Velvet

Chapter Seven

Velvet's POV

After several days and weeks, the senior year examination seemed to approach sooner than I could ever imagine.

I have successfully managed to ignore Nate, hoping each day that I don't see him, or he does not notice me.

As usual, today's main objective for the day was simple: avoid Nate at all costs.

It had been weeks since that day at the park, the day I saw him kissing the girl.

Whoever that was, probably his girlfriend or one of those sluts who would not spare a single second to make out with a handsome dude.

Obviously, the tension between us still hung heavy in the air. I couldn't bear the thought of facing him.

What was I going to say to him? Shall I start by saying; Hey, Nate, I apologize for the way I acted, I should not have run away like that? Or maybe I could pretend and smile when I see him and pretend like nothing happened, and I did not see anything.

Or I would say that; Yo Nathan, I apologize for intruding on your privacy, I saw you the other day at the park, but I thought I would rather not be a nuisance, so I just turned and ran because I had to attend to an emergency.

With each class that passed, I felt more nervous that our paths would cross.

It seemed like fate was on my side, allowing me to glide through the day without a single glimpse of Nate. Calculus, Geometry, and History – I had managed to avoid him effortlessly. Mission of the day, almost accomplished, I thought to myself.

But unfortunately, I knew this luck couldn't last forever and today, fate had other plans for me.

The bell rang, signalling the start of Physical Education class. My heart sank realizing what would come next because P. E class was notorious for bringing students together, and there was no escaping the unavoidable interactions it brought.

Gathering every bit of courage I had, I joined my friends who were already on the field training. I hoped that he would not show up, since I know he likes to skip class a lot.

Do not ask me how I know this, all I can say is I know and there is no doubt to that.

The class was going on smoothly until I glanced towards the entrance of the park, and I froze. There he was, unmistakably Nate. He was late, of course, just as I imagined.

Mr. Harking, who was guiding and instructing us during the training, shouted, his booming voice snapping me out of my gaze

“Young man, you better double your steps”, his presence was magnetic, drawing everyone's attention to his entrance.

My heart raced, my pulse pounding in my ears. Each step he took towards our direction felt like a tidal wave crashing against the fragile walls I had built around myself.

Nate jogged towards our direction and took his place. Our eyes locked briefly and in that fleeting moment, my head felt heavy, like it was spinning. My heart was beating faster than usual.

It was as if the world had faded into the background, leaving just Nate and me.

The spell was finally broken when Mr. Harking shouted for us to keep running, but my heart raced even faster.

Nate tore his gaze from mine and quickly joined the group, his cheeks slightly flushed – whether from embarrassment or the exertion of running, I couldn't tell.

As the session came to an end, we all gathered in a circle, our breaths heavy from all the running.

Nate's eyes met mine once more, a silent acknowledgement of the complexities we were entangled in. With a nod, he turned away, joining the chatter of our classmates.

I did not know what to make out of that nod, but I suddenly found myself torn between the desire to mend things with him, but I constantly reminded myself of the fear of getting hurt all over again.

School was finally over, thank heavens. The bus ride back home was quiet and fast.

As I stepped onto the porch, thinking of how I had been able to complete another day at school, a voice sliced through the air, interrupting my thoughts.

Turning around slowly, I found myself face to face with a person who seemed too confident of himself and had an almost infuriating handsome face. He wore that smirk that screamed cocky, and my annoyance bristled beneath my skin.

“Hey there, new neighbor,” he drawled, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for whatever game he was playing.

"Who are you, by the way?.. new neighbor", I asked, emphasizing on the neighbor.

Mom's voice floated from behind me, breaking the standoff. “Honey, who are you talking to?”

I could practically hear the eye-roll in my voice as I replied, “No one important, Mom. Just some random guy”

As if on cue, my mom appeared beside me, a warm smile on her face. “Well, hello there! I'm Catherine, her mom. Nice to meet you.”

I turned to look at Mom with a surprised look on my face. She has never introduced herself nicely to any of my male friends, except Lucas, obviously.

He turned his charming grin on her. “Likewise, Catherine. I'm Darren. Just moved in next door.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you and I hope we get along, new neighbor" turning his gaze to me.

My patience wavered as they exchanged pleasantries. I turned to open the door and walk inside, but it was not long until we stepped inside that my mom clued me in on who he was. I obviously cared less about him.

“Sweetie, he's our new neighbor,” she said, her voice a mix of excitement and curiosity.

I blinked, trying to act surprised but still annoyed by his attitude and the way he spoke a few minutes ago, “New neighbor? Seriously?”

She nodded, with that motherly glimmer in her eyes that meant she had further information to share.

“Yes, he's here on vacation. His parents live in another country, and he's staying in the house next door for a while.”

“You need to start making some new friends, Vee" she added.

“Mom, I am perfectly fine with the friends I have now”

“Why don't we invite him, sometimes, to have dinner with us? “

I exclaimed, “Mom no!… I don't think he would be interested” I added, my words tumbled out in a hasty attempt to dismiss any matchmaking ideas my mom might have been brewing.

I tried to mask my intrigue, even though Darren's earlier cockiness had irked me. Who was this person, and what was he doing in our quiet neighborhood? I wondered.

The question echoed in my mind as I contemplated over the situation.

Mom's enthusiasm was contagious, and I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander.

A billionaire college student vacationing in a suburban area seemed like an odd plot twist, one that I couldn't quite unravel.

The more I tried to analyze the situation, the more confusing it got trying to put everything together.

Over the following days, our paths crossed more frequently than I would have liked. Darren, it seemed, had a knack for showing up when least expected.

His effortless charm was both maddening and intriguing. I'm not gonna lie, but he has the most perfect smirk.

*****

It was finally a sunny Saturday afternoon, as I attempted to lose myself in a book on the porch swing, an annoying voice interrupted my concentration.

“Fancy meeting you here, neighbor.”

I looked up to find Darren leaning casually against his porch railing, a crooked grin playing on his lips.

My annoyance flared up, but I decided to play it cool. “Just enjoying some quiet time, new neighbor" I replied nonchalantly.

He chuckled, an infuriatingly endearing sound. “Mind if I keep you company?”

Before I could respond, my mom appeared at the door, a knowing smile on her face.”Darren, you're welcome to join us anytime!”

“Sure thing, Catherine. Thanks for the invitation,” he said, flashing a grin my way that held a hint of mischief.

Mom went back inside to continue whatever she was doing, leaving annoying Darren and me on the porch.

“You know, I didn't expect to find someone with such depth in this seemingly quiet neighborhood.”

I raised an eyebrow, a mixture of skepticism and intrigue brewing within me. “And what exactly did you expect?”

He leaned back against the porch railing, his expression contemplative. “I guess I thought it would be all quaint houses and white picket fences. But you… you're a pleasant surprise.”

His words caught me off guard, and for a moment, the irritation melted away, leaving behind a strange warmth.

I looked at him and realized that Darren was more than just the cocky billionaire next door.

The rest of the evening, I kept on thinking about Darren, something about him intrigued me.