Anyone who saw Nathan yesterday, would think it would take him months to recover.
After I cleaned and dressed his wounds yesterday, he soon drifted into sleep and I only woke him when it was time to go home.
I accompanied him to the junction that led to his house, with neither of us talking and I decided it wasn't the right time to ask him what happened and how he ended up battered like that.
As I retired to bed last night, I only had one thing in mind and it was 'Nathan' and I kept on hoping he's okay.
'Could he be getting bullied?'
That was the last thought until I drifted far into my sleep.
As I arrived the store this morning though, the last person I expected to see was standing right in front of me.
Nathan! How come? Is he okay now?
He probably heard the sound of the entrance door been opened for a while now with no one coming in, and so he left the aisle I was watching him from approaching the door.
I immediately adjusted and acted like I was coming in.
"Oh! It's just you, I thought...." his face showed a frightened expression but changed immediately. I decided to act cool.
"Good morning to you too. Nate. You were expecting someone else?" I walked completely into the store. I pulled my jacket off and hung it on the jacket rack.
We were going into the winter and the weather was becoming chilly these days.
I smiled at him and took and approached him where he stood wearing a broad and obviously fake smile.
He looked like a circus clown right now.
"How are you feeling today?" I asked taking in his appearance. The bruise on his face had been concealed, perhaps with make up cause his face was definitely a multiple shades right now.
"I'm doing good. Thank you, for taking care of me". I nodded and kept my gaze locked with his, mostly his forehead.
If there's one psychology trick I enjoy using on people?, it is manipulating them into telling me exactly what I want to hear.
How?!
By staring at them long enough after giving me an answer I wasn't looking for, like a spell they are just compelled to say more.
"I don't want to talk about it" his shoulders fell as he lowered his gaze "I'm sorry. I can't talk about it". He completed.
I sighed and shrugged my shoulders "that's fine. But, you don't want to talk about it or you are not allowed to talk about it?".
I asked because it seemed to me like he was probably just scared.
He took in a sharp breath "I'm not scared". He blurted all of a sudden. Now, that seemed suspicious.
"I never said you were" I responded.
He fiddled with his pockets a sign of a nervous person trying to remain calm.
"I think, whatever is bothering you, you should share it with me.....I might be able to help". I said and decided not to pester him into telling me.
Not long have I walked away when he said "But you didn't care before, nobody ever did" I stopped in my tracks not because of what he said, but because of how small and broken his voice sounded.
I turned to face him and tried really hard to calm my self.
"Really? I never did? So you're saying what happened yesterday happened occasionally?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah. But you'd only dress my wounds and never asked me what happened" He responded looking down, at his shoes.
"Oh Nathan!" I walked towards him, "I'm so sorry if I made it seem like I didn't care before. I- I don't even remember all of that happening ever".
I touched his shoulders gently and locked my gaze with his. "Of course, I care....I care greatly. Perhaps I felt I would offend you if I asked and so I didn't ask". Wow! I didn't know his eyes were grey. A very cool and calming shade of grey.
"Where was I? Think straight girl!"
"Nobody ever cared, nobody cares and nobody will care" He said back, pointing his face down in shame.
I bit my lower lip hard to prevent myself from asking him aggressively to explain whatever was happening with his life, it will only scare him if I do that.
I took a deep breath too and eased the tension in his shoulders. "It's okay Nate, yes! Not everyone will care but at some point, someone will and when they do. Never make the mistake of turning them away".
I said finally and relaxed, then I proceeded to the shelves and arranging books to the spot they belong.
Customers will start coming in soon and we are not in any way ready.
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Today was the longest day at this job of mine, gosh! It didn't help with the awkward tension between Nate and I.
I would catch him glancing at me and whenever I would turn my head to look, he would immediately divert his gaze down and play with his thumbs!
Such a kid he was!
I spent the whole day reading a book which I found quite nteresting, reading isn't so bad, while Nathan responded to most of the customers, obviously just trying to avoid me.
