Silence settles in between us once more. This time, however, I find it unbearable. He has me concerned with the expression he's displaying. It seems so foreign on him, even though I only met him two nights ago, and I couldn't possibly have witnessed all the range of emotions and expressions he's capable of showing. In simple terms, I don't know him all that much.
I hit a nerve with my previous sentence. It may not have been something he wanted to hear, and I am not pretending to know anything about his relationship with his family but… It was nothing more or less than the truth.
He just keeps on staring ahead into nothingness. I feel the temperature around me drop even lower, allowing the cold to bite my senses and fog my clarity. My intention wasn't to sour the mood, but it seems I can't help it anymore… I just wanted to share something about myself, something that came from the heart… I…
"So, your father used to take you to crime scenes with him? As a kid?"
My head snaps in his direction as soon as I hear his voice.
I may not have ruined everything after all, "Not exactly. I wasn't supposed to get out of the car but well… I never was a stickler for the rules," the words escape my mouth before I get the chance to catch them.
"So, that's how you do it then, huh?"
"Do what?" I quiz.
"Not break down… I was really concerned but I was also wondering how you were able to take things so well. I think I'd have lost my mind if I were in your shoes right now. I mean, wolf shifters, witches, kelpies… Where do you draw the line?" he seems so different from the way he looked a few seconds earlier that it disorients me a little.
"I don't draw lines… It's just a big, wide and fascinating world from where I stand. Besides, I think that if you'd lived the life I had, exactly like I did, then there's a high chance you'd have taken all of this the same way I am,"
My childhood is far from being the worst, but it doesn't qualify for the top million best ones either. I am not sure if I should take his words here as a compliment or otherwise. I mean, is he saying he thinks I am resilient or unhinged?
I don't get the necessary time to ponder that. The moment my eyes catch the sight of Emily Kimble passing by the playground, something clicks in my mind. My entire focus branches and rewires back to my date with Nathanael, at the restaurant. I was a bit distracted, and I hadn't paid much attention to my surroundings outside of the decorations.
However, if I remember correctly, there were seven waiters and waitresses working that night, excluding Emily, of course. I know six of them by name, but for the life of me, I cannot picture or recall anything about the seventh other than it was a man. The fact that he waited our table can't be a coincidence either.
"What is it? Do you know her?"
I turn towards him, but I don't say anything. I am currently stuck, trying to connect dots that went completely unchecked until a moment ago.
Perplexed by my behavior, his eyes keep on jumping back and forth between me and Emily's figure.
"Samuel, Adrian, Katherine, Isaiah, Chelsey and Thomas," I finally utter, feeling his gaze on me but I just stare into the void.
"What?"
"On the night we were at 'Endless Winter' restaurant, these were the six waiters on the job. But I can't remember the features of the seventh one, it's like his face was blurred or something," I blurt out.
"You know all of them? Maybe you just forgot who he was, It's possible that…,"
I cut his sentence short to answer his question, "Yes and no, it's impossible. Even if he was from out of town, I should, at the very least, be able to remember some of his features. But the main reason I am fixating on him is because that jar that I told you about; the one with red markings and salt inside of it, wasn't on the table before he came to us,"
I take a moment to breathe and register everything that I'd just unpacked in front of him. I think I am getting too comfortable with him. So comfortable, in fact, that I keep forgetting he's not Izzy. Unlike her, he's not familiar with my lunacy. He may not be as tolerating of my bullshit as she is.
"I am not very sure, but there might be a confusion spell that would have that effect. I'll have to ask Avery about it. But it does stand. If their goal was to infiltrate the staff and plant the jar on our table then yes, it does make sense," I am glad he doesn't run for the hills, but I fear for his sanity. Too much exposure to my craziness can have a bad effect on him, "So, you do know everyone in Grimesbrook," he half asks.
"Almost everyone. I haven't checked the updated citizen's records yet for this year," I hesitate a bit at first, but I tell him the truth eventually.
"You learn the names of everyone in town? That's really impressive!"
"Not really, it's just a game I started playing when I was a child. I just kept on doing it ever since," the more he speaks the more comfortable I feel in his presence. What will be the straw that breaks the camel's back for him? What will make him realize that I am not a frequentable person?
