The Elites

Chapter 22

Nash

Nash curled his dumbbells towards his chest, sitting on a workbench while Caiden sat next to him panting. He had finished his reps and Nash continued his, thinking about the past few days. His relationship with Chloe had gotten so much better. Healthier. And progress was definitely being made. Chloe began to open up more and more and Nash felt closer than ever to Chloe.

"Thinking about Chloe?" Caiden asked.

"No," Nash said. He paused, knowing there was no pointing in hiding it. "Ok, maybe. How could you tell?"

"Whenever you think about her you blush. It's quite cute from a guy like you."

Nash glowered at Caiden and Caiden laughed. He then dropped his dumbbells and pulled himself straight, sighing. His arms ached.

"How are you guys?" Caiden asked. "You seem to spend a lot of time together nowadays."

"We're good. Better than ever," Nash replied. He glanced down at the floor beneath them. "I'm... happy."

"Aw, look at you, Nash. Love looks good on you."

Nash's cheeks heated up. He couldn't meet Caiden's eyes. It was embarrassing how much he cared for Chloe, but he accepted it. He once thought of her as a rival, but now all he wanted was to be with her. But, he was scared.

"You know, she never brought up the kiss again," Nash said, sighing. "I don't know where she stands. I'm afraid she thinks of me as just a friend, but at the same time, I don't know... Sometimes I feel like there's something more, but maybe I'm just delusional."

"You know, I sometimes feel like there's something more, too. When she's with you, she seems more shy. You can tell she values what you think of her."

Nash pondered over that. Did she? He honestly had no idea. Chloe was hard to read, so he often tried not to read too much into things. Not just for Chloe's sake, but for his heart's sake, too.

"But anyways, I also want to bring up the kiss because I want to apologize for kissing her without asking if she would be ok with it," Nash said. "But, I don't know how to bring it up..."

Caiden smiled sadly. "You should apologize. Anyone wouldn't think wrong of an apology."

"But I don't want to weird her out and make her remember. If she just wants to be friends, I don't want to pressure her into feeling like she has to feel more."

"Oh Nash, you've grown soft." Nash opened his mouth to argue, but he paused. Caiden then continued. "I like it. Gentleness suits you."

Nash flushed, surprised by the description. No one had ever described him that way. And to his surprise, he found himself welcoming his change.

"I don't know what Chloe thinks about you for sure, but she cares for you," Caiden said. "Don't let her go. Some people are worth fighting for and she's definitely one of those people."

Nash smiled at Caiden. Caiden was right. Chloe was someone worth fighting for and Nash would fight for Chloe. He wouldn't pressure her into anything, but he'd see where she stood. Not now, but maybe one day.

*****

Nash stood by his car, waiting for Chloe. He leaned against his BMW, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. The blue sky above him shone with a brilliant sun and he basked in its warmth. Spring had officially started and and Nash smiled, welcoming the warmer months.

"Sorry I'm late," Chloe jogged towards him, her hair wild and her green eyes wide. "I had to talk to one of my teachers. Sorry for the inconvenience."

"No worries at all," Nash replied, opening the passenger side door for her.