seventeen
M addy thought she could hear her heart beating in her ears. That particular organ seemed to be working overtime tonight. She was practically vibrating. Or maybe that was her pulse jumping against Nate’s fingers where his hand was pressing against it, cupping her nape.
She’d never felt so conscious of everything, like she would be able to summon to memory every instance, every thought, every emotion from this night.
She could feel every spot where Nate was touching her. His touch wasn’t just protective; it made her feel treasured, like something delicate yet fiercely desired. Or at least, that was how she chose to interpret it.
The fabric of his shirt, bunched in her clenched fist, was soft against her skin, carrying the heat of his body.
That warmth seeped into her, making her hyper-aware of how close he was.
His scent—rich, familiar, and intoxicating—wrapped around her, making her head swim.
She hadn’t had a single drink all night, but with him this near, she didn’t need one.
She and Nate swayed to the music until the song changed to something more upbeat and Maddy reluctantly unglued herself from him.
Maybe the fact that he seemed reluctant to let her go as well was her imagination. But she wasn’t ready to burst her bubble of wishful thinking, yet. She was just happy to soak in this feeling that made her equal parts elated and content.
She would also be happy if she could blame her overheated face to the temperature in the room.
“Is it hot in here?” she mumbled mostly to herself, touching her cheeks with the back of her hand.
“It certainly is, Mads.” Nate’s devilish smirk did absolutely nothing to improve her situation.
In fact, judging from the giggle that escaped her lips before she could contain it, it was probably safe to say that Maddy was slipping deeper and deeper into trouble. She wasn’t even sure if she’d ever produced that kind of sound before in her entire life.
But she guessed that that was the Nate Keaton effect.
“I’ll just go freshen up a bit,” she said pointing to the general direction of where the bathroom should be. She hoped the smile that felt permanently plastered on her face didn’t make her look as smitten as she felt.
“Okay, I’ll be here talking to the guys while you’re gone.” He motioned to a spot on his right where Maddy saw that Cooper and Liam stood waving at her with twin gleeful expressions on their faces. Not knowing what to make of them, Maddy simply waved back, smiling.
She turned around to make her way through the sea of bodies but not before she noticed Nate shooting daggers with his eyes at his friends, to which they apparently started laughing.
Shaking her head, Maddy headed down the corridor that led to the half-open door of a blue-tiled bathroom. The house was surprisingly easy to navigate.
After splashing some cold water on her cheeks to cool down a bit, she chanced a look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were wide and glassy, her skin flushed, her lips slightly rosy from unconsciously nibbling on them. She looked happy and excited. And she loved that look on her.
Finishing up, Maddy closed the bathroom door behind her and made her way back to the living room where the party was in full swing. Or she would have if her path hadn’t been blocked by a tall guy right before she could set foot in said living room.
The guy wasn’t anyone Maddy thought she knew. She tried to place his face but she didn’t think he was one of her classmates. Not that she really noticed anyone at school.
“Heeey, pretty girl,” the guy muttered, his words slightly slurred.
Okay, maybe he wasn’t even talking to her. He seemed drunk enough not to know who he was talking to. Though a quick glance behind her told her that there was no one else down the corridor.
“Hey, yourself.” There was no reason to be rude.
The unidentified guy leaned a meaty arm on the wall close to her head in an attempt to box her in. “Are you here by yourself?”
“Um, no actually. I was just getting back to my friend,” Maddy said while visibly trying to sidestep him.
Of course, such cues were beyond him at the state he was.
“Aww that’s a pity. ‘Cause I was gonna ask you if you wanted to get a drink with me, maybe have a little fun.”
Okay, that was a firm no from her. Plus, he was still blocking her way which was starting to annoy her.
“Thanks, but no. I really have to go back to my company. But have fun yourself. Excuse me,” Maddy said, fully intending to push through him.
Except that was the moment he apparently decided to grasp her arm in his tight grip.
“What’s the matter? Why can’t you be nice? I’m being nice to you.”
Well, if he had been nice to her, he wouldn’t be squeezing her forearm hard enough to bruise. But upsetting him wouldn’t solve anything since his slurring was only getting worse.
“You think you’re too good for me?” the guy almost spat out, his face turning into an ugly sneer.
Okay, she wasn’t touching that with a ten-foot pole.
“Nope, I didn’t say that.” Now she was definitely getting annoyed. And clearly politeness wasn’t helping her but she would hate to kick him where it hurt and cause a scene. She was seconds away from doing that though if he didn’t let go of her arm immediately. She just wanted to get back to Nate.
