About two months passed since I first met Nathan at the shelter, and we had gotten remarkably close. We'd gone on several outings together and always managed to have fun, even if our plans didn't go as expected. Our trip to the guitar center in Hollywood was one of those instances. The day had started with blinding rays of sunlight. Nathan invited me early in the morning to tag along. He said he needed to get a few accessories for his guitar but wasn't too comfortable taking the train by himself yet. Apparently the last time he tried, he'd ended up by city walk instead.
I had no plans since Sundays were my days off. Plus I was already getting tired of being cooped up at the house all week. I took the weather into consideration when choosing my outfit. It looked like a warm day, so I put on some denim shorts and a baggy t-shirt to go along with it. I took a thin jacket with me in case I got chilly. Nathan and I took a bus to the station. His roommate had borrowed his car for work again. I personally didn't mind, but he seemed embarrassed by the situation.
The train ride was long but enjoyable. I took the window seat and Nathan sat beside me with his headphones in hand.
"Shit. I forgot mine." I grumbled when I realized the trip would seem a lot longer without music.
"Here, we can share mine." He offered and held out one of the wireless buds for me to take.
"Thanks." I told him as I slipped it into my ear. It turned out that we liked a lot of the same music. By the time we arrived at the station an hour later, we were both rapping along to one of our favorite songs. We probably looked like a bunch of crazies to the other people on the train, but for the first time in my life...I didn't care. I was having fun.
"Watch your step." He reminded as we got off the subway and made our way downhill towards the walk of fame.
"Damn, I haven't been here since I was a kid." I enthused as I looked at all the celebrity names that dyed the sidewalk.
"Funny, right? People assume that because you live near all these attractions and famous places, that you're there every weekend, but the truth is we probably come out here less than a tourist would." He chuckled as he led the way.
"For real! People assume that because you live in Cali, you're always at Disneyland!"
"Right!? It's like, I'm not made of money Susan. I can't be at a theme park every single day!" I laughed. It was funny. I thought I was the only one that felt that way.
"Looks like we're here." His voice interrupted my thoughts. Sure enough, we were standing by the entrance of the building. The glass doors automatically opened when someone walked near. "You don't have to come inside if you don't want to. I can just run in and..."
"Hey, shut up and let's go." I urged, already on my way in. A brilliant smile spread across his face then.
"After you."
Once we were inside, Nathan made his way directly towards the racks where the guitar strings were kept. I took advantage and wandered towards the back where the electric guitars hung. I picked a cherry red one off its hook and took a seat by one of the amps that were plugged in nearby. I started strumming softly, not really interested in making too much noise. I knew my guitar skills weren't something to show off â they were mediocre at best. Still, I did know my way around a fret board. I allowed my mind to drift as I plucked the strings, the song Croy had played so long ago in that music room, swirled in my mind.
After he passed, I had made it my mission to learn it in its entirety. The song was "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd but played in a slower tempo. I got carried away by the melancholic notes and failed to realize that a small crowd had formed as people watched. When I finished playing, a small round of applause filled the store. I looked up and saw Nathan at the front, also clapping. He had his pack of strings tucked under his arm.
"Wow. I didn't know you could play." He told me with a smile as he walked over.
"Oh no! I can't really play, I just know a few songs. It's nothing special." I laughed anxiously. "Are you ready to go?" I changed the subject eagerly.
"Well I found what I was looking for, but I was hoping we could look around at all the other stuff they have. You down?"
"Sure!" I enthused. "Let me just put this guitar away." I told him as I stood from the stool and unplugged it from the amp.
"I got it." He assured as he took the heavy instrument with one hand and easily hung it back on the wall. As we made our way up the stairs to the second floor, I allowed my eyes to wander over the keyboards. Nathan noticed my wandering gaze, so he took it upon himself to lead us towards them. "Do you like keyboards?" He asked me curiously as we stopped by the wall that had them on display.
"I do. I can play a few notes but nothing too crazy. I've always been mediocre when it comes to musical talent." I chuckled.
"Hm. I think you're too modest. From what I heard you were rather good, but hey, that's just one guy's opinion." He told me as he held out his pack of strings for me to hold. I obliged and took care of his packs as he walked over and began to play. My heart raced when the familiar melody began to fill the air. Was that...? No. It couldn't be. The song Croy had written for the piano had a different tempo. I could hear it now, but still. The precision with which he played every note, caused my throat to close. Instinctively, my free hand shot up and curled around the dagger that hung from my neck. Nathan stopped playing once he noticed the turmoil on my face.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked as he walked back to where I stood.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. Sorry. Kinda got lost in my head for a moment." I admitted sheepishly as I handed him back the pack of strings.
"It's cool. I just, wanted to make sure you're feeling okay. You looked...kind of sad for a minute there." He informed.
"Do you not like this place?" He asked which prompted me to shake my head.
"No, that's not it I just..." I trailed off as I turned away.
