Chapter 26

Pov: Jules

The week had passed in a blur, like the kind of movie montage where everything is sped up, yet nothing really changes. Monday had started with the usual chaos: forgotten homework, coffee spills, and a sarcastic argument with Nathan about who's snack wrappers were on the floor. It was almost becoming a routine, that mix of irritation and amusement I felt whenever we sparred over the smallest things.

Lately, though, I'd catch myself noticing the curve of his smirk or the way his eyes lit up when he thought he'd won the argument. It was ridiculous—frustrating, even—but I couldn't deny that those moments stayed with me longer than they should have.

By wednesday, the monotony of classes and late study sessions had settled in, leaving me exhausted but weirdly content.

And now, Friday was here. Parents' Day. The day the entire campus had been buzzing about all week.

Everyone except me.

My parents had never been the type to show up. They hadn't come to recitals, sports events, or award ceremonies back at Riven. Why would they bother traveling halfway across the country for Parents' Day at Evergreen?

I'd convinced myself I was fine with it. I didn't need them to show up—or at least, that's what I told myself. But there was still a small, ridiculous part of me that wondered. Hoped.

I grabbed a coffee from the cafeteria and made my way to my favorite bench. I was halfway through scrolling mindlessly on my phone when it buzzed with a new message. My dad's name flashed on the screen.

We're here. Meet us at the main hall.

I blinked, rereading the text to make sure I wasn't imagining it. My parents? Here? The ones who barely remembered my birthday most years? My heart started racing, a chaotic mix of emotions. Shock. Joy. And something heavier, something bitter and sharp. Fear.

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They were easy to spot in the crowd of overly enthusiastic parents and bored teenagers. My mom stood out immediately, dressed in her signature tailored blazer and heels that clicked sharply on the tile floor. Her hair was perfectly styled, not a strand out of place. My dad, as always, looked uncomfortable in a suit, fidgeting with his tie like it was choking him. They looked so out of place it was almost funny.

"Jules!" my mom called, her voice overly bright but strangely distant. She waved me over like she hadn't seen me in years—like she actually cared.

I forced a smile and walked toward them. "Hey. Didn't expect to see you here."

"We thought it was about time we visited," my dad said, his tone overly casual. "It's a big day, right?"

"Sure," I replied, trying not to let the disbelief seep into my voice. "It's just... you've never come to these kinds of things before."

"Well, we're here now," my mom said briskly, brushing off my comment. "Why don't you show us around?"

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The campus tour was awkward at best. I pointed out the library, the gym, and the classrooms—all the usual highlights—but they barely seemed interested. My dad kept checking his phone every few minutes, and my mom's eyes darted around like she was expecting someone to jump out from behind a tree.

"So, how secure are the dorms?" my mom asked suddenly, her voice light but tinged with something sharper.

I frowned. "Uh, secure enough? Why?"

"Oh, no reason," she said quickly, exchanging a look with my dad. "Just curious."

Right. Curious. Because my parents were so well-known for their deep interest in dorm security. The uneasy feeling in my chest tightened.

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We ran into Finn and his family near the cafeteria. Watching them was like stepping into an entirely different world. His mom practically radiated warmth, wrapping Finn in a hug he didn't even try to dodge and laughing as if she hadn't embarrassed him a thousand times before. It wasn't just affection—it was ease, familiarity. They just fit together in a way my family never had.

For a second, I felt a pang of envy so sharp it almost made me wince. Finn's mom was gushing about him like he was a saint, while my parents stood a few feet away, stiff and awkward, like they didn't know how to participate in the moment.

My mom's polite smile looked like it hurt, and my dad kept glancing at his phone, clearly counting down the seconds until he could leave. The difference was stark, and it made me realize just how wide the gap was between what I had and what I wanted.

His mom was exactly how I'd imagined: warm, bubbly, and completely over-the-top. She hugged me like we'd known each other for years, gushing about how "sweet" Finn always said I was.

