Sequel: Back 2 Good ›
Status: Finished! Look for the sequel soon! :)
Mutiny Below
Awkward
Natalia
Nick, Eric, and I were hurrying to change from regular clothes into something more "appropriate." We were supposed to be at John and Jayce's at 6 and it was currently 5:47. Apparently it was a big deal and we needed to be dressed better than jeans and tees. I just decided to wear my favorite dress since this was probably the only dress occasion I'd be attending while I was in Arizona.
Nick was waiting for me when I went into the living room. Eric went ahead to John and Jayce's so Nick and I walked over together.
"You look pretty, Nat."
"Thanks, bro."
"You seem like you're really starting to enjoy yourself out here."
"I am."
He looked over at me and smiled just as we reached John and Jayce's door. Nick reached to open the door but I elbowed him and knocked on the door. I counted to six in my head before the door opened and we were met with John's smiling face.
"Hey guys. you didn't have to knock, you know."
Nick gave me a look as we walked in and followed John into the living room where Eric was casually lounging on the couch with the remote.
"Woah Nat, you look....beautiful."
I felt the blood rush to my cheeks but I mumbled a thank you and sat down in the empty chair. Nick pushed Eric's feet from the couch and sat down in their place. I could hear Jayce pacing back and forth in the kitchen and I felt really bad for her. I didn't know what kind of woman Mrs. O'Callaghan was but Jayce seemed to think that the night would go terribly wrong or something.
John went to attempt to calm her down and there was another knock on the door. John yelled from the kitchen to ask someone to get it so Nick got up from the couch and went to the foyer. I smacked Eric lightly and he sat up from his lounging position, just as Nick came into the room followed by a rather pleasant-looking woman. John, who had just come back into the living room tugging Jayce by the hand, went over to his mother and hugged her.
"Mom, this is Nick and his sister Natalia."
"Yes, dear, I met Nick already. Nice to meet you, Natalia."
"You too, Mrs. O'Callaghan."
"And Jayce. Always nice to see you, darling." She wrapped Jayce in a quick hug before turning her gaze to Eric. He grinned and stood up to hug her. "Eric Halvorsen, I don't see you often enough."
"Blame it on John!"
"So how have you kids been doing?"
She sat down in the chair I'd previously been occupying so I squeezed in between Eric and Nick.
Eric and Mrs. O'Callaghan launched into a conversation while Nick and I just looked at each other. Jayce quietly excused herself to finish dinner and I decided to go and see if she needed any help. John took my seat on the couch while I went into the kitchen.
"Um, do you need any help?"
Jayce turned, taking a deep breath and smiled. "Honestly, there's not much left to do. I just-....."
"I understand. So what can I do?"
"You could fill the glasses with ice."
"And those are....?"
"Cabinet next to the fridge."
I grabbed six glasses from the cabinet and filled them with ice then Jayce told me what to put in each person's glass. She then helped me carry the glasses to the table and we set everything else out before she called everyone to the table. John sat at the head of the table with Jayce on his left and Nick on his right. I sat next to Nick and Eric sat next to Jayce, across from me. Mrs. O'Callaghan sat on the opposite end of John next to Eric and me.
Throughout dinner, there was light conversation, mostly between Eric, John and his mother, with occasional comments from Jayce. Nick and I mostly kept quiet and just listened to what everyone else was saying.
John's mother couldn't stay long after dinner and she gave us all goodbye hugs as she left. Jayce sighed in relief as she fell back on the couch next to John. Nick got up from his chair so that I could sit down and he sat in front of me, leaning his back against my legs. He rubbed the back of his neck and winced.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. Just my neck. And shoulders"
"Sorry, dude. My couch sucks ass," Eric said, lying back on the floor.
"Nick, dude, we have a spare room. Why don't you just stay with us?"
Nick's lips formed a tiny smirk and he looked at Jayce, whose eyes were wide. "John, I'm sure he doesn't want to leave Natalia at-"
"Nat'll be fine. She and Halvo seem to be getting cozy anyways," John insisted, looking at me. My face felt hot and I looked down at my hands in my lap. On top of that embarrassing comment, I was sort of freaking on the inside about Nick leaving me. I couldn't stay with Eric without Nick and the very thought of it made me nervous.
Nick shrugged. "If you guys don't mind."
John shook his head. "Course not, dude. No reason for you to sleep on Eric's ridiculous couch when we have a spare bed here."
"Thanks, man."
I looked at Nick but he was totally spaced out, not paying attention to me. When I looked over at Eric, he gave me a reassuring grin as he folded his hands behind his head and reclined himself.
I was getting very sleepy so I decided to go on back to Eric's place so Nick walked with me to get his things. He got his bags and his guitar then kissed the top of my head as he walked by me on his way out.
I sighed and went to my room to get out of my dress and into my comfy pajamas. I was brushing my teeth when I heard the door shut. I assumed it was Eric so I went to tell him I was going to bed but I waspleasantly surprised to find John sitting on the couch instead.
"What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to...I guess, apologize. I didn't mean it the way it came out earlier."
I just blinked and stared at him.
"You know when I said that about you and Eric earlier. I didn't mean-...."
"Oh that. It's fine, John. It's not that big of a deal."
His eyes shifted from the floor to my face. "But, are you guys....?"
"Seriously? Why does everybody think that?"
"Okay, fine. Sorry."
I crossed my arms over my chest in the awkward silence and John stood up. "Well, I should probably get back."
I walked behind him to the door and he opened it before turning back to me.
"Goodnight, Natalia."
"Night, John."
I stood perfectly still, leaned against the door frame while he stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he gave me a small smile then walked out the door, shutting it softly behind him. I went back to my room, practically in a daze from his intense gaze. Just looking into those eyes sent shivers up my spine even though I knew it was wrong because he was with Jayce.
