Chapter Twelve
1568 Words
Nathan must have noticed her expression because he nudged her shoulder. “Hey, don’t look so serious. They’ll be back before you know it.”
Ava forced a smile. “Yeah… I guess you’re right.”
Nathan stood up and stretched. “Anyway, I was thinking of inviting some friends over. Maybe order pizza, watch a movie?”
Ava hesitated. “I don’t know…”
“Oh, come on, Ava. It’ll be fun. You never go out, and now that we have the house to ourselves, let’s at least enjoy it.”
She sighed. “Fine. But only a few people.”
Nathan grinned. “Deal.”
As he pulled out his phone to send messages, Ava leaned back into the couch, staring at the ceiling.
Something in her gut told her that their peaceful time together wouldn’t last.
Ava had barely finished tidying up the living room when the doorbell rang. She sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear before heading to the door.
Nathan was already ahead of her, grinning as he swung it open. “Finally! I was starting to think you guys bailed.”
Two of his friends, Adrian and Caleb, walked in, carrying bags of snacks and soda. “Like we’d miss a chance to crash at the Sinclair house,” Adrian joked, dropping onto the couch.
Ava rolled her eyes but smiled slightly. Nathan had always been the social one in their family, easily making friends everywhere he went.
“I invited Tasha too,” Ava added, checking her phone. “She should be here soon.”
Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Your best friend? Wow, are we actually going to see Ava be social tonight?”
“Shut up,” Ava muttered, but Nathan only chuckled.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang again. Ava opened it to find Tasha standing there, dressed casually in jeans and a fitted top, holding a bag of homemade brownies.
“I come bearing gifts,” Tasha announced, stepping inside.
“You’re a lifesaver,” Nathan said, taking the bag.
Ava smiled, relieved to have her friend there. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“Please. A party without my special brownies? Unacceptable.”
As everyone settled in, Nathan put on a movie while Adrian and Caleb argued over which pizza toppings were superior. Tasha leaned close to Ava, whispering, “So… any updates on Ryan?”
Ava groaned. “Not you too.”
“What? He’s persistent. That has to count for something.”
“He’s nice, but I don’t know, Tash. I don’t feel anything special for him.”
Tasha sighed dramatically. “You’re impossible.”
Ava only shook her head, but deep down, she knew it wasn’t just Ryan. Something inside her had been unsettled lately, like she was waiting for something—something that had nothing to do with romance.
The night carried on with laughter, teasing, and a little too much soda. For a while, everything felt normal.
But outside, in the shadows, unseen eyes watched the Sinclair house.
Would you like to reveal who’s watching them, or keep it mysterious for now?
Nathan leaned against the kitchen counter, scrolling through his phone while sipping a can of soda. The gathering had died down a bit, with Adrian and Caleb focused on the movie, and Tasha chatting with Ava in the living room.
A soft ding from his phone caught his attention.
Sophia: Are you still awake?
A small smile tugged at his lips. Sophia Carter—his classmate, his friend, and the girl who had been unknowingly occupying his thoughts more than he cared to admit.
Nathan: Yeah, why?
Sophia: I’m outside.
His eyes widened. Outside? He immediately pushed off the counter and made his way to the front door, opening it quietly.
There she was, standing under the dim porch light, her long brown hair slightly tousled by the evening breeze. She was dressed in an oversized hoodie and leggings, looking both casual and effortlessly beautiful.
“Hey,” she greeted, her voice soft.
Nathan smirked. “Hey yourself. What are you doing here this late?”
She shrugged, shoving her hands into her hoodie pocket. “Couldn’t sleep.”
He leaned against the doorframe. “And you thought, ‘Hey, let me show up at Nathan Sinclair’s house at night’?”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. I was just out for a walk, and I ended up here.”
Nathan crossed his arms, studying her. He’d known Sophia for a while, but lately, things had felt… different. He wasn’t sure if it was because of how she looked at him or how he found himself wanting to be around her more.
“Come in,” he finally said.
She hesitated. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re already here.”
