I lied. there's going to be one more chapter after this one! hope you're enjoying it so far!

Nathan carried Audrey's bag to his house once they arrived. Audrey followed him slowly, taking a good look at the outside of his house, and thinking how it suited him. It was a comfortable looking place, single story, with a lovely pine tree in the front yard. Nathan unlocked the front door and ushered her inside, closing the door behind them and turning the lock.

Slipping her shoes off beside his own, she wandered into his living room, looking around curiously. She'd never been inside his house before, and found herself wanting to see where Nathan lives. Nathan watched her silently from the door for a minute, amused by now interested she seemed with his living space.

"C'mon Parker, I'll show you the guest room." Audrey turned to his voice and followed him down the hall, glancing at the paintings on the walls as they went. He stopped at the end of the hall and turned to the right, flipping a switch on the wall and walking into the room. It was a simple room with a queen size bed with flannel sheets, a chest of drawers, and a desk tucked into the corner. Nathan walked in and placed her bag on the bed, turning to watch her enter the room. "Is this okay?" he asked, watching her.

"This is perfect Nathan, thank you" she said, touching the wood of the drawers and looking over at him.

"Are you hungry? I could make us something to eat." Nathan offered, moving towards the door.

Audrey gave him a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great. I'm starving." She went over to the bed and opened her bag to get her clean clothes out. "Just not pancakes" she added with a small laugh, but Nathan saw the pained look on her face.

"The bathroom is right across the hall if you want to take a shower. I'll put some clean towels by the sink for you, and then go see about some food" he said softly and left the room.

Audrey sighed and sat down on the bed, putting her head in her hands. Once she'd collected her thoughts, she grabbed her sweatpants and tanktop she'd packed, and headed over to the bathroom. It was a small room with a walk-in shower, toilet, and a sink with a mirror. Mostly what stuck out to her was how much it smelled like Nathan's cologne. She took a deep breath in and smiled to herself. She'd always loved the way he smells. She found the light and closed the door, putting her clean clothes on the toilet seat cover and placing her hands on the towels Nathan had put out for her, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Her cheek was already starting to bruise, she noticed, gently touching it until it started to sting. She quickly shed the coat Nathan had given her and went to turn on the water, testing its temperature with her good hand before stripping down and stepping in.

Once she was clean and dressed, she walked back over to her room and shoved her dirty clothes back in her bag. A gentle knock came from the door and she turned to see Nathan. "Food's ready. I hope you like pasta, it's all I had to work with." Audrey nodded and followed him down the hall towards the kitchen.

Audrey could smell the food before they even entered the kitchen, and her stomach rumbled in anticipation. Nathan had set the table in the kitchen already, so they both sat down opposite each other. Audrey noticed the flowers on the table and the candles immediately, and gave Nathan an amused look.

"Since our dinner didn't go as you planned, I thought I could try to make up for it." Nathan said softly, admiring the way she looked in the candle light. "I know it isn't nearly as nice as what you had put together…"

"Nathan, this is lovely" Audrey whispered, reaching out to touch one of the flowers. "Where did you get these?"

"Out back." Nathan said simply. "They grow wild just outside my back porch."

"Nathan, thank you." Audrey's voice was still quiet as she reached across the table and gave Nathan's hand a little squeeze. His eyes never left hers as he gently squeezed back, the corners of his mouth turning up in an easy smile.

They ate quickly since both of them were starving, Audrey continuously telling Nathan how good it was, and Nathan telling her how he likes to cook and is happy she likes it. Nathan got up and gathered the dishes, heading for the sink while Audrey finished the last of her tea.

"Here Nathan, let me help with the dishes" she said, standing up and following him over to the sink, where he was in the process of filling it with hot water.

"Parker, I got this. You go lay down and rest." Nathan got a cloth from the counter and started washing one of the plates.

"No, Nathan, it's the least I can do after everything you've done for me." Audrey said stubbornly, reaching over to take the cloth out of his hand. Instead of grabbing the cloth, she ended up grabbing his hand, sending a warm current up Nathan's arm. He stepped back in shock, and the contact was broken. Audrey looked up at him, just noticing how close she was standing to him, and looked away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Nathan reached over and took her hand again, feeling how smooth it was, and the slick texture of soap on both their hands. Audrey's breath caught in her throat as he put the plate he was washing back in the sink, and used both his hands to gently touch hers. She looked up to see him studying their intertwined hands, a slight furrow in his brow, and found her heart was racing. Nathan noticed her staring at moved his eyes over to study her face. They stared at each other for a few long moments before one of Nathan's hands left hers and went up to stroke her cheek, where the bruise was starting to turn different colors. Audrey didn't move until he touched her, sucking in a breath of minor pain when he accidentally applied too much pressure, causing her bruise to lash out.

Nathan pulled away immediately. "Audrey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No Nathan, it's fine. It's just a little tender, is all." Audrey said quickly, stopping him. Nathan observed her for another moment before a small smile escaped his lips, and he chuckled lightly. "What?" Audrey asked, mirroring his smile.

"You have soap bubbles on your face" Nathan chuckled, pointing to the cheek he'd touched.

Audrey's eyes widened slightly and she went to touch her face, but just ended up spreading the bubbles around. Nathan chuckled more and reached for a dry cloth, drying his hands and then gently rubbing it on her cheek. Audrey was a little pink when he pulled away, whispering thanks. Nathan smiled at her and put the cloth on the counter.

"The dishes can wait until the morning. Let's get you to bed" he said, gently touching her shoulders and turning her towards the hallway, ushering her back to her room. Audrey didn't resist, and turned on the light for them as they entered the guest bedroom. "Is there anything else you need? I can't tell you how comfortable or warm the bed is, since…"

"It looks fine, Nathan, don't worry about me" Audrey said quickly, turning around and giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm so tired I'd sleep on the floor if I had to" she said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Nathan nodded and turned to leave. "My room is the door beside the bathroom across the hall if you need anything." He turned back to look at her once more. "Goodnight, Parker."

"Goodnight Nathan."