To The Way Things Were

~2~

The hum of an old engine sputtered up the road. Nina heard it approaching just as she was finishing applying a thin line of eyeliner to her left eye, the contrast of the black laying against the green background of her green iris, making them an impossible feature to ignore on her face. She gave herself one final scan in the mirror as she screwed the liner cap back into place. Her hair was simply done. The top was straight and it moved seamlessly into loose curls that fell over her shoulders, perfectly meeting the bend in her elbow. She settled on her best pair of light jeans with a subtle rip with a plaid patch sewn behind it at the upper thigh, paired with a simple grey crewneck sweater. To finish off the look, she added a small necklace. It was simple yet delicate and she was satisfied with what she had created for once. It was just her in the house tonight as her roommates decided to go out per their usual weekend routine. She was not a fan of the party scene so she was happy to have an excuse tonight.

Nina moved from the bathroom to her bedroom. The two were conveniently connected by a door that only she had access to through her room, and she appreciated the privacy that it gave her. Right as she reached for her phone and shoved it in her back pocket, there was a knock at the door. His heartbeat increased at the sound. There was no denying the tightness she had felt in her chest today in preparation for tonight. No matter, there was no turning back now. Nina pulled on a pair of black platform sneakers. She silently thanked herself for going with the pair that didn't pose the hassle of having to tie the laces. Feeling as prepared as she was able, she made her way down the narrow stairway of the old house. The stairs creaked obnoxiously under her feet. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard to her and she wished she would have accepted the offer to have the room on the main floor when she moved in. Once at the bottom of the stairs she made her way to the front door which was just down a short hallway. Her sneakers shuffled against the hardwood floor, she preferred that sound much more than the creak of the old carpeted stairs.

Charlie was waiting outside the door with his hands tucked casually in his pocket. She could see his black bomber jacket through the long glass windows that the door was nestled between. She let out a quick nervous breath before finally reaching for the door handle to let him in. He greeted her with a warm smile and pulled her in for a quick embrace. His arms were strong as they wrapped around her but his hug was warm and welcoming.

"You look nice," He said into her ear just before he released her from the hug. This time Nina was able to keep from blushing.

"Thank you, so do you," she said, actually taking the time to take in his appearance. He wore a casual button-down paired with dark wash jeans and white converse. It was clean and put together but still with an air of casual comfort. She had always been enticed by the way he was able to pull off effortless attractiveness so easily.

" You ready to go?" Charlie cut into her thoughts and reached out his arm for her to intertwine hers with. Nina took the gesture and they stepped off the front porch together. The night was completely different than when they had run into each other at Fresh Beans earlier in the week. The weather was warm for springtime, and the sky was clear with no clouds on the horizon. There was still a cold breeze but the warmer air around them made it bearable and added almost a peaceful element to the evening. The streetlights had just turned on and the small subdivision was lit just enough to see down the street. 

Both their hands reached for the door handle of the passenger side. "Oh, thank you," Nina interjected the moment clearly caught off guard. Charlie only offers one of his charming grins in return as he gestures for her to get into the car. Nina hops into the truck charlie makes his way around to the driver's side. The old truck hums to life and the fans kicking on cause Nina a slight shiver that is quickly analyzed by Charlie. Without a word, his arm reaches behind him. Nina's heart accelerates at the sight of him driving with one hand. She takes a breath intending to correct him but decides against it. Before she even has the chance, He pulls out a handful of blankets from behind the seat and places them in her lap. She is glad she was able to keep her mouth shut.

"You really thought of everything, didn't you?" She says smiling while pulling the blankets over her. A steady warmth starts to radiate over her body and she feels herself relaxing into the old used leather of the truck. There weren't many words exchanged for the short drive. They both just simply sat content to listen to the hum of the radio in the background. The scenery quickly changed from suburban to country and the stretch of back roads laid before them like an endless trail. Nina silently wondered where they were going. All the background episodes of her roommates' favorite crime show played across her mind for a moment. She had to suppress a giggle at the notion of her own thoughts.

It was the crackling of the tires slowing down against the gravel that caught her attention and brought her back to the present moment. The engine cut and the headlights were settled on an open expanse of field and sky.

"Don't worry, I didn't bring you here to murder you," Charlie joked as he took in the expression that was about to cross Nina's face.

"I wasn't thinking that," Nina brushed him off, still caught off guard at his ability to anticipate her thoughts and emotions so quickly.

"Whatever you say. Come on, let's grab the other blankets from the back." Charlie got out of the truck and beat Nina once more to open her door. When his hand grasped hers to help her down from the passenger side, she felt that same rush of familiarity and comfort that sent a slight chill down her spine and added warmth to her cheeks.

They walked a distance to the middle of the field, both their hands overflowing with blankets and Charlie carried a thermos of hot chocolate to go along with them. Once the blankets were all spread out they laid side by side and looked up at the sky. For a moment, the vastness of the sky took hold of them and neither of them said a word. There was a good amount of space between them but there was something about that reverent silence that made them want to be a little closer than before. Charlie scooted first, closing a little more of the gap. Nina decided to meet him right there in the middle. It was the innocent touch of elbows that made them feel less alone under the massive display of stars above them.

"I never thought," Charlie started to speak but trailed off before finishing his sentence.

Nina waited a moment to see if he was going to finish his thought before interjecting. "You never thought what?" Her head turned to face him in an attempt to read his expression. Even with the light of the host above them, she still was not able to read him.

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

This caused Nina to let out a sigh of slight frustration. Not knowing was the hardest thing especially after all the time they spent apart.

Charlie sensed her discomfort, "I just never imagined after high school that I would run into you like this."

"Well, that absolutely makes two of us. I didn't even know that you still noticed I existed," Nina tried to keep the slight edge of bitterness out of her tone.

Suddenly their hands were touching and Charlie was intertwining his fingers with hers. All negative emotion left her body at that single touch. "I am just glad you agreed to be here with me now." Their gaze met and held there like the moment was frozen in time. Charlie broke the gaze and began pointing out constellations that he thought should be renamed. Nina was quick to join in his game. So they sat there renaming stars and letting the past become a distant memory as it should be.