Heart Of Ice

Chapter 11

Samika's POV

I hold the bouquet as I walk to my new Tesla. My Mercedes needed a farewell after the accident the day before yesterday. I am safe, thankfully and my dad still had the Tesla he bought me as my graduation gift.

I sit in my car and place the bouquet in the passenger seat right next to the newborn baby hamper I bought earlier. I don't know what to give them but I hope they will be okay.

My phone rings just as I am about to rev up the engine and I see it's Matt. A wonder that he called me but we agreed on baby steps of friendship so here we are.

"Did Olive call or text you?" He asks as soon as I answer his call.

Okay. I thought he might have called to check on me. But nevermind. I think we still have a long way to go until we both reach that point.

"No. Why?" I ask him back.

"I can't reach her. She told me that whoever the previous arts teacher was.. he was busy yesterday so they were supposed to meet today" Matt says and I take a moment just to roll my eyes harder in annoyance.

"Matt. She is meeting a man for her work purposes. So what?" I ask him and he goes silent for a few seconds.

"I don't see Olive asking you about your work whereabouts or if any girl is involved with any of the projects you are working on. If she doesn't have a problem trusting you, then what's your excuse?" I ask him one more time and when he is silent again, I huff and hang the call up.

They say young adult life is the most dramatic of all stages and I totally see why. Maybe not mine, but I look around and I just understand what they meant when they said it.

I start driving towards Nyle's house. It probably takes me a few more rides until I am totally comfortable with the autopilot mode.

It is also going to take me a while to adjust to this car even though the Mercedes I had before was just as luxurious too.

I park my car in the driveway but I wait for five minutes until I mustered up all the courage necessary to face Nyle and his sister. For whatever happened, they did not deserve it and it is on me to apologize.

I eventually get down and walk towards the main door with the hamper and the bouquet. I ring the doorbell and take a step back, waiting for someone to open the door.

Just a minute later, Nyle opens the door and he looks a little shocked to see me. A moment later he visually sighs in a sense of relief. I notice he is holding a baseball bat and I act like I did not see that.

"Is that your car?" Nyle asks as he gives me a way to get into his house.

"Yes. Since my old one met with an accident, dad asked me not to use it again" I say and he nods.

"Knew you were rich but did not know that rich" he says and I don't know what to say to that, so I acted like I did not hear that again.

"Who is it, Nyle?" I hear his sister's voice as she walks into the living room, with a baby in her arms.

Her brown hair and brown eyes are similar to Nyle. And the baby has black hair, must be her father's genetics. I then give her the newborn baby hamper and then the bouquet, which she accepts with a huge smile on her face.

"Come. Sit" She smiles, giving the bouquet to Nyle to hold since she has a baby in another arm. And right now I feel dumb for giving everything to her and not to Nyle.

I walk behind them to the living room and sit on the couch that is a little harder than the ones at my home, but still softer than wood. I think I should learn to be grateful for what I have.

"I am so sorry for what happened yesterday. My dad was just tensed -"

"It's okay. We were both angry at first, but looking from your father's perspective, I think I understand him since I am a parent too" Nyle's sister says as she looks at her baby girl.

I nod and look at Nyle who has his eyes on his sister and the baby girl. Okay now this is getting awkward.

"I am Alyssa, by the way. And she is Lavender" she smiles waving the tiny hand of the baby and finally, I smile genuinely.

"I am Samika," I smile at her, "can I hold her?"

Alyssa nods and gives me the baby. I hold little Lavender in my arms and smile wide. The tiny hands and feet are so adorable.

"Hello, lavender" I whisper and she looks at me with her big brown eyes that look very identical to her mother's.

"Hey, do you mind holding the baby for a while? Nyle and I were just making us some lunch and since you are here we should make it bigger. You are here for the first time. What do you like? Chicken or beef?" Alyssa asks all in one go and it takes me a minute to process everything that she has said and finally nod.

"Chicken" I whisper and she just tilts her head at Nyle and then gives a smile at my side before leaving.

I don't usually stay for lunch at anyone's home. But I did not object because Lavender is so cute and I just want to hold her for a little while more.

"You are so pretty" I whisper again and this time, the baby smiles at me. My heart warms up to a level I have never felt before.

I don't have any direct relation towards this girl, but I feel the sense of adoration only growing with each passing minute. I want to kiss her but I am worried about the bacteria already.

Just as I am thinking that everything is nice, I hear a tiny fart from Lavender and she smiles looking at me again. Great, now someone needs to change the diaper and since I never did that, I don't even know the basics.

I take Lavender in my arms again and start walking towards the kitchen. They said they were meal prepping but I didn't hear any sounds.

Just a few feet away from the kitchen, I accidentally overheard their conversation and I don't know if it is about me or someone else.

"Nyle, if it is not her then there is no point. You should make your choice" Alyssa says and Nyle groans softly.

"But she is making me go wild. I seriously wonder why she is not and that is currently the only thought I have on my mind" Nyle says.

I know I am doing something wrong but I just want to hear more of the conversation to know more about who they are talking about.

But Lavender has other plans. She starts crying out so loud and I slowly start walking towards the kitchen again. Just so they would think I wasn't standing there and hearing their conversation.

"I am sorry. She pooped and I know nothing about changing diapers" I say and Alyssa laughs taking Lavender from me. She repeatedly tells me it's okay as she takes Lavender to her room.

Now it's just me and Nyle. I follow him to the kitchen and watch him marinade chicken with a stern look on the face.

"You look like you murdered the chicken yourself" I say but he did not find that funny. To be honest even I didn't find it funny. I don't know why I said that.

I want to ask him about who the she is but I don't want him to know I was overhearing their-

"How much did you hear?" He asks and I am too stunned to speak anything right now.

"How did you know?" I ask him but he only stares at me. His eyes boring into mine.

He walks towards me and I take steps backward until my back hits the fridge. I look at him and his brown eyes are still boring into mine.

I can smell his cologne that smells like mint. Something I have never smelt from a man. He leans a little closer and I am just a bundle of nerves at this point.

Nyle then raises his hand, maintaining eye contact. Before I can close my eyes and let him kiss me, he grabs an empty bowl from the top shelf and walks towards the kitchen counter again.

I stand there like a stupid getting ready to kiss. There was no denial now that he feels something towards me too. It wasn't the action but the eye contact that said everything.

I walked out and Nyle did not stop. I walk out of the house and sit in my car. I groan because I know I shouldn't be feeling this way towards someone I have known since a week.

I don't even know who he is or where he is from. For all I know, he might have another girl who Alyssa and he were talking about earlier. Coming to it, I wonder how Nyle knew I was listening to their conversation.

I shake my head trying my best not to overthink and start driving to Olive's school. There is nothing a conversation with a best friend couldn't fix.