Heartstrings - Forbidden Hearts Series Prequel

26| Hidden Messages & Unanswered Questions

Against my better judgement, I read the damn note again. 

I put you in your bed early this morning. I know you didn't want Lanie or anyone else to see you in mine. I hope you slept okay.

Nathan

By the way, gorgeous, you can keep my shirt. It looks better on you.

Thanks to that last day in Florida, I knew exactly what it felt like to be held by Nathan Jenkins. But I still wished I could remember that night specifically. Oh well. There was nothing I could do about it now. 

I had more important things to focus on anyway. Now that I officially applied to USF, my mom had me looking at dorm room and meal plan options. Then she started going on and on about which sorority I should join.

It was enough to make me go crazy. Not only did I not want to join a sorority, but I really didn't want to share a dorm room with anyone other than my best friends. I rather look for an apartment off campus if it were possible. Knowing my luck, that wouldn't be the case. A lot of colleges require first-year students to live on campus.

Figures. It was just my luck. I thought that since I finally applied to the school and did the online tour, it would get my mom off my back. But now she's more obsessed with it than ever.

She and I used to have such a healthy and fun relationship. And we were so close and could talk about anything. Now it was college, college, college. I swear if she didn't stop this by the beginning of the school year, I was going to have to have an intervention.

A random tapping sound at my window startled me. It was most likely one of the branches from the large oak tree that was next to my window. Probably broken again and was scratching against it. Scared me to death the last time it happened. I rolled off my bed to go and move it. Otherwise it would keep me up all night.

When I raised the blinds and pulled the curtain aside, that's when I realized it wasn't a branch scratching my window. It was him. 

I opened it. "Nathan?" I glanced over my shoulder to make sure my parents weren't around. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in? Please?"

As much as that little voice in my head screamed at me to let him come in so I could be around him again, I knew it was a bad idea. Anything concerning Nathan Jenkins was a bad idea. 

"Please," he begged softly. "We need to talk."

Cursing under my breath, I stepped aside. "Come in."

While he climbed through my window, I walked over to my bedroom door and shut it. Last thing I needed was for my mom to hear that there was a boy in my room.  It would be ten times worse once she saw who it was, too. 

With the way my dad was questioning me before about having a boyfriend, he might actually be okay with it. But right now I wasn't willing to risk it with either of them.

When I walked back over to Nathan, I didn't miss the way his eyes roamed over my body. I wanted to get my robe and be a little more clothed, but it was in the bathroom. If I walked out into the hall, there was a chance of getting my mom's attention. With no other option, I looked him in the eye and crossed my arms over my chest. 

"You said you wanted to talk," I said to him. "So talk."

He didn't say anything right away. He just looked at me. The hidden messages in his eyes made my chest ache.