Pov: Jules
I woke up to the soft glow of sunlight peeking through the blinds and the distinct weight of an arm draped near mine. My breath caught as my brain registered what was happeningâNathan's arm rested lazily near my shoulder, his face relaxed in a way I'd never seen before.
Shit.
I froze, my mind racing. Did I seriously fall asleep here? On him? With him? A fresh wave of heat crawled up my neck as I stared at his face. His long lashes rested against his cheekbones, and his dark hair was mussed in a way that made him look... well, good. Too good.
Oh my God, he's going to think I'm such an idiot. Or worse... I swallowed hard. What if this is normal for him? What if he doesn't even care?
Carefully, I slipped out from under his arm, holding my breath like I was disarming a bomb. His hand twitched slightly, and I nearly died on the spot. But he didn't wake up. I grabbed my towel and toiletries and bolted for the bathroom as quietly as possible, my heart hammering like it was trying to break free.
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The hot water hit my skin, but it did nothing to soothe my spiraling thoughts. I leaned my forehead against the tiled wall, replaying everything that had happened last night. The movie. The teasing. The stupid, stupid way I'd fallen asleep next to him like it was the most normal thing in the world.
It didn't mean anything, I told myself, rinsing shampoo from my hair. It's just Nathan. He probably falls asleep on bed couches with people all the time. He's Nathan Talonâbrooding, charming, mysterious.
My stomach twisted. Does he even realize how easy it is to like him? Not that I like him. But he's nice. And funny sometimes. And, okay, really, really pretty.
I groaned, smacking the wall lightly with my palm. Get it together, Jules. You're overthinking. It was just a movie. Totally normal. People fall asleep during movies all the time.
But the more I tried to convince myself it was nothing, the harder it was to shake the weird, fluttery feeling in my chestâthe kind that made my brain scream, This is not normal, Jules. Not for you.
By the time I turned off the shower, I wasn't sure if I felt calmer or just more confused. All I knew was that I needed to avoid making eye contact with Nathan for the rest of the day.
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When I stepped back into the room, Nathan was awake. He was propped up against the headboard, scrolling lazily through his phone like he didn't have a care in the world. He glanced up as I walked in, his expression unreadable.
"Morning," he said, his voice low and rough from sleep.
"M-Morning," I stammered, clutching my towel tighter. I moved to my side of the room, avoiding his gaze like it would physically burn me.
I heard the rustle of sheets as he sat up straighter. "You didn't wake me up when you left," he said casually, amusement lacing his tone. "Thought you'd at least say goodbye."
My face burned. "I didn't want to wake you. You seemed... comfortable."
He tilted his head, his smirk deepening. "You didn't seem too uncomfortable yourself."
Kill me now. I busied myself rummaging through my bag, pretending to look for something important. "I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep. It wasn't... intentional."
Nathan let out a soft chuckle, the sound sending an irritating thrill down my spine. "Relax, Jules. It's not a big deal."
I froze for a second, glancing at him briefly. "Right. Of course. Totally not a big deal."
Except it was. Because every time I looked at him now, my brain decided to loop the image of us sleeping on the makeshift couch. Together. His arm near mine. In the same space.
I moved to my desk, pulling out my sketchbook as a distraction. But my thoughts refused to cooperate. I snuck a glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He was leaned back against the headboard again, scrolling through his phone with that annoyingly effortless ease. The sharp line of his jaw, the messy dark hair, the faint smirkâit was too much.
Oh, no, I thought, my cheeks heating up. I might actually like Nathan Talon.
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I sat down at our usual table in the dining hall, trying to act normal. Harper, of course, saw right through me. She stabbed a piece of fruit with her fork and grinned. "You're blushing. Spill."
"I'm not blushing," I said, stabbing my own scrambled eggs a little too aggressively.
Harper raised an eyebrow. "Okay, so hypothetically, what does it mean if a guy and a girl watch a movie together and fall asleep... on each other?"
Harpers face lit up, her grin growing wide. "Oh my god, Jules. Please tell me this is what I think it is."
I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. "Don't."
"Hypothetically," Harper repeated, barely containing her laughter. "Who's the guy?"
"Nathan," I muttered, barely loud enough for her to hear.
She froze mid-bite, her eyes widening. "Nathan Talon? The human embodiment of a stone wall and sexy roommate Nathan?"
"It wasn't a big deal," I said quickly, feeling my cheeks heat up again. "I just don't want him to think it's... weird."
Harper smirked, leaning closer. "Oh, Jules. He definitely doesn't think it's weird. Trust me, you're fine."
