Bloodstream | Nate Jacobs

Chapter Thirty-Two

Song for this chapter: I love you but I don't like you - Molly Moore

It has been two weeks now since Nate and I had last had that dreadful conversation about having kids. But it wasn't the last of the thoughts that Nate was pushing on me. Now he has been talking about marriage and living together far away somewhere that we have never been before like New York or Seattle. It was growing tiresome to be around him and the stress of what was going to happen to us after college. Hell, we had hardly been together for two months, and I still knew hardly anything about the guy because all we did was fight and fuck, fuck and fuck, fight and fuck some more. And when shit was actually going smoothly with us he always brought up some touchy subject that would initiate another fight.

My heels clicked down on the school hallways, as I walked back to my next class, that I had no point showing up to with how late I already was from sleeping in this morning. Nate and I had another fight last night so he wasn't there this morning to help me get ready for school, and honestly? It was so fucking peaceful. I never thought I would take a hot show for granted after it had been shared with a man so many times.

Did I even want to be Nate anymore?

When I thought about him. I wasn't happy anymore, I didn't feel possessive or even jealous when I saw him with other girls. If anything he just annoyed the fuck out of me, and I wanted to do anything to be away from him.

The day dragged on slowly as I was lost away in my never-ending thoughts. Maybe I just needed some space to realize that I did miss him.

"Lily," Nate called out behind me.

I rolled my eyes but stopped in the hallway so that he could catch up to me. I figure this would be when we ran into each other. The only damn class that we were to share for the rest of the school year.

"How was your morning," Nate questioned. His demeanor has changed from last night. Clearly, he wanted to go the route of pretending like our fight never happened.

"It was peaceful," I muttered, a thick annoyance lingered on my tongue and I hoped that he noticed it.

"I'm sorry," Nate grumbled.

"But are you really? Or are you just going to piss me off again by the end of the day," I hissed spitefully. I walked to the gym door and ripped it open quickly not caring that Nate was behind me, and I walked to the girl's locker room quickly trying to put as much space between us as I could.

I stripped out of my dress and heels and put on my pair of gym shorts and the tank top with the built-in sports bra. I put on a pair of athletic ankle socks and started to lace up my sneakers.

"I can't believe Maddy would frame Nate like that," A girl spoke in the second half of the girl's locker room.

"Lily has to deal with way to much shit from that jealous bitch like we all seen her fucking that dude at the party." Another girl spoke.

I couldn't stop the smirk that curved at my lips. This was the kind of gossip that I was okay with hearing. I don't exactly know how Nate did it but he was able to get a witness report and a false confession from that poor bastard that encountered Maddy in the pool.

"Lily seems like she is a lot better for him anyway, he looks happier doesn't he?" Another girl questioned.

"He does, my boyfriend even says he has been playing better on the field recently and even his grades have gone up."

Was he really? I sat back for a moment, pressing my back up against the cool metal. I know Nate has been pretty annoying lately but I was also being very defensive after everything that had happened the past few weeks. Maybe we just needed a break to regain our thoughts and gather the pieces that have been scattered on the floor. I pushed myself back off the locker and walked past the group of girls that were still gossiping away at the locker room sinks, reapplying the lip gloss that shined on their lips all day. I recognized them, but I still couldn't remember their names for the life of me. I stepped out of the girl's locker room and joined into the group of people that were huddled around the teacher.

"2 laps on the track today as a warm-up," Coach announced to the class.

I could sense Nate's presence behind me.

"I think I'm going to walk home after school and spend the evening cleaning up my disaster of a bedroom," I whispered to Nate.

I turned my head to the side, catching his gaze that was lingering down on me.

"I have practice today, and the boys invited me to chill tonight."

"I think you should go with them, you haven't spent much time with them recently," I answered quickly, "Pick me up for school in the morning."

"Okay," Nate spoke plainly.

Space would be good. Space is needed to make any relationship work. And maybe it was a good idea for me to find some friends or a hobby to occupy my time a little more. The space was either going to break us or it was going to help strengthen our relationship.

Gym class went by quickly and I was once again in the locker room changing back into my dress and heels. The bell went off and crowds of people flooded out of the changing rooms and into the hallways. I walked slowly behind everyone, making my way to my locker that was on the other side of the school.

A simple poster caught my attention, the red font stood out for me. 'Photography club now accepting new member' this sounded promising. I pulled off one of the little tabs with the number that was on the bottom of the poster and continued my quest to my locker. Photography sounded like it would something easy and enjoyable, I mean how hard is it to take a simple photo.

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A/n- I hope you all have a happy holiday, and a nice winter break. This book is no longer on a small break and will be continued regularly again.

Thank you all for your patience and your loving support.

xoxo, Caylen.