Chapter 17

Bruno drew back from Natalie’s body, giving her a small smile. He dropped his hands down to hers, entwining their fingers together. “Can I just go with you?” Natalie asked, swaying their hands slightly. “I’m done here for today…if you even want me to come, that is.”

Bruno nodded his head, turning around for a moment as he glanced around the almost empty aquarium. “Shut up, we’re done with that now,” he said in a sarcastic tone, shaking his head suddenly. “Let’s go,” he added, taking her hand as he turned.

“Hold on,” she said quickly. “I have to put some things away and tell my mom I’m leaving first.”

“Alright,” Bruno replied, dropping her hand. “I’ll just meet you outside,” he said, walking back to the main entrance.

Natalie walked back into one of the offices, grabbing her satchel from the ground, slinging it over her shoulder. She walked around for a little until she found her mom towards the back of the building. “Can I leave now?” She asked, making sure it was alright. “Bruno said I could go with him.”

She looked back at Natalie with a partially confused look. “Everything’s alright between you two? I could have sworn you were arguing,” she said, crossing her arms as she glanced back at her daughter.

Natalie shifted slightly, glancing at the ground. She shrugged her shoulders once before finally looking back at her mom’s face. “We’re good now,” she said with a small smile. “It was stupid anyways,” she added, hoping her mom wouldn’t press anymore questions.

“Alright,” her mom replied, giving her a skeptical look. “Be home by eight!” she quickly added as Natalie walked back to the main doorway.

Natalie hopped into Bruno’s passenger seat, throwing her bag on the ground near her feet. They drove off into a non-awkward silence, aside from the radio playing. Bruno took the usual isolated road alongside the beach, leaving the view from any homes or buildings.

Natalie stared at the window, beginning to feel guilty the longer the drive lasted. She stared off over the water, biting back her lips as he thoughts consumed her mind. Why is he even talking to me right now? He should be pissed, she thought, realizing why he was angry at her earlier in the day. I am just a bunch of drama added to his life, aren’t I?

She turned from the window suddenly, locking her eyes on the side of his head as he looked forwards. “Why do you even deal with me?” She asked in a soft voice, hating herself for doing that to him.

Bruno turned for a moment to look back at Natalie. “What?” He asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

“Why do you even bother?” She asked, trying to make him understand where she was coming from.

“I don’t get what you’re saying, Nat.”

“I mean, why do you just forgive and forget so easily? You should be pissed at me and I don’t get it,” Natalie said, feeling her eyes burn slightly. “I just add unnecessary drama to your life.”

Bruno gave her a sympathetic look as he quickly pulled over on the side of the road into an empty parking lot overlooking a small cliff above the beach. He put the car into park, turning sideways in his seat to look at her. “You know that’s not true,” he said, grabbing one of her hands. “It’s just like you said, it wasn’t even that big of a deal.”

Natalie shook her head, glancing down at her lap. “Yeah well I deliberately liedto you,” She shamefully stated.

“Yes,” Bruno said with a small sigh, squeezing her hand. “But I figured I shouldn’t let something so small bother me. I did overreact over Bridger’s house and it’s not like I can expect you to listen to me when I say I don’t want you going. And I’m only fifteen; I don’t need to let something like this bother me so much…”

Natalie looked up at Bruno, managing to fight back her tears before they had a chance to fall. She shrugged her shoulders, biting back her lip. “You know I’m really sorry though,” she said, softening her eyes when she locked hers on his.

“I know,” Bruno replied with a small smile. “And that’s why I’m just going to ignore that this even happened.”

Natalie softly smiled back, glancing over his face. “You’re too soft,” she said after a moment, shaking her head with a laugh.

“I know,” he replied with a shrug. “And one day it’s going to come back and kick me, but right now I’m not too worried about it,” he added with another smile.

Natalie saw the small spark in his eyes and she already knew what was going to happen before she even saw him beginning to lean in. She felt his warm lips press against hers as she shifted her body uncomfortably in the passenger seat.

Bruno kept his hold on her hand as he moved his, bringing his other hand to the back of Natalie’s head. He deepened the kiss as he moved closer to her, wishing the console wasn’t between them. Natalie felt small chills running through her body when she felt him drop her hand, moving both of his to either side of her body.

I really shouldn’t, she thought as his fingertips grazed over the front of her shorts, making her flinch slightly. But the soft sound of the radio and the feel of Bruno’s face as she touched it drifted her mind away from the thought, and she didn’t bother stopping him.

 A small click echoed in the back of her mind as Bruno’s hands unclasped the button, gently unzipping the small zipper. Natalie continued to kiss him as his hand shifted further, his fingertips now grazing the skin just above the seam to her underwear.

She found herself far too caught up in the moment to even notice how much time passed by. But after several minutes, Bruno’s obvious discomfort in his body shifts eventually brought her out of it. It wasn’t until she felt Bruno beginning to pull down her shorts completely that Natalie finally drew back.

“Bruno,” she softly stated, reaching her hands down to remove his.

“Natalie,” Bruno said in an almost begging voice, giving her pleading eyes. “Come on…”

“No,” Natalie replied with a small shake of her head, looking back into his eyes.

Bruno gave her a questioning look, but not long enough to cover the same pleading look in his eyes. “Why?” He almost whined, softening his look.

“…Because,” Natalie replied, shifting back into her seat. A small silence filled the car as Bruno let out an annoyed sigh, turning back to face towards the front of the car. “Can we just go?” She asked after a minute, turning to face him.

“Sure,” Bruno replied in an obviously annoyed tone, not looking at her as he put the car back into drive, pulling back out onto the road silently. Natalie watched him for several seconds as he kept his focus forwards, causing a million thoughts to run through her head. What the hell? She thought slightly angry, wrinkling up her forehead as she turned back from him, looking out the passenger window.