Now that Whatever It Takes is finished, I've decided to roll out the next story... in addition to Gone, of course. Thought I'd try and show Nick some love. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 01
With her back against the cool evening breeze, Halle watched the sun melt into the water. The gulls that usually irritated, if not frightened her seemed to be chiding their good nights as they soared away into the horizon, leaving her alone to take a mental picture of this idyllic moment. Tonight was her first night in California, and she wanted to remember everything about it: the sights, the sounds, and the smells. Closing her eyes, she allowed the scent of saltwater to fill her nose just before a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders. “What do you think?” he asked, his breath warm against her neck. She hadn’t heard him approach, his bare feet softened to silence by the sand. “It’s great, right?”
Halle nodded slowly before turning to face him, a light smile dancing across her face. “It’s amazing. I can’t believe it’s the first time I’ve been out to visit.” He released her from his grip and the two fell into step walking side by side toward the ocean. “You must love it here.” They waded in until the water splashed just below their knees; for an instant Halle thought about splashing him, but knew that it would likely result in his triumph rather than hers.
“I love it when you’re here.”
“But I’ve never been here before.”
“Well.” He stepped closer to her and stated seriously, “I love it whenever you’re where I am.”
She jumped onto his back playfully, kicking up buckets of water as she did so. He bounded around with her for a while, enjoying sound of her laughter as he’d spin or the feeling of her fingers tickling his chest as she tried to hold on, but as he carried her back to the shore, she mumbled the one sentence that nearly broke his heart. “Oh best friend, how I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” he smiled weakly. Halle shivered as they stood motionless on the beach, staring at everything but one another. Finally, when the goose bumps were too large to ignore he motioned toward the large two-story house, glowing amidst the surrounding darkness. “Let’s go inside Hal.”
Halle smiled and linked her fingers through his nearest belt loop. “Hey Nick?” she asked, brushing the sand from her feet, her blonde hair falling into her eyes. “Why do you think we get along so well?”
He shrugged and held open the door for her. She stepped inside, guided by the light touch of his hand on the small of her back. “Because we’re not afraid to be honest with each other?”
“Oh.” Halle smirked. “And here I thought it was because I’m awesome and brought Here on Earth to entertain us for the rest of the evening.” Nick looked displeased, his eyes widening and forehead falling forward. “Please!” Although he tried, he could never say no to her. There was something about those pleading green eyes and the way she pursed her lips together that made it downright impossible. “Nicky?”
He nodded, feeling defeated. They planned to change into their pajamas before meeting back to watch the movie in a few short minutes, and Nick had long since disappeared before Halle had dug her nightclothes out from her duffle bag that still rested on the dining room table. Without knowing where else to go, she quickly shut herself in the nearest closet and pulled on her oversized white t-shirt and long flannel pants. “Ready for cryfest 2008?” she asked from her perch on the couch as he waltzed back in.
Nick settled in opposite of her and shook his head. “You’re the one that cries, not me.” She mumbled something about his heart being calloused before attempting to slide her feet beneath his legs. “Oh come on!” he grumbled.
“Snuggle ‘em in?” Of all the tings Halle hated in life, having cold feet was near the top of the list. Just above having cold feet, was wearing socks. She’d do anything and everything she could to keep those little foot mittens away from her, and instead, opted for utilizing the warmth of other people’s bodies. Most didn’t enjoy or understand this need of hers, but she’d always insisted it was necessary. Rising, Nick waiting for her to stretch out and get comfortable before sitting back down atop her feet. “Thank you,” she smiled sweetly.
The movie was not different from many they’d watched together, and as usual, Nick found himself watching Halle much more than the television screen. Her moves were predictable. She’d start out attentive, making a few chatty comments about the characters or quoting lines she knew all too well, and as the film progressed, the collar of her should would be pulled up over her chin, resting lightly over her mouth for no apparent reason. Halle would begin to tear up long before the arrival of the tragic, heart-wrenching scene, yet somehow manage to fall asleep before the final credits.
He noticed her breathing had become a little deeper, a little more even, and knew she had nodded off for the night. Lowering the volume, Nick finished watching the movie before turning off the television and drawing a blanket over his sleeping friend’s body. For one quick second, he allowed his lips to brush against her forehead, smiling as a light sigh escaped her lips.
Checking to ensure all of the lights in the house were off and all the locks fastened, Nick crept carefully to the staircase, careful not to create any noise. Everyone else had gone to bed hours ago, and muffling a yawn, he realized he was all too eager to join them in slumber. Whispering a final goodnight, Nick disappeared into the depths of his bedroom, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Halle opened her eyes abruptly, startled by a loud crack of thunder that rumbled above the house. Her mind was reeling as she searched for any signs of familiarity in the dark room where she lay. She shot darting glances all about her, but the home bore little resemblance to any she’d ever been in. Wrapping the blanket tightly around her shoulders, Halle tucked her cell phone into the waistband of her bottoms and set out to wander the picture clad hallways.
Of course, she could have settled back into the couch and slept through the remainder of the night, but the strangeness of her surroundings gave her an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and she ached to find Nick. Without light to guide her, Halle quickly found her way into a wall, biting her tongue to keep from cursing as she banged her knee loudly. She was sure anyone on this half of Taluca Lake had to of heard her as she dropped to the floor and cradled her leg, wincing as she traced her fingers across the welt that would surely become a bruise within the hour.
Desperate to end this search she’d semi-unwillingly embarked on, Halle dialed his number, silently praying he hadn’t turned his phone off. “Halle?” His voice was raspy and filled with confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m lost,” she whimpered as she drifted through the hallway. “Come find me?”
Nick chuckled under his breath and she could hear the ruffling of his sheets as he crawled out of bed. “I’ll be right there.” Hanging up the phone, he met her at the bottom of the staircase with a lopsided smirk. “Lost, hmm?”
She nodded confidently and laced her fingers with his. It was almost time for the sun to rise and birds were chirping wildly outside of his bedroom window. Apparently they were not fans of the thundershowers either.
Although his mother was adamant that her sons slept in separate beds from anyone of the opposite sex, Nick was much too tired to care at this moment. Crawling beneath the sheets, he exhaled deeply, his heart pounding furiously at the feeling of her head against his chest. “I’m never going to get back to sleep, you know.”
“Well, that’s your fault.”
He could feel her smiling as he asked, “How do you figure?”
Another loud clap of thunder caused her to jump and she released an uneasy breath. Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she looked at him, her mouth dipping down into the slightest frown. “You never gave me the grand tour. I didn’t know how to find you.”
“Ahh, my mistake.” Reaching up, he ran his fingers through her hair, his hand straying down her jaw line before falling back to his chest. “Do you want to get some breakfast?”
She shook her head and curled up against him once more. “You’re the one who said you won’t get back to sleep. I, on the other hand, am exhausted.” Halle pinched her eyes closed and willed sleep to wash over her again.
“So you’re going to make me lay here while you sleep?”
“That’s right.”
Nick rolled his head from side to side. “Ridiculous.” When she didn’t protest his mock offense or shoot a smart comment back at him, he rubbed her back lightly. “Goodnight Hal.”
"Goodnight Nick."
