“Really?” The sentiment unleashes a flood of warmth inside of me. “Are you sure?”
Nate frowns. “Of course, I’m sure, Mads. I-I…I really like you, Maddie.”
Paging cloud nine. I’m on my way.
My smile reaches the width of my face, and my insides dance happily. “I really like you, too, Nate.”
He intertwines our fingers, running the pad of his thumb along my fingertips. “Like a lot.” His voice dips. “Like, I want to transfer schools to Georgia until we go to USC together, a lot.”
My breath hitches.
I haven’t told him. There is no way I’m telling him first, but I love Nate.
So. So much.
It’s only been a little over a month, so maybe I’m naïve or crazy since I’ve never had a boyfriend, but there is no way this isn’t love.
Absolutely no way.
He is on my mind every second of the day.
My smile never fades when he’s around, and the butterflies never stop.
I wake up counting the minutes until I can see him again, and I hate ever leaving his side.
His touch sets my body ablaze, and his laugh makes everything feel light.
And when he looks at me, it’s as if the whole world slows down.
I swear, just being near him makes my heart feel like it’s about to jump out of my chest.
Nate’s the kind of person who makes you feel safe, like no matter how bad your day is, it’s okay because he exists.
I’m addicted.
Or maybe I’m obsessed.
Or maybe that’s just love.
Honestly? Being obsessed with the person you love doesn’t sound so bad to me.
Nate tilts his head. “So what do you say, Mads?”
I lean in and peck his cheek. “I say you’re going to USC no matter what. And yes, I’d love to go to lunch.”
“Good. Now let’s get the hell out of here so we can make out for an hour before curfew.”
I burst out laughing, letting him pull me to my feet.
Addie is deep in conversation with Leo, so I hug her quickly. In return, she dramatically blows me a kiss goodbye, and Leo copies her.
My brother is God knows where, and I couldn’t care about anyone else.
Nothing else matters.
There will always be time for dancing on the beach and bonfires with s’mores.
Time for ghost stories and hot chocolate.