"Sweet?" Finn repeated, looking horrified. "Mom, don't lie to her."

"Don't listen to him," his mom said, laughing. "He's just jealous you're cooler than him."

I glanced at my parents, who stood stiffly on the sidelines, clearly unsure how to respond to Finn's family's exuberance. My mom's polite smile didn't quite reach her eyes, and my dad looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Wow, Jules," Finn said, grinning. "Didn't think your parents were real."

"They're definitly real." I muttered, forcing a smile.

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Lunch was no less awkward. I tried to make small talk, asking about Juno, our cat, hoping it would lighten the mood.

"How's Juno doing?" I asked casually, taking a sip of my drink.

My parents exchanged blank looks before my mom said, "Oh, you mean the cat? He's fine, I guess. I was supposed to feed him this morning, but I think I forgot."

I blinked. Forgot? Juno wasn't just a cat to me; he'd been my companion through some of the loneliest moments of my life. And she forgot? The casual way she said it, like it didn't matter, made my stomach twist.

It wasn't just Juno, though. It was everything. That detached tone, the casual dismissal, like my life—and the things I cared about—were afterthoughts to her. The realization left a bitter taste in my mouth, one I couldn't quite swallow. I forced a nod.

"Great. Glad he's... fine."

I miss you Juno, I hope you're okay.

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The afternoon brought more questions I didn't have answers to. My parents asked about my classes, my friends, and then—to my complete shock—my dormmate. When I mentioned Nathan, they both froze for a moment, exchanging a look I couldn't decipher.

"What's he like?" my dad asked, his voice calm but overly deliberate. It was the kind of tone he used when he was carefully choosing his words, which immediately set me on edge.

I hesitated, suddenly uncomfortable. "He's... Nathan. Sarcastic. Annoying. Smarter than he lets on. Why?"

My dad's expression didn't shift, but there was a tension in his jaw. "So, you're sharing a room with him?"

I blinked, suddenly realizing they didn't know. "Yeah. It was a mix-up. The school thought I was a boy when they assigned the dorms because of my first name." I tried to sound nonchalant, but I could see the shock on their faces.

"You're living with a boy? Jules, why didn't you tell us this?" my mom asked, her polite demeanor cracking as she stared at me like I'd just confessed to a crime.

"Because it's not a big deal," I said firmly, crossing my arms. "Nathan's harmless. And honestly, it's not like we had a choice. The school wouldn't reassign me because there aren't any other dorms available."

My dad didn't look convinced. "Harmless? Jules, he's still a guy. And you're living in close quarters. How can you be so casual about this?"

I felt a spark of irritation. "Because he's my roommate, Dad, not some predator. He's a decent person, okay?" The defensiveness in my tone surprised even me. "Besides, it's not like either of us planned this. We've figured it out."

"And this boy... this Nathan," my dad pressed, his voice dropping. "Nathan Talon?"

The way he said Nathan's full name sent a shiver down my spine. I froze, my stomach twisting. "Yeah, why? Do you... know him?"

For a second, they didn't respond. My mom quickly recovered, waving her hand like it was nothing. "Oh, no, no. We just... the name sounded familiar, that's all."

But the way she glanced at my dad told a completely different story. There was something there—something they weren't telling me. And the more they danced around it, the more uneasy I felt.

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Later, I overheard them arguing quietly in the hallway when I was coming back from the bathroom. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help it.

"We didn't have a choice," my dad said. "The arrangement was already made."

The words hit me like a slap, their weight settling into my chest like a stone. What arrangement? My mom's sharp tone cut through the haze.

"I don't like her being so close to him," she hissed. "It's safer this way. Besides, she doesn't need to know."

A chill ran down my spine. Him? Did they mean Nathan? What the hell did he have to do with this? My mind raced, piecing together fragments of the day—their sudden interest in him, the probing questions, the cryptic glances. None of it made sense, but the unease that had been simmering all afternoon boiled over into outright dread.

