Nate’s POV
The feeling in my heart as Tory held onto me so tight, was inexplicable. Detective Mason and Tory’s mom were both grinning along with Tory’s sisters.
” Tory don’t suffocate him though,” detective Mason said and she, unfortunately, released me and looked into my eyes. I tried to decipher what she was trying to hide as she got down from my already tired grip and I got the freaking answer when I saw her cheeks were red.
She was blushing! Doesn’t this mean she likes me?
” Sorry,” she said as she tucked her hair behind her ears and bit her lips.
Damn it, why wouldn’t she just be mine already?! Right – Rex. Good thing, he’s probably somewhere running from the police with his psychopath of a Dad. Now, she’s all mine.
” It’s okay, I missed you too,” I said and she blushed again.
” I didn’t miss you, I worried about you!” She lied and everyone laughed.
” Nate? Are you done eating?” My mom called as she came down the stairs. I sensed some kind of anger in Tory as she saw my mom come down the stairs, but it was well hidden as she accompanied her sisters in giving my mom welcome back hugs.
” Yes mom, I’m done eating,” I said after they were done with their hugging and stuff. Yet again for the umpteenth time that day, she teared up.
” Mom!” I whined as I embraced her and she sobbed a little.
” I’m not sad I swear, I’m just really mad at myself for depriving myself of hearing my son call me his mom – that’s all,” she said and I released her from my embrace.
” Well, you’re gonna hear me say it a lot now,” I said with a smile and she grinned.
” This is happening right now?” Toni asked and my mom and I cracked up.
” Yeah, it is.” She said before she added, ” almost losing my son made me realize that I do love him, very very much. I was just an Idiot before.
” You most definitely were, ” Mrs. Williams said and my mom laughed.
” So how did everything go?” Toni asked me, but my eyes had already trailed off to the eyes that I knew were on me the entire time. She was still smiling, probably because she was happy that my mom and I have made up.
” I’ll tell you about it later,” I said as I took Tory’s hand as I led her upstairs to my room.
” Really? Nate. It’s like that?” Tia asked in between laughter and I smiled sheepishly.
” I’ll tell you guys I promise!” I said as I led Tory to my room and we plopped on my bed, grinning at each other like lovestruck idiots – at least that’s what I know I was grinning like, she was grinning beautifully as always.
” I was so scared when I didn’t see you this morning,” she said as she arranged the back of my hair. My whole body tensed at her touch.
” I know, I’m sorry” I said as I held both her hands in mine and kissed them.
” Are you gonna tell me what happened?”
” Of course, but when your sisters are there. I -”
I stopped talking as I remembered the promise I had made to myself on my way back to Tory’s house. I wasn’t going to tell her about Rex because she’d be crushed and it’ll be me to blame. If someone else had seen him there and was able to identify him – someone like Mason or Bill, it would’ve been better, because they would be the one to tell her.
Besides, detective Mason said Big D’s other lairs have been compromised, some of the men the police caught have confessed to where the other locations are in other parts of New York City. This means that he will be leaving New York, if possible the United States entirely. So bye-bye to Rex.
Tory will eventually find out, but not from me.
” What?” She asked and I shook my head and changed the topic.
” I’m just glad that we can go back to our normal life. The normal being that I have to start my therapy ASAP and you have to go with me tomorrow”
” Fine,” she said with a sigh as she lay down on my bed.
” But you’re still apologizing to those you hurt”
” If you say so”
” No Nate, not if I say so. Apologize because you are sorry – or aren’t you sorry?”
” I am so very, sorry” I purred as I lay down and said ” sorry” in her ears before leaning in to kiss her but she moved away from me quicker than ever and rolled her eyes.
” Did you bring me in here to flirt with me, Mister?”
” Oh come on!” I whined, ” do you have any idea what I went through so that this plan worked – just because I wanted to see you again!” I said, frowning a little and she smiled at me.
” Well, I’m so thankful you made it. Didn’t you see the lovely hug I gave you huh?”
” Well…”
” Well nothing, Nate. It’s not fair that you’re flirting with another girl, whether you like me or not. You have a girlfriend and she’s been worried sick about you.” Tory said more seriously, totally killing the mood.
” Mood kill” I deadpanned.
” Whatever. I need to go shower”
” Too bad I can’t join you” I mused and she paused and looked at me, completely floored by what I’d said, her grey eyes holding a certain gleam that made me think she was considering it. As my lips curled into a smirk, she shook her head and got up while I groaned in frustration.
” Rya” I called out as she scrambled out of my room.
I chuckled at how she’d evaded me and lay on my bed trying to think of what happens next for my mom and me. Her lover/husband is dead, though it shouldn’t take her too long to remarry – if that’s what she wants this time around.
Though we’ve reconciled, I don’t want to see her sleeping around like before, no matter what. I took out my phone that I had been disallowed from using since Mr. Roswell’s death and felt a pang of pain when I scrolled through pictures of him and me totally having fun at beaches, he had even taken mom and me to Dubai thrice.
It hurt that I couldn’t feel more pain, I wanted to cry like my mom had when detective Mason had told her about his death, but all I could feel was a little bit of pain. He and I weren’t exactly best buds but I know that I liked him.
Tired from today’s events, I closed my eyes and slept. Tomorrow is a new day for me, I’m going to start over – even though I’m pretty sure I might not be able to turn down my jerk side a hundred percent, I’m willing to give it a try at school.
*****************
” Hey man!” Zach yelled as he reached me the next morning in school. It was Wednesday so we weren’t wearing our uniforms, I chose to be as comfortable as possible, wearing a magenta t-shirt, sweat pants, and Jordans. I didn’t have it in me to dress to extra.
” Sup!” I said enthusiastically and Zach froze.
” Are – are you okay man?” He asked as he tried to study me and I chuckled.
” Yeah, I’m good. How are you?” I said, the words coming out of my mouth though I didn’t care how he was.
” Wow, you’ve never asked me that before,” he said looking so dazed.
” So? How are you?” I said after taking my books out from my locker.
” I’m awesome. Thanks” he said grinning in a way that made me feel warm inside. Is this what being nice feels like? It doesn’t exactly suck but it feels fucking weird.
” That’s good for you man,” I said, patting him on the back before I turned to head towards class only to stop dead in my tracks at who I saw talking with Tory and making her smile so bright – Rex!
” Hey man, you didn’t shut your locker,” Zach said to me but I was too pissed to not shut my locker without getting the hall fucking silent.