Falling For You | ✓

30

The car ride was so silent, Nicole was almost afraid to move, scared the leather seats would make a loud noise. Or that her stomach would grumble, because that salad did nothing, even if she barely ate it.

She kept glancing towards Blake, who just kept his eyes on the road.

That dinner was not at all what she expected it to be.

Nicole had assumed his parents were the doting kind, especially since Blake was an only child. She thought he would've had every luxury in life, parents that loved him immensely, spoiled him. But seemed far from it.

If anything, the dinner kind of made her appreciate her parents more. She didn't have every luxury growing up, but her parents were still always around when she needed them. All her plays in school, volunteering for school trips, or even just to have fun days out.

She felt bad that Blake had missed out on all of that. It didn't seem fair.

When the car halted to a stop, Nicole realised they had reached her place, and yet she didn't want to step out. At least not until she knew Blake was okay.

"Blake-"

"You want to grab a bite to eat?" He asked, turning his head in her direction.

Although she was glad Blake finally spoke up, she was a little confused.

"We just came from dinner," she said.

Blake smiled. "That wasn't a dinner and you know it too. Do you want to grab some pizza with me?"

"Sure," Nicole smiled back, feeling hungry and happy too, she kind of liked seeing Blake smile.

Blake drove to a nearby place, one that was the complete opposite to the restaurant that they were just at. In fact, they were two of the most overdressed people there, enough to receive few look.

Neither of them cared, however, they just wanted to sit, eat, and relax.

They ordered their pizza and then sat down at a table, letting out a deep breath as they did, both feeling quite exhausted from the evening.

Nicole looked Blake, and finally saw through that cheerful mask he always wore. Behind it, he saw someone who was just tired, and not from only this night.

"You okay?" She asked him.

Blake, who was lost in his own thoughts, looked at her and forced a smile upon his lips.

"I'm fine," he told her.

She knew this wasn't true. Not just because he said he was 'fine', which was like the universal code when you're not doing well. But also because his smile didn't reach his eyes as it usually did.

The smile he usually had, was more of a grin. It was make his blue eyes twinkle even more, sometimes mischievously, and his dimples would show. Nicole couldn't see any of that right now.

"Blake-" she said his name in a soft tone, but stopped when he shook his hand.

"No, really, I'm okay. See?" He replied, smiling wider, but it was all fake.

"Just because you're smiling, doesn't mean you're okay. In fact, it could mean you're in a lot more pain," Nicole told him.

Her words caused Blake to let out a slight chuckle. "What is this psycho-analysing?"

"Don't bullshit with me, Blake," Nicole told him, not wanting him to keep up this facade with her, she wanted him to be real.

He frowned. "What?"

"You can't. Not with me," she said.

Blake looked at her, but said nothing, until finally, he dropped the fake expression from his face, looking almost defeated.