Hailey

"Hailey..." someone spoke lowly against my ear, like a purr that carressed my muscles and melted along with my limbs. "Babe..."

I insitinctibly turned towards the voice, feeling his smirk against my cheek as he pecked it and tightened his hold around my waist -I just noticed now. Flashbacks from last night shot through my mind, tracing the memories I didn't immediately remember as sleepiness shifted it's blanked that held me hostage, allowing some realizations to sink in.

The smooth covers, the soft mattress... the clean, perfumed scent that hit my nostrils wasn't familiar and I vaguely remember getting to the hotel late last night. Or this morning. Nate was still a bit hammered so I drove here. It wasn't really that far for our hometown, it was nearest city, but the fact that we were away made it look daring to actually have a getaway on our own.

The guy that received us wasn't that happy about our late arribal, but what could we had done? We didn't know his birthday celebration would last that much. He was skeptical too about us being minors but I looked it up and came prepared. Not only I booked the room in advanced, but I also had my mother's authorizations and everything needed.

The little room they gave us was kinda cute but... lame. It barely had a medium size with a double bed that barely managed to fit us both, a little balcony and an attatched bathroom. But well, that what two teenager-part-time-jobs manage to got us. And it was enough.

Last night we were so tired once getting here that we basically passed out as soon as our head hit the pillows. I don't think we even put away the baggage properly, must be still beside the door, with our coats.

I didn't even remember falling sleep, but now as I played in the borders of consciousness I noticed Nate's arms around my middle, the heat of his body pressing my back and how our legs were tangled. I was the little spoon and as he pressed a new kiss on my cheek, grazing the corners of my mouth another spark of adrenaline tingled down my spine. Unluckily, fatigue was heavier on every inch of my being.

"Good morning." his mouth glided down my jaw tantalizingly slow, stirring a little part of me awake and aware of him. "It's almost 11, baby."

"Mhm, thought you wanted to stay in and do nothing..." I slurred not even managing to keep my eyes open for longer than a second before drifting back into daze. I'd never been one to properly function in the morning.

"Yeah, but I want to do nothing with you." I hummed, not really hearing him as his words seemed to linger in the air without fully sinking in me. He sighed and detatched from me, shifting his weight on his elbows as I felt them dipping the mattress on both sides of me and he hovered inches over me. I buzzed in delight at his nearness, already missing his touch. "Are you gonna wake up or do I need to take more drastic measures?"

I smiled at that, blindly tracing his face weakly. "I love you."

"That's it?" He scoffed amused, realizing I wasn't complying any time soon. "Okay, then."

I felt him moving, making me mourn the lost of his embrace but the little part of me aware of my surrounding took in him moving under the covers between my legs, remembering me I was only using his shirt and heat burned under my skin everywhere he touched, my mind slow processing this new position. But any remaining sleepiness was wiped away at once as I felt him kissing me down there, and that wave of numbing pleasure jolted me awake.

"Nate..." I gasped, gripping the sheets as a shudder shook me whole and he smirked, immediately going back to it and ripping more delight out of me.

Guess no more sleeping, then.

"See this? They have a spa." I told him eying the flyer the receptionist'd given us when we came back from our walk.

The city was near the sea and we went to the promenade. I came here regularly every summer, but being here in winter with Nate was different. It was almost mystical to walk pass the sea, with the cold air, naked trees bordering the path and lonely beach... We took a few other pictures, making sure his last as minor was with me. I didn't know what was so important about it, maybe it was just the stubborness created after he teased me about it last night. And also the realization of our lack of pictures and memories. Now we got a bunch.

I folded the paper and slid it in my pocket as we called the lift. "We definitely need to check it out tomorrow."

"Have you packed a swimsuit?"

"Have you seen my bag?"

"Actually, I have." he chuckled. "I doubt there's a thing you haven't pack."

I grinned up at him as the lift arrived and opened with a ding. "A girl has to be ready."

"You keep saying that." Nate laughed leaning against the mirror as the elevator began moving. His head rested backwards against it and his eyes shut tiredly. "But I honestly got no clue what are you talking about."

"Of course you don't. You think a pair of jeans, two shirts and a few bucks can take you anywhere."

"Can't they?" he smirked not opening his eyes and I shifted closer, lifting our joined hands so his arm fell over my shoulder, immediately feeling this rush at the intimacy such a gesture brought through me.

"Maybe if you're going to the mall, but not when you've planned something else you kinda need more backpack."

"We weren't supposed to leave the room, remember?"

I giggled, standing on my tiptoes and pecked his cheek. The bubbling I usually felt with him had eveloped and now it was like a hurricane, burning in fire whenever we would actually touch, like this spark that fired from my hand and lips down to my chest and spread sweet ached through my limbs. "Was it really that bad?"

"Well... no." Nate frowned, his lids remained dropped but he tilted his head closer at my touch making me smiled and kissed his cold skin again. "You know what I mean."

