A Summer Like No Other

Chapter 30 - Nick

I'm out of the car as soon as I see the woman storm into her Honda. I couldn't hear what she said to Em but it must've been bad, because Em seems to be frozen in place.

"Em!" I call but she doesn't answer. Her body doesn't move. She doesn't turn my way. I'm not even sure she blinks.

"Em," I whisper once I'm close enough to touch her. But she still doesn't say a word. She doesn't cry. She doesn't scream. "Come on, let's go."

I wrap an arm around her shoulder and pull her with me.

"Wait," she says finally. But her tone is dry, there's no emotion. She grabs the blanket that had fallen to the floor. It's dirty but Em holds it close to her heart. She keeps on holding it in the car, the whole drive home, still clutching it as I park in front of her house.

"What happened?" I finally ask.

"There was a scenario I had not considered. That's all. I'll get over it," she replies without looking at me. "I should go." She pauses. "Let's cool it for a while, this thing between us. Summer's not over but people are starting to get back. More people will be at the studio and well, we don't want them to get the wrong idea."

I want to say something. I want to scream that she's wrong. But she's right. If we keep on going, we'll fall into a certain habit. I'm already having a hard time not calling her every single time I feel like talking to someone.

So instead, I don't say anything. I stay silent and she nods her head. Once. "That's what I thought."

And she doesn't even slam the door on her way out.

Author's note:

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying getting to know Em & Nick! I'd love to hear from you, so don't hesitate to leave a comment. The full novella is already published/available on all e-retailers for only $0.99 in case you don't want to wait for the next chapter :) More information on www.elodienowodazkij.com :)