"What is it?" Nathan asked, stepping around so he could see my face.
"This place. It reminds me of...him." I admitted, my voice nearly a whisper.
"Can I ask who?" He pried.
"Just someone I lost. Someone who was very dear to me. I...I miss him." I admitted, the lump in my throat made it hard to swallow.
Without another word, Nathan walked closer and wrapped his arms around my torso, crushing me in an all-consuming embrace. I buried my face in his sturdy chest, his scent was intoxicating and so incredibly familiar.
"That's why you played that song on the guitar, right?" He asked, resting his chin on the top of my head.
"Yeah..." I admitted softly. We stood in the same position for a good while, eventually pulling away when a voice on the intercom announced the store would be closing soon.
"Come on. We should get going." He told me as he pulled away. I nodded and followed him back down stairs without another word.
After we left the music center, Nathan bought us passes for the wax museum. I had never been there before. The likeness of those wax statues to real celebrities was uncanny. We ended up taking some hilarious pictures with props and with some of the statues. By the time six o'clock rolled around, we were starving. Luckily, there was a subway just across the street.
We were sitting on one of the benches outside, nearly done with our sandwiches when a crack of lightning lit up the sky. We glanced up just as it started pouring.
"Oh fuck. Let's go!" He urged as we both scrambled to conceal our electronics and our purchases. We ran all the way back to the subway station were we caught the train back to LA Live. It was dark already, nearly nine in the evening when we stepped off the train to wait for our transfer. The bus app notified us of a delay a couple stops away, so we opted to take shelter underneath the Starbucks awning just across the street from the station.
"Wow..." I mused as I looked around at the lights that had been strung from the trees. The plaza was empty, but completely illuminated by the large screens and signs. "It's beautiful here at night." I enthused, pulling my drenched hair over my shoulder so I could wring it out a bit.
"Heh, it sure is." Nathan agreed, his eyes trained on me. His black locks were drenched and matted against his forehead. His white t-shirt clung to his skin, accentuating every line in his chiseled torso. I swallowed thickly, turning my gaze away when I realized I was staring.
"I hope it stops soon. It's gonna suck if we have to walk home in the rain." I mumbled as I readjusted my checkered jacket.
"I don't mind it. I love the rain." He admitted as he glanced up at the sky.
"Yeah, me too." I said as I followed his gaze. Nathan lowered his head when he felt me shiver next to him.
"I'm sorry. I should've brought a jacket so I could lend it to you. I honestly didn't expect this type of weather at all." He muttered as he messed with his hair.
"Dude look at me. I'm not exactly prepared for winter either." I laughed, punching him playfully on the shoulder.
"Here." He told me as he lifted one of his arms and pulled me in towards him. "Body heat can help you keep warm." He assured as he glanced back at the sky. My heart was racing in my chest again. The warmth that radiated off his torso was addicting. After a few long seconds of silence, Nathan turned his gaze back towards me.
"Your face is red." He informed, only heightening my embarrassment.
"Stupid cheeks, they always get red when I'm cold." I fibbed.
"Is that so?" Nathan asked, slipping his bent finger beneath my chin and tilting it so that I would meet his gaze.
"Y-yeah..." I stammered, even more nervous than before.
"Why are you so fucking cute?" He asked, his question causing my heart to slam against my ribcage.
"Cute? I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm not cute, I'mâ"
My sentence cut off when he leaned in and pressed his cold lips against mine. I froze, my face burning as he kissed me.
"You talk too much sometimes." He teased a second after pulling away, his eyes still focused on my lips. I closed my eyes and without a second thought, lunged upwards. I coiled my hand around his neck and rammed my lips against his. Nathan dropped the bags he was carrying and wrapped both of his arms around me as we kissed feverishly. I entangled my fingers in his damp locks, letting out a small gasp as he pressed me up against the concrete wall.
My skin burned. I couldn't even feel the rain anymore. Bolts of lightning clashed violently in the sky above. It was as if the weather was mirroring the passion of our kiss. By the time we pulled away, we were breathless. Nathan glanced up at the sound of the train horn echoing from the underground station. "We should probably get going..." He whispered before placing a few more pecks on my lips.
"Yeah..." I agreed as I loosened my grip on his shoulders and allowed him to pull away. After retrieving all his items, Nathan took my hand and led the way back to the station.
When we finally arrived at my apartment, Nathan leaned in and caressed my jaw with his knuckles.
"Hazel. Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, causing me to freeze.
"Nathan, I don't know, I just..." I trailed off when he placed a finger to my mouth.
"You don't have to answer now. Just think about it. I've got work for most of this week, but I was hoping we could go play some mini golf on Saturday. You can give me your answer then." He told me with that same smile before placing a goodbye kiss on my forehead. "Buona notte Principessa." He whispered in fluent Italian before pulling away and heading down the street.
"Goodnight." I whispered back, my fingers tracing the contours of my kiss swollen lips.