No Rest 22

Posted by adminj, ? Views, Released on September 7, 2025

Chapter 22

Sophia’s P.O.V

I sat across from Nathaniel, feeling the warmth of the sun pouring through the restaurant’s windows. It was the same place we had come to two days ago, the kind of spot that felt like it held memories, but this time, everything felt different. Nathaniel’s eyes were soft, more focused than I remembered, and it made my heart flutter…made me feel at ease.

He smiled, his gaze flickering down at the menu before he placed it down on the table. “I’m glad you agreed to come here,” he said. “I thought this might make you feel a little more comfortable.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath as I realized how much I actually needed this. “It does,” I said quietly. “It feels familiar. Safe.”

Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, eyes studying me. “Look, Sophia, this is the most I can do for you right now. I’m not a mind reader, and I don’t know what’s going on inside your head, but if you’re really suffering… I need you to tell me. So I can help.”

I picked at the corner of my napkin, not sure how to respond. For a moment, I thought about spilling everything–the fears, the emotions I couldn’t seem to escape, the feeling that no matter what I did, nothing ever seemed to truly change. But when I looked at him, I realized that maybe… I didn’t need to say everything. Maybe just being here with him, even without words, was enough for now.

“I love your company,” I said softly, glancing up at him. “Just being here with you… it’s already helping me feel better.”

Nathaniel’s face softened, his lips curving into a gentle smile as if I had just given him something he hadn’t expected. “I’m glad,” he replied, his voice quieter, more vulnerable than I was used to hearing. He reached across the table, his fingers brushing mine in a brief but meaningful touch that sent a jolt of warmth through me.

Lunch came, but the real connection wasn’t in the food–it was in the way we laughed, shared little moments, and let the conversation flow naturally. The light banter felt effortless, a temporary escape from the weight of everything else that was going on in our lives. It was the kind of afternoon I didn’t know I needed until it was happening.

As we finished our meal, Nathaniel stood and went to the counter, returning a few moments later with a bouquet of sunflowers. The vibrant yellow petals seemed to glow against the dim light of the restaurant, and for a moment, I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

“Here,” he said, handing them to me with a soft, almost shy smile. “I thought they might brighten up your day.”

I took them from him, feeling a strange flutter in my chest as I inhaled their sweet scent. “Why sunflowers?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Out of all flowers…”

Nathaniel’s eyes held mine, and there was something almost poetic in his gaze. “Sunflowers always face the sun,” he explained, his voice gentle but full of meaning. “They turn towards the light, even when the world feels dark. I thought… maybe you could use a little reminder of positivity.”

His simple words struck me deeper than I’d expected, awakening something buried inside me. I hadn’t realized how much I needed someone to offer me that kind of light, that kind of hope. It wasn’t about grand gestures or sweeping promises–it was about a quiet, steady presence, and Nathaniel had given me that in more ways than I realized.

I smiled, the warmth spreading through my chest, and felt a lump rise in my throat. “Thank you,” I whispered, looking down at the sunflowers in my hands as if they were a symbol of everything I needed, everything I was still trying to hold on to. “You’re right. I… I needed this.”

Nathaniel’s eyes softened, and he reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “Anytime, Sophia,” he said quietly, his voice holding a tenderness that I hadn’t heard from him in a while. “Anytime.”

We sat there for a while longer, lost in the moment, both of us somehow finding comfort in the silence that had fallen between us. The sunflowers between us, vibrant and full of life, were a perfect reminder of the hope I hadn’t realized I was searching for.