Chapter 34 The Distance Between Us
NANCY'S POV
I didn't step out of the kitchen until all the dishes were done, and by the time I was done cleaning up, I was physically tired.
Caring more to get some rest than avoiding Mr. Landon, I stepped back into the living room and was quick to notice his absence.
Only Diana and Nathan were in there, conversing while the sound of the TV that they had turned on became a background noise for both of them.
Nathan's gaze found me the instant I walked in. He stared at me while still nodding absentmindedly to what Diana was saying.
She had glanced at me too, but was more focused on talking to him.
It felt unnatural to have Diana be so confident and bold around him when she had previously been so timid to even avoid him.
I guess I was wrong after all. People did change, and she had too, just not in the way I thought.
However, I was glad that she had kept him behind and accompanied him while I was in the kitchen.
Now, I dropped into the seat across from them, content to just watch them while they talked.
"... I'm serious," Diana said, continuing whatever discussion it was they were having before my arrival.
"You used to be such a chatterbox," She laughed, then nudged his arm, "Now look at you."
Nathan chuckled with his gaze still on me, "People change."
It somehow felt like those words were meant more for me than for Diana.
As if he was trying to tell me that he had changed too. That made my chest tighten with a faint sense of unease.
Deep down in my mind, a question lurked.
What if the way he felt about me had changed, too? Was that why he hadn't bothered to contact me?
I knew I should trust Nathan and that I shouldn't think that way, but I couldn't help it.
Before, Nathan and I were two peas in a pod, always hanging around each other. If it were before, I would have been the one sitting next to him, clinging tight, not Diana.
Now, I felt more comfortable keeping my distance like this, but I didn't like it.
My brows rose when Diana tilted her head to watch him, eyeing him, "Clearly, you've changed for the better.
I cleared my throat, not wanting to watch my best friend ogle my brother while I sat there, and for a brief second after that, I stiffened.
Wouldn't this be how Diana felt when Mr. Landon and I used to share those glances?
Maybe not, because unlike me, Diana seemed completely oblivious to the looks we shared. Moreover, that was a thing of the past now.
"Is it?" The voice inside me called out quietly.
I ignored it and leaned my head against the arm of the chair I was seated on, then muttered in the calmest, natural tone I could muster, "Diana, don't you think you're being very obvious?"
Nathan would be a fool if he couldn't tell by now what she was doing.
She finally turned to me, and her eyes narrowed slightly, "Excuse me?"
I shrugged, deciding not to pursue this any further, at least not while Nathan was still here.
"I'm just saying."
Her look didn't ease and neither did mine.
It was Nathan who broke what had turned into a silent showdown.
"Done with the dishes?" He said to me.
"Yes," I nodded once, paused, then added, "I just needed a minute."
He didn't ask why, he just nodded too.
I leaned into my seat and rested my head on the chair, then shut my eyes while their voice filtered into my ears.
“So,” Diana said, shifting slightly closer to him, “are you staying nearby?”
My eyes snapped open for a moment, just in time to see Nathan glance at me once more before replying, "Yes, for now."
At the same time that Diana's did, my brows creased, but she was the one to ask.
"What does ‘for now’ mean?".
Nathan hesitated briefly, then responded, "It means I don't know how long I'll be around."
I sat upright in an instant. "You're leaving Florida?"
He held my gaze for a minute before replying, "I'm not sure yet."
Hurt prickled my skin, and my eyes stung with tears that I could feel beginning to pool. "You're leaving, again?"
I watched him carefully hoping he would say no.
"Yes, but not now. I'll still be around for the entirety of summer."
That didn't make me feel better. By my side, my hands tightened into fists, and I had to gnash my teeth to keep my tears from blurring my vision.
"Okay," I said as nonchalantly as I could, forcing a smile onto my face.
Diana's face drooped in disappointment, and she pouted at him, "You should stay. Why don't you just make Florida your permanent residence? I'm sure I can get my Dad to arrange an apartment for you, or if there are other things you need..."
"I'll think about it," Nathan cut in before she could finish, but I knew that was just him avoiding the discussion.
Diana moved to say more, but when she saw the look on his face, she smiled and changed her words, "You'd better."
Nathan's head turned in my direction, and I looked away quickly before we could make eye contact.
He smiled. “I’ll think about it.”
He's leaving.
That sentence replated in my head as I stared at nothing in particular, trying to center my thoughts around something else.
But, what else could I think about when my brother had basically just said he was abandoning me again?
My chest clenched hard, and I had to let out a loose breath to help myself feel better.
“Do you remember that time you came over for my birthday?” Diana piqued up again, diffusing the tension in the air. “You almost punched that guy, Mason, in the face for saying something mean to Nancy."
"Oh yes, I remember," Nathan laughed.
My teeth clenched harder. I wondered how he could laugh after hurting my feelings.
"You were so cool back then, and you didn't even care that he looked way bigger than you."
I remembered that day, too. It was a time Nathan had protected me like he always did. That day was also the spark that created the crush Diana had on him now.
For days following that, she wouldn't stop talking about how cool my brother was until she finally confessed to having a crush on him.
I exhaled slowly and rested my head against the chair again.
Tonight was a lot.
It was strange too, that while watching them, I felt out of place, like I didn't belong here at this moment.
Disliking the feeling, I decided to make a move. Walking a few distances should at least clear my head.
"Do you want something to drink?" I interrupted, glancing between them both.
"Yes, please," Diana answered.
I smiled at her, then nodded and walked out. The moment I stepped into the kitchen, the noise faded, and I finally felt like I could breathe easily.