing.” I look down at the blanket and pick up a small leaf that has made its way next to me. “I don’t know. I just never would have guessed this is where I would be spending my Friday night. Here. Withyou.” I bite my lip and then look over at him.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He laughs a little but then looks down at the ground before asking, “Is it weird? You and me?” He plucks a piece of grass and tosses it to the side.
You and me.
“No.” I shake my head. “It doesn’t feel weird to me.”
“Ok good because it doesn’t feel weird to me either. It actually feels … the opposite of weird.” His smile kindles a warmth through me like I’ve never felt before.
I turn my face down, hoping he won’t see the blush spreading over my cheeks.
We sit silently for a few seconds before Nathan gets up and opens the cooler. “So, what would you like to drink? I brought beer, wine, water …” He digs his hand through the cooler looking for something.
“I’ll take a water, please.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather I pop this wine bottle open for you? The guy at the liquor store said it was pretty good.” His hand comes out of the cooler holding a corkscrew.
“How did you buy alcohol when you’re not twenty-one yet?” I ask teasingly.