I bit my lip, trying to fight back the anxiety bubbling up. "You think so?"
Harper's grin softened slightly. "Jules, guys like Nathan don't fall asleep on movies nights with just anyone. Relax."
Her reassurance didn't quite settle the nerves, but it helped. A little.
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Back in the dorm, the awkward tension with Nathan felt unbearable. I grabbed my jacket and headphones, deciding I needed air.
"Going somewhere?" Nathan asked, not even looking up from his sketchbook.
"Uh, yeah," I said, my voice higher than normal. "Just... going for a walk. Need some fresh air."
Nathan shrugged, his smirk returning. "Suit yourself. Don't get lost."
I rolled my eyes and shut the door behind me, grateful for the escape.
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With my headphones blasting music, I wandered aimlessly along the cobblestone paths. I pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with shaky fingers. The first drag settled my nerves a little, but my thoughts still swirled.
This is ridiculous, I scolded myself. You're overthinking everything. He probably doesn't even care. You're just a roommate to him. That's it.
I turned a corner and nearly crashed into someone.
"Whoa! Easy there," Finn said, holding his hands up like he was surrendering. "Didn't mean to scare you."
I pulled out my headphones, embarrassed. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
Finn grinned, his easygoing charm putting me at ease. "No worries. I was just thinking how cool I'd look if I had to dodge someone in slow motion."
I laughed despite myself. "Guess I ruined your moment."
"Nah," he said, falling into step beside me. "So, how's life with Nathan? Surviving the grump yet?"
I hesitated, looking down. "It's... fine. We don't talk much." That was a lie.
Finn raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought he'd be all over you with his dry humor and mysterious brooding."
I shook my head, blushing slightly. "No, he mostly just... teases me."
Finn grinned wider. "Ah, the classic Talon charm. He doesn't do that for just anyone, you know."
"Yeah, well, it's... distracting," I admitted, kicking at a pebble on the path.
Finn nudged me lightly. "He's not as scary as he looks. Deep down, he's a marshmallow."
I glanced at him. "Nathan? A marshmallow?"
Finn laughed. "Okay, maybe not a marshmallow. More like... a slightly less burnt piece of toast. But he's not bad once you get to know him."
We walked in silence for a few moments, and I found myself relaxing for the first time all day.
"Oh, by the way," Finn said suddenly, glancing at me with a playful grin, "what did you think of the snacks Nathan got for you last night?"
I blinked, caught completely off guard, how the fuck?!. "How do you know about that?"
Finn smirked, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. "He called me. Wanted my opinion on what to get."
My stomach flipped. "He... asked you for advice?"
Finn shrugged like it was no big deal. "Yeah. Said he wanted to make sure he got it right. Classic Nathan, overthinking everything."
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Why would Nathan even care enough to...? My mind raced, but Finn just grinned knowingly and changed the subject.
"Thanks, Finn," I said quietly. "For... this."
He shot me a lopsided grin. "Anytime, Jules. Besides, I've got to make sure Nathan doesn't scare you off. He'd probably never forgive me."
I frowned, my stomach doing a little flip. "Why would he care?"
Finn's grin turned knowing, but he didn't answer. Instead, he gestured toward the gym. "This is me. Got to go keep these guns in shape." He flexed dramatically, earning a small laugh from me.
"See you around," I said, feeling a little lighter as he walked off.
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When I returned to the dorm, Nathan was still sitting at his desk, sketching something in his notebook. He glanced up briefly as I walked in.
"Good walk?" he asked, his tone casual.
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
"Run into anyone interesting?" he added, without looking up, his voice holding that usual, infuriatingly unreadable edge.
I froze for a second. Did he know about Finn? How would he... no, he couldn't. "Not really," I lied, heading toward my desk.
"Hmm," Nathan murmured, and the sound was enough to make my stomach twist. His smirk was subtle but impossible to miss.
"What?" I asked, spinning around to face him.
Nathan leaned back in his chair, resting the pencil against his lip. "Nothing. You just seem... jumpy. But I'm sure it's nothing."
"You're impossible," I muttered, sitting down at my desk with a huff.
"So I've been told," he shot back, turning his attention back to his sketchbook, but that damn smirk lingered.
I tried to focus on my own sketchbook, but my thoughts were a tangled mess. Finn's grin. Harper's teasing. And Nathan's smirk, still etched into my mind like it had taken up permanent residence. This was going to be a long day.
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A/N
I can't even explain the way I am obsessed with these characters!
Also what is everyone favorite book? I'm very curious
LOVE YOU ALL <3