I could guessed it. We woke up this morning to a whole new type of independency that allowed us intimacy. Full intimacy without having to worry about other people coming or barging in the room. There was no rush, no pressure. And it was amazing. So much time stopped making sense until a couple hours ago, when we realized we still hadn't eat a thing since yesterday and I somehow convinced him to go take this walk before the dinner.

He'd promised me today's dinner on the top floors but I'm half sure he planned on barricade in the room 'til we were meant to go back tomorrow's evening. Not even getting to smell the spa. And to be honest, he did looked tired now.

"Is hangover finally kicking in?"

"The lack of sleep is." the hem of his lip quirked. "But don't worry, I'll recovered once eating."

"You sure?" I teased instead, kissing the corner of his mouth as he hummed and following that path meeting his lips. Instant delight erupted at the sweet way he softly kissed me back.

We both know what was probably gonna happen once back in the room. None of us had openly stated it but you could sensed it. You could sensed it in the looks and unsaid words when planning this getaway. In the escalating passion this very morning drowned the whole room. How we kept escalating and would still had if we didn't take the break...

I could sense it in the way his tender hold on the hairs of my nape tightened, pulling my roots and straightening my spine as he used my gasp to deepen the kiss. I could pass out from the fireworks under my skin and the numbing buzz to all my nerves ends. Earth-shattering.

We both knew it was going to happen, and as much as it scared me a little, the anticipation was killing me equally strong. And the fact that there was only this dinner before we went back to that room and be by ourselves. For hours. No interruption. Only us.

The lift's door opened with a ding and he pulled away with a smirk, more awake now, and we both regained our breath. "I'm very sure." his hand easily slip in mine, letting us stepped out the elevator and into the top floor of the hotel where they held the entertainment -meaning the restaurant and arcade.

Our reservation in the hotel also included breakfast and dinner, so as soon as we told them my name and room they guided us to a table. It was a little one by the window facing the sea, letting us enjoy the beautiful sight. I was boiling from inside, this passionate feeling that'd settled in my guts wouldn't leave me alone and only seemed to feed in Nate's nearness, so I found myself moving my chair so that instead of facing him I sat by his side. Clingy? Maybe, but this whole enviroment far from home urged me to act differently, to enjoy his presence as much as I could. Also, he didn't seemed to mind by the way he smiled back.

But the trance was cut when my phone beeped in my pocket and I took it out as the waiter left us the menus. I rolled my eyes upon seeing my mother's contact and slid the pattern unlocking the screen. The last message was mine letting her know we'd made it here and her 'okay' in response. Then there was the new one:

: Well, I'm guessing this lack of reports means you're having fun over there.

It was so her to try and pry information without actually asking for it. But I guess she was right. After all, she wasn't that convicned of letting us come and she still allowed me to. The least I could do was text her letting her know I was doing well.

: Everything is going perf! We're doing good and taking care :)

And of course, that was the trigger for her to properly interrogate me.

: I hope so. Are you cold? Here temperature had dropped. Did you brought enough clothes? Are eating properly? And I mean proper food, not only junk

She knew me too well. The times I had to feed myself I usually went for junk food, fast food, pastries, chocolate... Yeah, I wasn't the best nutritionist. I sent her a pic of the menu with a heart, assuring her we were fine.

"Everything's okay?"

"Just my mother." I grinned sliding the phone bach into my pocket, shrugging off my jacket and resting it on the back of my chair. "She's checking out everything is okay."

"How thoughtful of her."

"Yeah..." I bit my lip scrolling through the menu. "You, um, you're gonna have to meet my father now." his head snapped up from his. "She wants you to be there when he calls next time."

"Really?" he didn't look that sure, unease clear in his expression even if he tried to conceal it.

"Don't worry. I think it's kinda her way to scare you away, but don't. My father is not at all as bad as you imagine. My mother is the tough bone."

He hummed. "I guess..." he sighed, brushing his neck nervously. "I guess it was bound to happen either way, right?"

It felt as if a huge weight was lifted from my lungs. I knew Nate didn't like that part of the commitment, he'd just recently accepted it but meeting my family was like... I don't know. Yet, he'd already met my whole family but my father. And despites how my mother seemed to be using him, he was a teddy bear.

I took his hand over the table, intertwining our fingers and lifting it my lips. "Thank you."

He grinned back, leaning to kiss me and eliciting that wonderful feeling in my veins once more. making me smile. The waiter came, took our order and leave us in that bubble again. It was intoxicating, unnerving but in a good way and I just couldn't get enough.

"It could be like this, you know?" I muttered as we wait, letting my fingers fiddle with his over the tablecloth.

"What?"

"Next year?" I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, kinda nervous at the topic. "I know Brown is one of your options but you haven't shown really interest in it." he went to speak but I kept going rushedly. "So I've been thinking. We'll maybe met on weekends, or can make this work on the long distance?"

"But... I still could get in Brown."

Really? "Nate, you don't want to go there."

He frowned. "Maybe I do. Maybe they're the only one where I get accepted... We still don't know anything. Maybe I don't even get accepted anywhere."

"Don't say that."