"I don't like her being so close to him," my mom hissed. "It's safer this way. Besides, she doesn't need to know."

My heart raced as I stepped away, their words replaying in my mind. What arrangement? What was safer? And what the hell did they mean by "being so close to him"?

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By the time they left, I felt like I couldn't breathe. My chest felt heavy, like someone had tied a weight to it and dropped it into a deep, cold lake. I wandered to my bench—my spot—hoping the quiet would help. But the thoughts came anyway, chaotic and loud. My parents' strange behavior, their guarded questions about Nathan, and their dismissal of Juno swirled in my mind. I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to make sense of it all.

The sound of footsteps made me glance up. Nathan appeared, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. He didn't say a word, just sat down on the other side of the bench with the ease of someone who knew they were welcome. He scrolled through his phone for a moment before pulling out an earbud and holding it out to me.

"Here," he said simply.

I hesitated for a second before taking it. The soft strains of music filled my ear, unexpected yet calming. It wasn't what I thought Nathan would listen to, but it worked. The storm in my head started to quiet.

"How do you always know what I need?" I asked quietly.

"You're not as hard to read as you think," he replied, his voice low and steady. "Not to me, anyway."

His words lingered in the air, warming something inside me I hadn't realized was cold. I leaned back slightly, my shoulder brushing against his. I expected him to pull away or tease me, but he didn't. Instead, he shifted, letting his arm rest along the back of the bench, just barely touching my shoulder. The warmth of his presence seeped into me, steadying the whirlwind of my thoughts.

I closed my eyes, letting the music wash over me. The day's events replayed in fragments. My parents' cryptic comments about Nathan. Their lack of care when I'd asked about Juno. The way they'd even shown up.

And yet, here was Nathan, sitting beside me, not asking for anything but still giving me exactly what I needed.

"Did your parents show up?" I asked softly, breaking the silence.

I glanced at him, his tone so calm it almost felt rehearsed. "Nope. Didn't expect them to," he replied, shrugging as though it didn't matter. But I could see a flicker of something deeper beneath the nonchalance.

After a moment, he turned the question on me. "What about yours? Did they?" His voice wasn't prying, just steady, like he actually wanted to know.

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. "They did," I admitted, my voice softer now. "But it was... weird. They showed up, but it didn't feel like they were really there, you know? They kept asking weird questions, like they had some other reason for being here."

Nathan studied me for a second before leaning back slightly, his arm brushing the bench. "Parents are complicated," he said finally, his voice low. "They've got their own crap, and sometimes that makes them... bad at showing up for you. Doesn't mean it doesn't suck."

There was a finality in his tone that made me ache for him in a way I hadn't expected. For all the annoyance and sarcasm between us, Nathan understood loneliness better than anyone I knew. Maybe that's why he knew how to help without prying—because he'd been there, too.

The music shifted to a softer melody, the kind that felt like it was wrapping you in a blanket. I let myself lean a little closer, my head resting lightly against his shoulder. He didn't pull away, didn't make a joke to ruin the moment. Instead, his arm adjusted slightly along the back of the bench, his fingers brushing against my shoulder in a way that felt intentional but not overwhelming. A silent gesture that said, I'm here.

My chest tightened, but not in the bad way—in the way that made me realize how much I needed this. Needed him. For someone so closed off, Nathan had a way of breaking through my walls without even trying. He didn't have to say anything; his presence was enough to make me feel like maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.

The song played on, soft and steady, I let myself believe that things could be okay. Even if just for this moment.

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A/N

I'm kicking my feet. Are you kicking your feet? You better me...

And of course... tf is wrong with her parents. WE WANT JUNO.

My poor baby :(

Let me know where you think the story is going?

LOVE YOU ALL DONT FORGET TO VOTE <333

(btw happy new year my loves <3)