The Angel,The Devil,The Nerd

Chapter 31 - Meant to be

CHAPTER 31 - MEANT TO BE

NATALIE'S POV

When I woke up, my smile was still there. I couldn't even believe it. Is it real? Am I seriously in a relationship? With Eric Rivers even! Only weeks ago I would have shivered at the thought of time alone with him, now ... well, now I could only think of those precious secluded moments with him. Nothing more.

As I smiled, staring at the ceiling, awake just a minute at 7 am on Saturday morning (yes, Saturday morning!), my phone buzzed. My smile obviously widened, because I knew, just by instinct, who it was.

Good morning, princess. Hope you had pleasant dreams.

Giggling to myself, I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow, phone in hand, as I kept smiling like an idiot, too happy to even care about anything. And you know what's odd? I had no idea why was I so happy. I just was, and something inside me suggested this feeling wouldn't expire so soon. At least I hope so.

When mom entered my room, clothes in her arms, I barely noticed, as I was typing a response to Eric, to my boyfriend, to be precise. My boyfriend. Wow. Sounds so cool. Eric Rivers is my boyfriend. If I could shout it to the world, I would, but we have to keep the secret for a while, which I don't mind at all.

Actually, I find it enthralling. My fangirl mind was already picturing him grabbing me out of the blue and dragging me to a secluded place where no one could see us, just to ... well, do couple things. Yeah, yeah, I know, I sound a little pathetic, but who cares. I'm too happy right now to even think of how do I sound. I'm just on cloud nine and I plan on staying here for a long while.

When mom saw me lying on my bed, eyes open, phone in my hands, she frowned, clearly surprised. "Now, this must be the end of the world. My daughter awake so early! On a Saturday even!" She mulled.

I rolled my eyes, although giggling, especially as my phone buzzed again in my hands. My response to Eric had been kind of a cheesy one: very pleasant, thank you. I dreamed of my prince. Which is true, I did dream of him, better said, of us. I kind of relived our moments of yesterday, but while in reality we parted, in my dream we remained there, me in his arms, forever. Cheesy, I know, I know. So his reply couldn't be anything but the same: I'm flattered. I wish I'd been there to cuddle you ...

I blushed at that. Not because he'd implied ... something more, but just at the thought of having him in my bed cuddling me. Just cuddling me.

My ... it's going all so fast! My head is in a complete turmoil! And yet there's this certainty. This feeling ... that all of this, for how unsettling and maybe scary, it's right. It is right, because all of a sudden it all makes sense. All of those conflicted emotions, my dreams, my tangled thoughts ... I was simply fighting my feelings, wasn't I? It was my system fighting back not to let the lethal poison that feelings are infect me.

Well, I surrender now. I like Eric Rivers. I like spending my time with him. I feel attracted to him. I like it when he kisses me so passionately. I like it when his hands are on me, causing all of a range of new and odd emotions that make me feel lightheaded and dizzy and hazy. I like it. I like that I can call Eric my boyfriend.

Mom sat down beside me, smiling tenderly. "Ah ... the first relationship. All so new and perfect, isn't it?" She said in a dreamy voice.

I inhaled deeply, sitting up. "It's all so fast. I feel a little dizzy." She arched an eyebrow at me as I said that, and I knew what she implied, so I grinned, even if blushing a little because of what she'd silently suggested.

"No, mom, don't worry. I didn't mean fast in that sense. We have ... merely kissed, nothing more. I explained and her features relaxed a little, but then she eyed that little thing on my neck, the one that yesterday I was able to hide all day and Aisha, when she came over to help me get ready for my date with Kyle, hid underneath her foulard. But now, of course, I was wearing only my PJ ...