After the game Bee and Nate went to the motel outside of town. She'd called her dad to let him know she'd be sleeping at Jules as Nate drove there.

Being together still felt surreal, it seemed like they couldn't stop touching each other even if it was a small contact, like his palm over her knee or her fingers over his shoulder. They continued to check on each other as if the ridiculous fear of the other person vanishing before their eyes was real.

Once they got into the room they both undressed and got in the shower. Bee got in first and closed her eyes as she dipped her head under the stream. Nate took a few seconds to admire her from the distance.

"So are you just gonna stand there?" She asked once she'd opened her eyes back again. It was the same exact question she'd made when they'd seen each other again at that party at the beginning of the school year, in an entirely different context.

He spared her the answer and got in. The water pressure was strong and burning hot. His hands trailed over her smooth skin, raising up to her face tracing her chin and then moving up to her lips, so delicate, so perfect.

Surely she was made out of flesh and bone like everybody else but there was something about her existence that made him recover his faith. In good things. In happiness.

He felt like his body had given in to the effort of the past few weeks. Like it had finally surrendered and relaxed and everything he'd been putting off was manifesting just then. The thriving pain in his leg, the soreness of his muscles.

Bee seemed to notice and slid her palms over his skin gently helping him wash away all the sweat and the dirt from the game.

Days later when he tried to recall that night he wouldn't be able to gather all the details. He was too exhausted or maybe too drawn into the moment to remember everything that'd happened.

What he remembered the most was not being able to stay apart from her, the feeling of her skin and her soft moans.

"I love you." She whispered against his lips.

"Can you say it again?" He asked.

"I love you." She said as she trailed kissed down his chest. "I love you I love you I love you." She continued until her voice turned into a hum.

He looked at parts of her he'd never really took in before. Like her collarbones and the space between her ribs and her ankles. He was able to say things he'd kept to himself for weeks, like how much he adored her and how he'd do anything to stay by her side.

Nate fell asleep holding Bee in his arms. He slept soundly, all through the night for the first time in two weeks. When he woke up at dawn the next morning he felt like he'd slept for three days straight.  Her head was leaning against his shoulder, her arm sprawled across his stomach and her legs tangled up with the sheets by his side.

He was usually an early riser, he got anxious whenever he stayed in bed for too long. It was partly the reason he'd never had any girl sleep the entire night in his bed. Either he'd woken them up at dawn or drove them himself late at night. But with Bee it was different. Watching her sleep usually made him at ease.

But on that morning, it didn't.

It reminded him of how frail she was. His teeth ground together at the thought of the things he'd learned about her, the things she hadn't shared with him. Maybe she didn't trust him enough. Maybe she was too brave to let him into her weaknesses. Maybe it had all been too much about him and had left her no space to open up. Either way the thought of losing her scared him more than anything else he could imagine.

He leaned closer and buried his nose against her hair inhaling the flowery scent of the shampoo of the motel. He felt her shift beneath him, her head turning to the side.

"What time is it?" She asked in a low voice.

"Seven." He answered 

"Of course, you fell asleep super early yesterday." She said as she opened her eyes slowly. She brought her hand to the side of his face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He lied and kissed her lips.

"Stop." She said turning her head to the side. "Morning breath."

"I don't care." He said continuing to kiss her face.

She laughed and gave in, kissing him back briefly.

"Bee—" He said looking into her eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me any of it?" He was on top of her so she didn't move, but her head turned to the side again, avoiding his eyes. "And don't tell me it was an accident again."

"I—" She started and then pulled his shoulder back slightly but he didn't move. "Didn't think it mattered."

"Why?" He asked scrunching his eyebrows together. They'd talked about other stuff, like her mom passing away or moving back from New York. But she'd never mentioned any of the things Ivan said about the school trip and the overdose.

"It was embarrassing, Nate." She said avoiding his eyes. "And I kept having the impression that you saw me as someone better than I actually am. I thought I could be that. I thought I could forget about the things that happened if I didn't talk about them. If you never came to know them."

"Well, don't fucking do that again, please?" He asked trying to soften what had initially sounded like a command. "I can't handle the idea of something hurting you. Even if it's in your own head. I want to help if it ever gets like that again."

"But you did." She said. "Even if you didn't know it at the time." Her fingers ran over his jawline.

He sat back and pulled her up with him. Her legs straddled his waist as his arms wrapped around hers.

"I need to know." He said again seriously, looking into her eyes.

Her thumb trailed over the bridge of his nose and then over his lips.

"Fine." She said shortly. "I guess it's only fair. If you promise to do the same."

"I promise." He said pulling her body against his. "I'm not letting you go again."

"Are we like a couple now? Are we supposed to go on dates and shit from now on?" She asked teasingly.

"Of course," He said. "Rides to school, eating out, attending family dinners."

"I already did that one." She said.

"Going to winter formal together." He said and she suppressed a laugh.

"What? Are you serious?" She asked raising her eyebrows. "No. That's the limit. Right there. I'm not going to that thing."

"Are you fucking with me?" He asked. "Why not?"

She laughed and tilted her head back lightly. She rolled her eyes at him. "I literally prefer to do anything else in the world."

Nate held her legs around his waist and lifted her up. He dropped her gently over the mattress. "We're going." He said as he laid on top of her. Carefully enough not to drop his full weight over her.

He kissed his way down her neck and then lifted her shirt as he planted kisses over her stomach until he reached the elastic band of her underwear.

"I still didn't hear a 'yes'" His hot breath against her skin sent shivers down her body.

"A what?" She asked.

He kneeled on the floor and pulled her closer to the edge of the bed by her thighs. He pulled back slightly and admired her for a second.

"Fuck, you're perfect." He said as his eyes traveled over her skin. "And always so wet for me."

"It's embarrassing." She said attempting to pull her knees together but he held her in place.

"It's the best sight I've ever had." He started trailing kisses down her thigh to the space between her legs. Before he reached it he slid his thumb over her underwear rubbing her sensitive spot. The contact made her arch her back. "I guess I'll ask you officially." He said, his voice paused and calmed as ever. "Bee, do you wanna go to the dance with me?" He stopped planting kisses over her skin as he reached her middle.

He watched her straighten her head with her eyes wide in shock as she realized he wasn't about to go on until she'd given him an answer. He found her expression so amusing he had to fight back a smile.

"I hate you right now." She said before laying her head back down. "Yes, Nate. I'll go with you. Yes, yes. A million times yes."

"Good."

He slid the translucent fabric of her underwear aside with his thumb and pressed his lips against her middle. He tossed her thighs back over his shoulder and continued moving his tongue, his lips, his fingers against her. It didn't take very long for her body to tense and her back to arch even further. He felt her fingers gripping on his hair tightly as she moaned softly.

Nate hovered over her and kissed her lips. She held his face between her hands while it lasted.

"I love you, Bee." He said. Her eyes opened and refocused on him. She swallowed, as if remembering she could say it back.

"I love you too."

Author's note: Sorry about the absence. There's only one more chapter left for the story to be over for now. As it will continue once S02 is out.

Updating after 20 votes this time! Thanks for the support. Please leave a comment (anything, even an emoji) so that I get motivated to write 🤍 love.