and we promised

Chapter 22

OLIVIA

"Ladies", we can hear a very familiar voice from behind us. I am the one to turn around first, since the voice had a greater effect on me than on my bestie. Standing in front of me is Nathan. My breath is lost. Wearing a combination of a white shirt with a beige sweater on top, together with jeans, a pair of shoes, leather jacket and a cap, he looks breath-taking. Like drop-dead gorgeous.

Aria must have noticed I am a bit lost in space, since she also turns around now, and smiles brightly as she sees him.

"Nathan", she lets out than gives him a hug. It's then I remember the two haven't seen each other in four years too. For I told Aria Nathan came here. They haven't met so far.

"Hello hello", he says, pulling her closer. "How are you? It's been so long."

"Too long", she replies. As they let go and she takes a look at me and notices I am still too frozen to do anything, she continues: "Livie and I were just taking a tour of the city. We just started. Would you like to join?"

I give my bestie a look asking her what the heck is she thinking. She only smiles at me encouraging. I realize I have to say something too. "Yeah, you are very welcomed to join us."

Nathan looks me in the eyes, as if to silently ask me if I really mean that. I nod. He then also starts smiling and shrugs. "It's not like I had anything else planned for the day. I'd love to join you."

Aria lets out a cheer and throws her arms around him again. She hugs me too afterwards, then we continue our walk down the main street. I know there are people staring at us, but Landon and Brad are behind us, making sure we're safe.

"So, where to first?", Nathan asks us. Aria looks at me, also waiting for the response.

"I was thinking we could start with the main street, walk down to La Place Bennelle and then visit one of the palaces that is now a museum. We can stop at a restaurant on the way back."

The two nod, agreeing with the plan. Some silence installs between us, giving the fact no one knows how to continue. We hung out together before, used to do it all the time, yet four years happened.

"So, Aria", Nathan begins with the small talk. "How have you been?"

"I'm great", she tells him. Many people respond with I'm great, but don't actually mean it. Aria seems to mean it.

Nathan notices it too. "That's amazing. Are you still at Wrencore?"

"Mhm. Marketing major", she answers.

Nathan looks a bit surprised.

"What?", I ask for my bestie and me.

"Marketing", he repeats. "I thought you were studying Fashion. I mean, I saw your Instagram and thought...I'm sorry."

Aria shrugs as if to show she doesn't feel offended at all. "No, that's just something I do in my free time. My major is marketing." She then looks around a bit, taking in the building on the street and the city life, then continues with a question. "But how have you been? Did you go to study football in Toronto how you wanted to?"

Nathan seems to freeze at that. He then stops. And doesn't know how to answer. I start getting worried. I was sure he went to study football in Toronto. I mean, he didn't tell me where he went when he left, but I was sure it was Toronto.

Him not answering makes me uneasy.

"I wasn't", he tells us. "I was in the army."

Wait, what?!

"You were in the army?", I ask him surprised.

He nods.

"Why didn't you tell me?", I continue. Everything I knew in the last few years seems to have been a lie I've been telling myself.

"I told you", he whispers. "In one of the letters."

What letters?

"What letters?", I let out confused.

He only looks to the ground, changing the topic. "For how long are you going to be in Broix, Aria?"

My bestie also seems to have been confused about what Nathan just told us, for she doesn't even register the question at first. "Aria...", she mutters. "Fuck, that's me. Oh, I'll be here for two weeks. The professors want me back in their lectures afterwards."

"I told you you shouldn't skip college for me", I mutter.

She shrugs, not showing any sign of worries. "And I told you to relax. I already handed in all my papers. I am fine."

I try to believe her and push the subject away. It helps as Aria gasps, having seen a cute store. I know it. It's a flower and coffee shop. I come here from time to time.

"We need to go there", my bestie lets out, excited by all the pastels of the shop and the many flowers. Aria loves pastels. And flowers.

"We'll wait for you here", I tell her. She raises an eyebrow, then must have understood my intentions, for she only nods. "I believe it's a matcha for you and a caramel latte for Nathan?", Aria asks us. Nathan and I nod at the same time.

I have to chuckle noticing some things never change.

Before running to the coffee shop, she goes to my bodyguards, gives them the largest smile they have ever seen, and asks: "What would you two like?"

I can see Landon flinch at that, probably not being used to that. Brad knows Aria for a longer time now, and nods at her thankfully. "We're fine, Miss Grant. Thank you."

She lifts her shoulders, then replies: "Guess I'll just have to pick something for you two. No one leaves without a coffee." Brad opens his mouth to protest, yet my bestie is quicker. "My treat."

And before anyone can say anything else, she rushes to the shop, looking like a good fairy with her nice outfit, the smile on her face and the people smiling at her.

"She hasn't changed much", Nathan whispers chuckling.

I can't help but remember what he said seconds ago at the sound of his voice. "Why were you in the army?"

"I wanted to learn how to fight", he answers, yet the sound comes out shaky.

I know I should give up, but I can't. "Why did you want to learn how to fight?"

"It doesn't matter", he whispers, looking away from me.

I take a deep breath before I move one step, in order to stand in front of him. Our eyes meet again. He swallows hard. I continue: "It matters. Why did you want to learn how to fight?"
"I wanted to learn to protect", he answers.

"Protect what?!", I ask, not even knowing my name anymore.

"Not a what", he whispers. It's then he sighs and takes one step closer to me. "I made a promise to myself I'll take care of you, princess. I wanted to make sure I could make that promise a reality."

I feel like someone took my heart and started playing with it. I remain frozen, I can't breathe, can't move. I can't even hear my own thoughts anymore.

He...

He did it all for me.

And all this time...

All this time I thought he left me.

"Nathan...", I let out, tears started rolling on my face.

He wants to come closer to wipe them away, but that's when Aria comes back with the coffee. She hasn't seen my crying face yet, so she happily says: "Lovies, I brought you all something."
Nathan turns around to look at her. It's then she sees me. And the tears. She gasps and quickly has me in a hug. "Are you alright?", she whispers in my ear, so that he can't hear.

I'm not. But I nod.

I don't think she believed me, but she doesn't say anything else. She squeezes me closer to her once more, than she lets go and hands me a cup. I thank her with a nod and take a sip from my favorite drink.

Aria hands all the others a drink, then comes take me by the arm. I look around, and count to ten in my head. One. Ten. Damn it. It's not working.

"Let's continue the walk", I say.