"But it's true. What if the scouts didn't like me?"

"How could they not?" I retorded, meaning each word and not understanding how couldn't he see it. "You just have to wait a bit more. They'll answer soon."

"Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But Brown is still on the list."

I shook my head. There wasn't even a point in arguing with him about that. We both know unless Brown was the only available option he wouldn't be taking it. His interests were clearly set elsewhere.

"Whatever happen, we should consider that we might no go to the same place."

"Does this means you'll want to break up?"

My eyes widened at the sudden accusation. "No! I'm telling you, this could be us in a few months." I hooked my ankles on the leg's of my chair and slid closer, my knee pressing his at the new founded nearness. "It's still a long way from now but if we do go to different campus, even different states, the long distance would be a problem.

"I don't think I can handle not seeing you." his lips pursed in the cutest way, as if the thought itself repulsed him and my heart panged accordingly as he tightened our intertwined fingers. "I don't want us to break up."

"I don't want to break up either." I brought his hand to my lips again, this warmth in my chest churning all the more. "But then we'll have to find a way." I smirked tauntingly, retaking my previous statement. "Like meeting in an hotel for the weekend."

Nate's mouth twitched as if to smirk but instead he pressed his lips together, preventing it from happening. "Let's not forget we both could still get accepted in Brown."

"Baby." I tilted my head, touched he keep insisting but we both knew better. "You don't like Brown... you don't even like Rhode Island."

"Who says that?"

"You."

"But-"

"You liked Ohio State, remember? And New York. You were such a sucker for them and keep saying the were the most likable to get in their program. And Notre Dame, and Auburn... Brown was never on your list."

"It could be." he frowned stubbornly. But I shook my head, squeezing his hand.

"It shouldn't. Not only for me."

"But I love you, and I want to be with you all the time."

Again, my heart panged. "I do too."

"Then what is so wrong about it?"

"That if you take such a big decision that would affect your future based on someone else, if things don't go like you expect them it would always hang over us. Even if they do go well you'll still resent me for it in the end... For taking your choice away."

"I won't."

He would. As appealing as it sounded right now to have him there, we need to make this decision thinking in our future as a solo. His chances were with Ohio State, or any of the others he really like.

"Tell me three good reasons about going to Brown." I proposed and his eyes narrowed, an almost betrayed look overtaking his features and my chest tightened, but I insisted: "Just three and I'll drop it."

"Besides that you'll be in it?" he scoffed and I sent him a pointed look. "Okay. Three, uh? Alright... that they are, like... you know, good?" he struggled to comply on what I'd asked but failed miserably. "Okay! Maybe they're not my first priority, but there are other things important."

"We could work on those other things while you focus on the ones you really like."

"We don't even know if I'll even get in there." he grumbled frustratedly like a child, making me roll my eyes.

"Well, maybe I don't get in Brown either, we're just guessing here."

"Oh please. With your marks, bonus stuff in the Dayly and a recomendation letter from an alumni? You're already in."

"Thanks," I chewed on my lips nervously, despites his words -and my friends and family's equal support and confidence- there was still the 'what if'. My chances were good, but not perfect. I could always not be accepted and then what? Brown had been my aim ever since freshman. "Same goes for you with Ohio."

"Or Columbia." he retorded the, tilting his head thoughtfully. "It was on my list too, they're the top on the Ivy League." he grinned lightly; his eyes unfocused, mind somewhere else. "I really liked that one too and their scout was the most cheerful. He gave me their cap, remember?"

I grinned too, content of this new approach and that we were getting somewhere. "New York and Rhode Island aren't that far."

"And, again, both Brown and Columbia are in the Ivy League." Nate nodded sitting straighter. I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he analyzed all angles of that option and became more and more involved in this solution. "We'll see each other on the games then and also it's just a few hours away. We could meet the weekend or free days."

"Free days? In college?"

"Hey! One can dream."

"So we're back to square one. This could be us in a few months."

"So we'll still be together in a few months?" he smirked, going back to his easy-going teasing and proving we'd survived this little moment.

"I'm counting on it."

"Good, babe." he leaned for an unexpected ardent kiss that stole my breath away, his lips brushing mine when he spoke again making me shudder. "Cause I'm not planning on letting you go anytime soon." I blissfully grinned back, kissing him softly again. Nate let out a low hum. "Call me evil-minded, but you look excited about going separate ways."

"No." I corrected agains his lips as he brushed our noses. "I'm happy you're looking for your future and including me in the process."

He frowned, almost confused at my words. "How could I not?"

But before I could fully process all the emotions and physical reactions that brief moment had on me the waiter was back with out plates and he withdrawed back off my personal space. Yet keep his hand over my thigh, feeding the goosbumps that keep the rush flowing.

Okay. This wasn't as easy as I anticipated.

I turned in the bathroom mirror, bitting my lip as I inspected each and every inch of the nightgown. It's silky and lace were the furthest from what I would usually wear. It was sexy and daring, but I grew more and more self-conscious the more I analyze my reflection.

Gosh, why did I even packed this again?