With a playful huff, she stepped inside.
The house was quiet now, except for the distant chatter from the living room. Nathan led her to the kitchen, grabbing another soda from the fridge and handing it to her.
“So,” he started, leaning against the counter again. “What’s really on your mind?”
Sophia stared at her can, running her fingers over the condensation. “I’ve just been thinking a lot. About us.”
His heart did a weird flip. “Us?”
She looked up, her hazel eyes locking onto his. “Yeah. Us.”
Silence stretched between them. Nathan wasn’t sure what to say—what he was allowed to say.
“I like you, Nathan.”
There it was.
The words hung in the air, waiting.
Nathan exhaled, a slow smile creeping onto his lips. “Took you long enough to admit it.”
Sophia gaped at him. “Wait—what?”
He chuckled. “I like you too, Carter.”
Her lips parted in surprise before a smile broke across her face. “You’re impossible.”
“But you like me anyway,” he teased.
Before Sophia could respond, cheers and whistles erupted from behind them.
“Finally!” Adrian grinned, leaning against the doorframe.
“We were waiting for this moment,” Caleb added, smirking.
Ava folded her arms, pretending to be serious. “Nathan, how could you keep this from your own sister?”
Tasha nudged Sophia. “And you! Acting like you weren’t interested all this time?”
Sophia turned bright red, while Nathan groaned, rubbing his temples. “You guys were spying on us?”
“Not our fault you picked the worst place for a confession,” Adrian laughed.
Sophia covered her face in embarrassment, but Nathan just sighed in defeat. “Yeah, yeah, get your teasing out of the way now.”
The group burst into laughter, their joy filling the night air.
A few days after the Sinclair family’s gathering, the campus buzzed with energy as students moved between lectures, chatting in small groups. But near the sports complex, tension crackled in the air.
Nathan and Adrian stood face to face, their tempers flaring after an intense football match.
“You never pass the damn ball when it matters, Adrian!” Nathan snapped, pushing Adrian’s shoulder.
Adrian scoffed. “Maybe because you’re too slow to keep up?”
That was all it took.
Nathan threw the first punch. Adrian retaliated instantly. Fists flew, and shouts echoed as students rushed to break them apart.
“Enough!” A stern voice cut through the chaos.
A campus security officer stepped in, pulling them apart. “You two—come with me. Now.”
...
Seated outside the administrative office, Nathan leaned back against the chair, rubbing his bruised knuckles. “This is ridiculous.”
Adrian exhaled sharply. “You started it.”
Nathan shot him a glare but didn’t argue.
Minutes later, the office door opened.
The dean gave them both a hard look. “Fighting on campus? You know this could lead to suspension.”
“He started it” Adrian defend
“It's obvious you started it” Nathan also defend
“Enough,” the principal’s voice made them both sit up straight. “Since you two can’t act like civilized students, we’ll have to involve your parents. You’re both suspended until they arrive.”
Nathan groaned internally. Mom and Dad are out of town. Vivian’s on a business trip. That means...
Ava.
Adrian, on the other hand, clenched his jaw. If the university called his family, that meant—
The door swung open again.
Ava walked in first, her expression unreadable but clearly irritated. “Nathan, what the hell?”
Then, heavy footsteps followed, and the air shifted.
Damien Blackwood entered the office, his presence demanding instant respect.
Nathan stiffened. Oh, s**t.
Adrian inhaled deeply, his fists clenching. Of all people, why him?
The dean looked between them. “Miss Sinclair, Mr. Blackwood—thank you for coming.”
Damien’s sharp, cold gaze landed on Adrian first, then flicked to Nathan before settling on the dean. “Explain.”
Nathan swallowed hard. This just got a lot worse.
Ava tapped her foot impatiently as she sat in the dean’s office, arms crossed. Nathan sat beside her, looking annoyed but saying nothing. Across from them, Adrian leaned back in his chair, his usual cocky demeanor slightly dampened by the situation. But what really made Ava uneasy was the man sitting beside Adrian.
- Writer
