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scents.  It had a chemical cinnamon hint to it;
I don’t think I will be walking into any bakeries for a while.
    ‘I
don’t think I can,’ I whisper across the small square table.
    His
eyes warm, ‘okay, but when we get back to Krystal, I’ll take you to Ellie’s,’
he promised.  ‘She’ll find something to tempt you.’
    I
nod, ‘thank you,’ I lower my eyes from him, ‘for...’ I didn’t know how to put
into words how much his presence helped.
    ‘No
problem, Sophie,’ he murmured quietly.
    The
drive back was quiet. Nate seemed to understand that I needed some head
space.  There was no teasing, no chatting, no talking me through the on
route stunning scenery.  He put the radio on quietly and opened the window
leaving me alone to gather my thoughts and emotions. 
    When
we pulled into the town, I took a deep breath and sat up straighter.
    ‘You
okay?’ Nate called over.
    ‘Yes,
thank you,’ I reply warmly.  ‘For everything.’
    ‘You
got to stop thanking everyone, London.  People don’t want to do something
for you; they won’t.  But, you are more than welcome.  Now, to
eat.’  We pull into the kerb outside Ellie’s, and Nate slides out onto the
pavement.  I climb out and follow him into the bright diner.
    ‘Hey,
guys!’ Ellie and one of her waitresses turn at our arrival.
    ‘Hi,’
I force a smile towards Ellie.
    ‘Bring
us two specials, El,’ Nate calls, as he directs us to the table I sat at
yesterday.  We sit, and I glance absently out of the window to the
pavement outside. ‘You feeling better?’ Nate leans back and regards me. 
    ‘It’s
a lot to take in,’ I admit.  ‘One day I have no one, the next I reconnect
with my long lost brother, then it turns out he’s into drugs and gets a bullet
in his head for his trouble.  It’s surreal.’
    ‘How
long since you reconnected?’ He questions.
    ‘Four
years,’ I update him. 
    ‘How
long since you saw him before that?’ He continues.
    ‘You
guys need drinks?’ Ellie appears, interrupting our conversation.  I order
a diet Pepsi and Nate water.
    I
gaze out at the outside world for a while before continuing, ‘never, in answer
to your question.’  He didn’t respond. I glanced back to witness him
regarding me closely, his eyes alert.  I go on, ‘my father sent me to
London when I was born. Mum never made it; I was dumped with my
grandparents.  That’s the complicated.’ I refer to our conversation of
yesterday.
    ‘I’m
sorry,’ he murmurs softly. 
    Our
eyes connect and hold, my body tingling at the attraction that has been evident
since our first meeting, yesterday.  Was it only yesterday?
    ‘Here
we go guys, food will be up shortly,’ Ellie places our drinks on the table,
Nate holds my stare, but I drag mine away from him and up to his sister.
    ‘Thanks,’
I smile.
    ‘You
doing okay, honey?’ She soothes, gently.
    ‘Yeah,’
I nod. 
    ‘Tonight,
dress up.  My girls wanna meet you.  Thursday night, dresses and
heels night,’ she announces. 
    ‘I’m
not sure, Ellie,’ I begin, ‘I’m not really in the mood.’
    ‘Sophie
Parker, you promised, and a deals a deal,’ she reprimands me.  ‘Throw out
all of that worry and upset from within your head and allow yourself some down
time.’ She demands.  ‘Pick it all back up in the morning, trust me it will
still be there,’ she instructs.  ‘Seven!’
    ‘I’ll
pop by,’ I sigh, she wasn’t going to let it go, and she was the only friend I
currently had, so it was best not to get on the bad side of her.
    She
grins, ‘pop by, what the fuck does that mean?’ She giggles, as she returns to
the counter.
    I
smile, despite myself and chance a glance at Nate, whose shoulders are shaking
with silent laughter. 
    ‘You
don’t use, pop by?’ I ask him.
    ‘Fuck
no, what the hell is pop other than a drink kids drink?’ he smiles at full
beam, which exposes his dimple to its full effect and I receive a hard slam
deep in my gut that