I was not even planning to force words out of him, I know he would share it when he's most comfortable to because, he does needs help and he knows he needs help.
Though, I'm quite surprised Riley never offered one, I know her to be the softer one, but she does keep to herself a lot and she preferred not to know much about others too.
So, probably that's why she never asked.
Poor Nathan.
I checked the time on my phone and it was 06:00pm sharp.
I picked my clutch up and kept my phone in it, preparing to leave.
"Can we talk Ry?" I could barely hear that, it was coming from Nathan.
I stopped what I was doing and turned to face him, he was still looking down but I didn't fail to see the hint of hope only his face.
Perhaps, hoping my offer is still open, well its time to play hard.
"I was here all day, but you didn't talk. Why now?"
He looked taken aback, I guess he didn't expect such counter from me, he looked at me briefly in disbelief before diverting his gaze down.
"I- I- I" He said but nothing came after that.
I chuckled out loud.
"It's fine Nate, I was only pulling your legs" I didn't even notice he was already on his feet.
"Have your seat" and I sat down too.
He sat and gave me a small sad smile.
He plays with his thumb yet again, took a deep breath, looked to me as if he wants to speak but he closes his mouth and returned his gaze back to the ground.
He looks up to me again, opens his mouth as if he wants to speak, but takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and just shuts down returning his gaze back to the ground.
He looks up to me again, opens his mouth as if he wants to speak, then he plays with his thumb, takes a deep breath and shuts down keeping his face to the ground.
And the cycle continued.
"There's nothing to be afraid of Nate. Are you being bullied?" I've had enough, my patience skin wasn't so thick.
I decided to just give him the push he needed so he could speak.
First his eyes widened "Bullied? No, I'm not. Yes?....maybe?...." He gave a very confusing and unclear response.
My eyebrows furrowed as I gave his response a thoughtful thought.
I couldn't tell if he was being bullied or if he was not.
Perhaps it's a situation he doesn't understand himself.
"Okay, since you gave a very confusing response. I'm going to ask about what happened yesterday, why you ended up at the entrance battered?, since when has it started? For how long has it happened and who is behind it?"
I gritted my teeth at the last part as I awaited his response to all of my questions.
I heard him take a deep sigh and he faced down yet again, probably from embarrassment.
"It started 2 years ago, I-I used to be friends with this girl-"
What?! A girl? He's being bullied by a girl??! Wait wait Focus.
"-whom at that time I didn't know belonged in a gang and I even thought she was my friend and so well, along the way I began to like her".
Oh! His bully is the girl he likes?
He took another deep breath and continued, "though the girl herself wasn't so bad, but I guess she was trapped in the gang as well and so she came to me that she needed help in getting out"
And I offered, I thought that would be my chance in being her night in shinning armour, you know....saving a damsel in distress?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"But my life never belonged to me after then," and then then broke into a hysterical weep!
All my life, I've never seen a guy cry, do guys even cry? He cried with tears streaming down his cheeks.
He then got up and went behind one of the bookshelves to cry hidden.
I went after him soon after where I met him with his palm on his face as he cried into them.
I approached him carefully and slowly, since he doesn't want me to see him cry.
"Nate, its okay...that could happen to anyone, It doesn't make you any less of a man" I reassured him as I pat his back, he turned towards me and I stretched my hands forth.
I gave him a very warm hug, while I pat his back and he continued to cry, few seconds later he raised his head from my shoulders while I held his cheeks.
I looked into his eyes and wiped his tears, his grey eyes now appeared glassy, moistened with tears.
It was drawing me in and I leaned in, he did same too, a little closer, a little closer but then the entrance door opened interrupting us and we broke apart.
We both diverted our gaze to the person at the entrance.
Oh no! Not this moment
The same person I've been avoiding for two days now.
The same person whose messages I left on read.
Why did he have to come in now?.