Chapter 138 Spending the day as siblings

Chapter 138 Spending the day as siblings
Casey’s POV

After breakfast, Nathan took me to his university, Princeton University in New Jersey. The drive from Manhattan took a little under two hours, and most of the journey passed easily because Nathan seemed determined to tell me everything about the place before we even arrived. By the time we pulled onto campus, I already knew which building he spent the most time in, which coffee shop he apparently visited far too often, and which professors he liked enough to talk about without complaining.
Once we were out of the car, he showed me around, pointing out the different buildings, the student center, and the coffee shop where, according to him, he spent an unreasonable amount of money.
“This is where I spend most of my time,” he said as we stopped outside one of the buildings.
I looked at him. “Studying?”
“Absolutely.”
The way he answered so confidently made me raise an eyebrow, and he immediately laughed.
“Fine. Sometimes.”
I smiled. “You sound like every student I've ever met.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment.”
“I'll take it anyway.”
I laughed, and we continued walking.
There was something strangely enjoyable about listening to him talk about his life. I had spent so much of my own life without knowing he existed, and now here he was, casually showing me the places that had become part of his everyday world. It felt surreal, but not uncomfortable.
Eventually, Nathan led me away from the busier parts of campus and toward a quiet courtyard surrounded by trees. The noise of the university seemed to fade behind us, leaving only the occasional sound of students walking past.
“This is my favorite place,” he told me.
We sat down on one of the benches, and I looked around at the trees and the peaceful little corner he had chosen.
“This is nice.”
“Yeah.” Nathan leaned back slightly, looking around the courtyard. “I come here when I need to think.”
I turned toward him. “What do you think about?”
He smiled faintly. “Everything.”
I laughed. “That's vague.”
“Life.”
“Still vague.”
He chuckled and looked down at his hands before continuing. “Okay. School, the future, family... things like that.”
The last word made me look at him. “Family?”
He nodded, and something in his expression changed. “Things changed yesterday.”
I swallowed, knowing exactly what he meant. “They did.”
Nathan was quiet for a moment before looking out across the courtyard. “I've spent my whole life knowing exactly who my family was,” he said slowly. “Then suddenly I found out there was someone missing, the sister I thought was dead.”
I looked down at my hands. “I've spent my whole life knowing someone was missing too.”
Nathan looked at me, and a sad little smile touched his face. “Guess we're both getting answers now.”
I nodded and for a moment, neither of us said anything. Then he bumped his shoulder lightly against mine. “So we're even.”
I turned toward him, unable to stop myself from smiling. “Even?”
“Yeah.”
“How?”
He shrugged as though the answer were obvious. “I had a missing sister.”
I smiled. “I had a missing brother.”
“Exactly.”
I shook my head, laughing softly. “That makes no sense.”
“Don't ruin it.”
I laughed again, and Nathan smiled.
We stayed there for a while, talking about nothing particularly important, and I found myself becoming more comfortable with him. There was still so much I didn't know about my brother, but I didn't feel the same awkward distance between us that I had felt when we'd first met.
Eventually, Nathan stood and stretched. “Come on.”
I looked up at him. “Where now?”
“I want to show you something.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Another surprise?”
“Yes.”
I shook my head, already laughing. “I'm beginning to think you enjoy making me nervous.”
He grinned. “I do.”
We walked back toward the car, and Nathan refused to tell me where we were going. Every time I asked, he simply smiled and told me I would see soon enough. Eventually, he pulled up outside a large sports complex.
I looked at the building, then at him. “Hockey?”
“Obviously.”
I laughed. “Do you play here?”
“Sometimes.”
He led me inside, and the moment we entered, I could hear the sharp sound of skates cutting across the ice. The rink was mostly empty, with only a few players practicing.
Nathan stopped for a moment, watching them and then he turned toward me with a grin. “You want to try?”
I stared at him. “I've never played hockey.”
“Perfect.”
I laughed. “That's not how that works.”
He only laughed as he handed me a helmet.
I stared at it for a moment before looking back at him. “This is a terrible idea.”
“Probably.”
Despite my better judgment, I put the helmet on.
Nathan helped me onto the ice, and the moment my skate touched the surface, I grabbed his arm. “Don't let go.”
“I won't.” He laughed as he steadied me. “You're doing fine.”
“I'm absolutely not.”
“You haven't fallen yet.”
“Yet.”
His grin widened. “That's confidence.”
We slowly moved across the ice, with Nathan staying close enough to catch me whenever my balance disappeared. I nearly fell twice, and both times he managed to grab me before I hit the ice.
The second time, we both started laughing so hard that I couldn't even stand properly.
“You're terrible at this,” he said.
“I warned you.”
He shook his head, still laughing. “You're lucky you're my sister.”
I looked at him. “You would've abandoned me otherwise?”
“Absolutely.”
I laughed.
Nathan skated backward in front of me, holding out his hands. “Come on, Casey.”
I took a breath and tried again.
This time, somehow, I managed to move a few feet without holding onto him. When I finally stopped, I looked at him proudly. “I did it.”
Nathan immediately raised both hands. “Look at you!”
I laughed, and before I could think about what I was doing, I skated toward him. He opened his arms, expecting me to stop but I didn't. I collided with him, and we nearly fell over together.
“Okay!” he shouted through his laughter. “Maybe don't celebrate that aggressively.”
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and for a moment, standing there on a hockey rink with my younger brother, I forgot about everything else.
No Rita and no Loki and no questions and no twenty-two lost years just Nathan, my brother and somehow, that was enough.