𝑻𝐇𝐄 𝑵𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒━━ 𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘯𝘢𝘱

03

once we made it to my favorite ice cream place in all of florida thirty something minutes later, i went to order while nick grabbed a table near the back. ever since he became so popular that he couldn't go outside without being attacked by fans, it became customary for us to sit in the corner with nick facing away from the door.

a few minutes later, i was handing nick a waffle cone filled with cookie dough ice cream, the same as mine.

"thanks," he said, glancing over his shoulder.

"nick, just relax. i don't think anyone in here is going to run at you and ask for a picture," i said.

"you're right. i just don't want to be surprised," he said.

i took a bite of my ice cream and immediately regretted it as the cold pierced through my teeth.

"that's what you get for biting into your ice cream like a psychopath," nick said, not bothering to hide his smile.

"oh shut up. i wanted the piece of cookie dough."

"it really must suck to be you," he commented, shaking his head sadly.

"it does actually because my best friend is nowhere near as great as yours," i teased, smirking at him.

nick just rolled his eyes. "you've literally got it made, thalia. you live with two popular streamers and you don't have to work or anything. your life is all fun and you don't have to worry about responsibilities."

"excuse you sir, i do too work. do you think my company runs itself?" i asked, giving him a look that said "i don't think so".

"by now it does. you just occasionally check in," nick said.

"hmm, you're right. i do have it made. the only thing that could make it better is if i became famous for like saving orphans or inventing a cure to cancer," i remarked.

"unfortunately, you aren't that smart," nick said.

"i am no longer accepting your little remarks. please mute yourself," i said in response.

"no."

"loser."

nick started laughing and i joined in a second later. "it's nice to spend time with you again. the gameshow was fun but i missed hanging out with you," nick told me, his expression almost nostalgic.

"i missed you too, nicky. speaking of, dream told me this morning that he thought you were feeling left out because we spent so much time apart and now i'm with julian a lot," i said, trying not to sound awkward at the whole talking-about-feelings things.

nick shifted uncomfortably in the booth. "i wouldn't say i feel left out, necessarily. i guess it just kind of hit me yesterday how much of your life i had missed. before i left, we'd stay up all night talking about every moment of our lives, even if we had spent most of it together. now, i didn't even know that you had been on a single date with this guy and suddenly you've got a boyfriend."

i reached over and squeezed his hand, giving him a winning smile. "i promise you that we will stay up tonight and i'll tell you every detail of everything you missed-and you'll do the same for me- until we are completely caught up on each other's lives again," i promised.