And he loved her.
Nick, Eric, and I were hurrying to change from regular clothes into something more "appropriate." We were supposed to be at John and Jayce's at 6 and it was currently 5:47. Apparently it was a big deal and we needed to be dressed better than jeans and tees. I just decided to wear my favorite dress since this was probably the only dress occasion I'd be attending while I was in Arizona.
Nick was waiting for me when I went into the living room. Eric went ahead to John and Jayce's so Nick and I walked over together.
"You look pretty, Nat."
"Thanks, bro."
"You seem like you're really starting to enjoy yourself out here."
"I am."
He looked over at me and smiled just as we reached John and Jayce's door. Nick reached to open the door but I elbowed him and knocked on the door. I counted to six in my head before the door opened and we were met with John's smiling face.
"Hey guys. you didn't have to knock, you know."
Nick gave me a look as we walked in and followed John into the living room where Eric was casually lounging on the couch with the remote.
"Woah Nat, you look....beautiful."
I felt the blood rush to my cheeks but I mumbled a thank you and sat down in the empty chair. Nick pushed Eric's feet from the couch and sat down in their place. I could hear Jayce pacing back and forth in the kitchen and I felt really bad for her. I didn't know what kind of woman Mrs. O'Callaghan was but Jayce seemed to think that the night would go terribly wrong or something.
John went to attempt to calm her down and there was another knock on the door. John yelled from the kitchen to ask someone to get it so Nick got up from the couch and went to the foyer. I smacked Eric lightly and he sat up from his lounging position, just as Nick came into the room followed by a rather pleasant-looking woman. John, who had just come back into the living room tugging Jayce by the hand, went over to his mother and hugged her.
"Mom, this is Nick and his sister Natalia."
"Yes, dear, I met Nick already. Nice to meet you, Natalia."
"You too, Mrs. O'Callaghan."
"And Jayce. Always nice to see you, darling." She wrapped Jayce in a quick hug before turning her gaze to Eric. He grinned and stood up to hug her. "Eric Halvorsen, I don't see you often enough."
"Blame it on John!"
"So how have you kids been doing?"
She sat down in the chair I'd previously been occupying so I squeezed in between Eric and Nick.
Eric and Mrs. O'Callaghan launched into a conversation while Nick and I just looked at each other. Jayce quietly excused herself to finish dinner and I decided to go and see if she needed any help. John took my seat on the couch while I went into the kitchen.
"Um, do you need any help?"
Jayce turned, taking a deep breath and smiled. "Honestly, there's not much left to do. I just-....."
"I understand. So what can I do?"
"You could fill the glasses with ice."
"And those are....?"
"Cabinet next to the fridge."
I grabbed six glasses from the cabinet and filled them with ice then Jayce told me what to put in each person's glass. She then helped me carry the glasses to the table and we set everything else out before she called everyone to the table. John sat at the head of the table with Jayce on his left and Nick on his right. I sat next to Nick and Eric sat next to Jayce, across from me. Mrs. O'Callaghan sat on the opposite end of John next to Eric and me.
Throughout dinner, there was light conversation, mostly between Eric, John and his mother, with occasional comments from Jayce. Nick and I mostly kept quiet and just listened to what everyone else was saying.
John's mother couldn't stay long after dinner and she gave us all goodbye hugs as she left. Jayce sighed in relief as she fell back on the couch next to John. Nick got up from his chair so that I could sit down and he sat in front of me, leaning his back against my legs. He rubbed the back of his neck and winced.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. Just my neck. And shoulders"
"Sorry, dude. My couch sucks ass," Eric said, lying back on the floor.
"Nick, dude, we have a spare room. Why don't you just stay with us?"
Nick's lips formed a tiny smirk and he looked at Jayce, whose eyes were wide. "John, I'm sure he doesn't want to leave Natalia at-"
"Nat'll be fine. She and Halvo seem to be getting cozy anyways," John insisted, looking at me. My face felt hot and I looked down at my hands in my lap. On top of that embarrassing comment, I was sort of freaking on the inside about Nick leaving me. I couldn't stay with Eric without Nick and the very thought of it made me nervous.
Nick shrugged. "If you guys don't mind."
John shook his head. "Course not, dude. No reason for you to sleep on Eric's ridiculous couch when we have a spare bed here."
"Thanks, man."
I looked at Nick but he was totally spaced out, not paying attention to me. When I looked over at Eric, he gave me a reassuring grin as he folded his hands behind his head and reclined himself.
I was getting very sleepy so I decided to go on back to Eric's place so Nick walked with me to get his things. He got his bags and his guitar then kissed the top of my head as he walked by me on his way out.
I sighed and went to my room to get out of my dress and into my comfy pajamas. I was brushing my teeth when I heard the door shut. I assumed it was Eric so I went to tell him I was going to bed but I waspleasantly surprised to find John sitting on the couch instead.
"What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to...I guess, apologize. I didn't mean it the way it came out earlier."
I just blinked and stared at him.
"You know when I said that about you and Eric earlier. I didn't mean-...."
"Oh that. It's fine, John. It's not that big of a deal."
His eyes shifted from the floor to my face. "But, are you guys....?"
"Seriously? Why does everybody think that?"
"Okay, fine. Sorry."
I crossed my arms over my chest in the awkward silence and John stood up. "Well, I should probably get back."
I walked behind him to the door and he opened it before turning back to me.
"Goodnight, Natalia."
"Night, John."
I stood perfectly still, leaned against the door frame while he stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he gave me a small smile then walked out the door, shutting it softly behind him. I went back to my room, practically in a daze from his intense gaze. Just looking into those eyes sent shivers up my spine even though I knew it was wrong because he was with Jayce.
And he loved her.