"I've played many games before; I don't think I've ever tried something so… What are you doing?"
"Invading," I say simply, feigning complete innocence. I'd dipped one of my hands into his coat pocket as he was speaking.
"I see that. Is it that cold out here for you?" he asks as he holds my freezing hand inside his pocket.
"Your pockets are bigger and warmer," I pout, "Are you not feeling cold?"
In response, he stands up, takes his coat off and gently wraps it around my shoulders. He crouches down in front of me and pulls the fabric forward towards himself to cover most of my body.
He remains in that position, facing me, so close to me, gazing into my eyes as I gaze back into his… It got a lot warmer all of the sudden. I feel his breath on my skin as I am sure he feels mine. I follow his eyes when they leave mine to travel downwards before resting on my chest. Of course, he can hear my heart beating faster, pumping all the blood it can towards my blushing face. I wish I could hear his heartbeat too. What secret will it reveal?
"Wolf shifters are far more resistant to cold," he utters with the softest voice I'd heard him speak with so far.
"I don't see fur or a thick layer of fat under your skin. So, how does that work? I need to know, I am a biologist," I mumble as he stands back up before helping my weight off the swing with great ease. He secures his coat further around me to ensure a maximum amount of warmth.
I like this… I want more of this. More of looking up at his face. More attention from him. More care…
We left the playground shortly after that. He walked me to my apartment building like he said he would. That is how we got to stand here, in front of the entrance in complete silence. We talked about a few different things on our way, but I'd remained on the quiet side, sticking to one-word answers most of the time.
"Here we are," he says. I don't want him to leave… I don't want this moment to end…, "Are you alright? Still cold?"
I can't answer his questions. I can't find enough words to express everything I am feeling. All I know is that…
"Rosemary!"
Oh god! This is the last thing I wanted to happen… Izzy is on her way towards us. At the same time, what was I expecting? She's my roommate and he did walk me to our apartment building after all. Of course, there was a high chance she'd see us.
"So? What are you guys up to?" she asks as soon as she stops in front of us.
"I was just walking her back. How have you been Isabelle?" Nathanael smiles.
"It looks like you were doing more than just walking her," she says, her eyes skating over the oversized coat wrapped around my body.
She's not gonna let this one go for a while.
"Right, I'll… be on my way now,"
Nathanael takes a few steps back as he lets us know he's leaving. I unwrap his coat and hand it back to him, thanking him for his kindness before turning towards the door to our building.
"So, you two are a thing now, huh?" she teases.
"Please, god… Have mercy on my soul," I beg as I drag my feet to the elevator.
But begging doesn't really cut it with her, "I thought your date with him had ended so badly that you didn't even want to talk about it and now! I catch you two together like that?" she's mocking me… She's not even holding back, "You're not getting out of this one so easily young lady!" she keeps on teasing me with that glint in her eyes, "So? Go on? Spill!"
I hold my piece and try my best to communicate my exasperation through my facial expressions alone, but she doesn't get the hint. Or she does get it, and she just doesn't give a fuck…
"Did you guys do it?"
"What?!" That's it, I can't hold it anymore.
"Sex! I am talking about sex. Did you guys have sex? Also known as sexual intercourse. I am sure you heard of the process. I mean you're a biologist, of course you know how sex works," the audacity of this bitch…
"Oh my god! Will you give it a rest! And no, we did not have sex. Don't be disgusting!"
"You didn't have sex… Yet? And don't even pretend! There's nothing disgusting about that guy,"
I give up. I capitulate. She wins… As usual. I think the best course of action right now, is to just block her voice out and focus on the only part I agree with her on. There's nothing disgusting about Nathanael. No, absolutely nothing. He even seems a bit too good to be true. I mean, there's the wolf shifter thing but… On its own, that's not his fault. He can't really help it if he was born that way. Although I am sure she was referring to his physic and nothing more.
But Izzy unlocked a topic of contemplation that I had securely locked at the very back of my mind. A topic that could turn out to be very distracting to me if I indulge in it; Sex…