New Girl ➼ (Nate Archibald) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 39 // "He never felt so alone."

Chapter thirty-nine; "He never felt so alone."
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Nate checked his phone for the tenth time, ignoring the messages from Catherine and checking to see if Riley had reached out to him. Between catching up with Vanessa, the deal with Catherine, family— he was missing her like crazy. They had recently hung out, but it was never enough. He was starting to feel like pieces of him were being taken away every second he wasn't with Riley.

"Nate? Hello?" Vanessa called out for his attention. They were eating lunch at the art gallery together, a lunch that Nate planned himself.

"Sorry, I'm just distracted," he put away his phone quickly and shrugged it off.

She smiled and leaned in across the table, "maybe you just need to be properly distracted."

Nate's phone alarm went off again, making the situation awkward.

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, no. It's me," he shook his head and silenced his phone quickly. Feeling like a complete asshole, Nate just wanted to get up, go home, get this day done with already.

"No, Nate. You don't need to explain anything. It's fine, really."

"I-"

"What an unusual little space. Half gallery, half boho coffee shop! But then the unusal pairings seen to be the order of the day," Blair's heels clicked harshly on the floor and came to a halt when she rested her hands on top of their coffee table.

"Blair, what are you doing here?"

She never came with any good intentions, especially during the middle of the day at lunch time. Revealing her true actions, Blair intended for Nate to bring Vanessa as a date for tonight's party. As a result, she was helping him get away from his affair with Catherine.

"Sure. We'll be there," Nate nodded which signaled Blair to finally leave. Vanessa, however, was very confused at what she had missed while picking up a package. She turned to Nate after Blair was gone.

"Hello? What did I miss?"

"We're going to be dates to the party tonight. You and I. I just thought I'd prove how much this really means to me. Us," Nate smiled, "are you up for it?"

"Are you sure you wanna take me — out of everyone – to a school party filled with the most judgmental, stuck up, annoying–"

"I'd have way more fun if I wasn't forced to talk to them, but have you to be around," he chuckled, "who else would I wanna be with?"

Vanessa picked up a water bottle off the table, "Riley," she mumbled before drinking it.

"Riley?"