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"What are you doing?" I ask with a laugh, taking the pan from him.
"I was trying to make you pancakes like your Nana does," Nate admits, looking down at the floor.
"No one can make pancakes like Nana, Nate. Not even me," I insist, lifting his head as I hug him tightly.
"But how about you make us some cereal? And I’ll go back into the room and wait for you to show me what you can do for me that no one else can." I wink.
He nods his head enthusiastically and gives me a small kiss before letting me go. I don't have to wait for more than a minute before he joins me in the bedroom. He hands me a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee before taking off his pajamas shorts and climbing back into bed. I attempt to eat my cereal, but Nate slides in behind me and begins kissing my neck from behind, causing shivers to run up my spine.Seriously, what is the boy trying to do to me?! Death by orgasm or something?!?
"I love you so much, Bella," he whispers in my ear.
"Why do you call me Bella?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me. "Don't get me wrong, I love it, and it makes me feel so special that you have a name for me that no one else ever uses. Like our own little code," I continue. "But you've been calling me Bella since the day we met, and you've never actually told me why," I admit.
Nate climbs out of bed, puts on his shorts, and walks out of the room. I'm afraid I've upset him, and I'm just putting on my top to follow him when he comes back with his phone.
"So, it's not really something I can tell you; I need to show you, really," Nate states, sounding serious. "Can I borrow your laptop?" he asks, pointing to it on the bedside table.
A few seconds later, he climbs back into bed next to me, and after plugging his phone into the computer, he opens an old and grainy video. On it, I see a woman I don't recognize and two small children running around on the beach. The video changes to another image of the same woman singing in a different language to the two children. She tucks them into bed, and I can hear her say, "Good night, boys, siete molto belli".
In the next clip, I see a frail woman in bed with the same two boys. They look a little older now, but they are still very young. "Goodbye, miei bellissimi bambini. I love you. Take care of each other.
It's clear to see that the woman in the videos must be Nate and Gabe’s mother, and it makes me so sad to see how small but brave they both were when she died. I look over at Nathaniel, who is crying.
"What does bellissimi mean?" I ask as I crawl onto his lap, wiping away his tears.
"These videos are the only ones I have of my mother. My father threw away all the photos when I was about six or seven. Gabe found these home videos in the back of a cupboard when he was clearing out the house after dad died and managed to restore them for me. But this was all that could be saved. Nate informs me proudly, but with sadness in his voice.
‘Bellissimi', ‘bello, or'belli' means'beautiful'.My mother always called me and Gabe her 'bellisimi bambini,' her beautiful boys.''Looking over, I notice Nate has a faraway smile on his face now, like he's reliving a happy memory.
"It was a fond and special memory for both of us. Gabe once told me why she called us her bellissimo bambini. Apparently, she said it was because every time she looked at our faces, she could see the beauty we had, not just on the outside but on the inside as well. She once told him that we were the most precious and beautiful thing she had in her life," Nate whispers, clearly choked up.
"So, when I saw you that day in the woods, lying on the ground, looking up at me with so much hope, and you told me your name was Isabella, I knew immediately that she had sent you to me. My very own Bella beauty. I planned to run away that day and never return, but when I saw you, I knew I had a reason to stay." I climb further onto his lap and kiss him passionately, letting our kiss deepen to show him all the love, admiration, and emotion I'm feeling right now.
I can't believe that all this time, every time he used his little pet name for me, he was basically telling me that I was his and he was mine. That no matter what, even as a little twelve-year-old, he knew that I was the only one for him.I'll never understand how a child who experienced very little love and affection in his childhood, someone who experienced nothing but pain, heartache, and abuse, could somehow grow to be so loving, tender, and free. He has the kindest heart and purest soul of anyone I've ever met, and I'm so grateful that his heart and soul belong with me.
"I love you, Nathaniel Scott."
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
NATHANIEL
Iwas up all night, thinking and worrying about today. Ever since mine and Bella's weekend together last month. I'm more sure than ever that this is what I need to do. I managed to sleep for a few hours but woke up in a cold sweat because I had a nightmare about everything going wrong. I look at my phone and see it's only six a.m. I'm not due to meet them until ten. So I've got plenty of time before I need to get ready.
I go to make myself some breakfast, hoping a few eggs will calm my nerves, but after a few bites, I realize I'm just too nervous to eat.What if something goes wrong today?Instead, I grab my shoes and head out for a run.
By the time I return to the house, I feel like I'm about to keel over and die. I stand in the doorway, leaning against the wall, desperately trying to catch my breath, even though my lungs are on fire. I'm about to unlock the door when it opens by itself.
"Woah, you scared me. Where the hell have you been? You're soaked!" Gabe huffs.
"I was just out for a jog," I cough, still sounding out of breath.
"You sound like you did more than just run. Were you being chased by flesh eating zombies or something? Do you need me to call you an ambulance?" Gabe laughs.
"I just had a lot on my mind, so I ran until the world became quieter," I spit out.
"I know what that's like. Sometimes the demons just won't leave you alone," Gabe admits, more to himself than to me. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, resting his hand on my shoulder.
"No, I'm fine. I don't think I've got any air left anyway," I wheeze, bracing myself against the wall for support.Man, how long was I running for anyway?