“Please, let go of my arm,” she said in a firm, steady tone that brooked no arguments.
The choice, however, was taken out of the guy’s hands when Nate’s tall, seething form loomed in the entrance of the hallway.
Now, there was mad and there was mad . And Nate was next level mad . Maddy felt as if the very air around them changed. Her heart, which up to that moment had beat calmly and steadily, now sped up as she took in Nate’s fury.
He stood like an avenging angel, his eyes pools of darkness, zeroed in on the hand still gripping her arm.
Clearly this dude had no survival instinct.
Nate stepped closer, his gait deceptively calm, his eyes now settling on the guy’s face. Nate’s hand shot out so fast the guy didn’t even see it coming, and pinned him to the wall by the throat.
“I suggest you let her go,” Nate’s voice barely above a low, menacing whisper.
The guy started sputtering, his unfocused eyes bulging, probably just then realizing what was going on, before his hand let hers go and went limp by his side.
“Touch her again without her permission and I’ll make sure you won’t have a hand to touch anything else ever again.” Nate’s voice sent a shudder through Maddy, chills breaking at the back of her neck.
But not in fear.
Fear was the furthest thing from her mind.
Since the guy would probably need to start breathing again soon, Maddy moved closer to Nate, brushing a hand up his back. His muscles were tight with tension but as soon as he registered her touch, he seemed to relax imperceptibly.
“It’s okay, Nate. Everything is fine,” she whispered to him in a soft voice.
The guy slumped against the wall as soon as Nate released him, trying to catch his breath.
Nate’s anger did not dissipate immediately but his dark eyes were full of concern and regret when they focused on Maddy. His hands found their way to her upper arms in a barely there touch, his eyes scanning her from top to bottom, as if making sure she hadn’t been hurt anywhere.
“I’m so sorry, Madison,” he said, taking her by surprise.
Maddy frowned, perplexed.
“Why would you be sorry, Nate?” His breathing was becoming uneven.
“Because I should have seen it sooner. You shouldn’t have had to deal with this piece of shit.”
His visible agitation made her heart squeeze almost painfully.
“I’m fine, Nate. I promise you. You took care of it.” She smiled at him in a way that she hoped conveyed the sincerity of her words. “See? A Gryffindor through and through,” she teased.
Nate’s huff of laughter made her release some of the tension she’d inadvertently been carrying.
“How about we get the hell out of here and grab some ice-cream?” he asked, letting go of her arms and extending his hand.
“Ice-cream in winter?” Maddy threw back at him, sliding her hand in his. “You are shameless, Nathaniel Keaton.”
“You have no idea how much, Madison Pierce.”
***
Apparently, it was never too late or too cold for ice-cream because they did manage to find a place to get a couple of scoops to go. Nate’s choice was of vanilla and pistachio, while Maddy settled on some good old chocolate and strawberry.
“That was a good suggestion, Nate. Now I can be frozen inside and out.” Maddy could feel her lips and her nose turning blue from the cold, though she didn’t really care. She was enjoying this too much.
“Thank you. I do have the best ideas,” Nate said, already tossing his finished cup in a nearby trashcan.
“I didn’t take you for a vanilla guy, though.”
Nate turned to look at her, his eyes twinkling.
“Anything against vanilla, Mads?”
“N-no.” Apparently the cold made her stutter now for some reason.
Yes, the cold. “Nothing wrong with vanilla.”
“I think so, too,” Nate said, his voice a bit rough, probably also from the cold. “Sometimes there’s nothing like savoring some good old vanilla with no other fancy distractions.”
Maddy wasn’t so sure they were still talking about ice-cream, if the trouble she was having swallowing was any indication to go by. But just in case, she surreptitiously cleared her throat.
“Yes, it’s good.” Jesus, for someone who read so much, her vocabulary seemed to have dried up spectacularly.
The teasing glint never left Nate’s eyes while they walked back to his car and he drove her home.
Stopping the car and turning the ignition off, Nate’s expression was serious as he softly asked, “Are you sure you’re okay, Mads?”
His concern made her eyes sting and her heart flutter at the same time.
She gazed at his beautiful, chocolate-brown eyes and without thinking, she leaned over and placed a soft, light kiss on his cheek, lingering for just a couple of seconds before returning to her seat.
She nodded at him. “Thank you for tonight, Nate. I had a lovely time. All things considered.”
“Anytime, Mads,” Nate said hoarsely.
And if Maddy noticed a faint blush on his cheeks as she was climbing out of the car, she didn’t mention it. She just smiled secretly to herself.