Time passed so quickly.

Before I knew it, it was already November.

I decided that I would stop going to the forest for now, since our finals were coming up. Maybe he could afford to stay up all night on Fridays, but I couldn't—not if I didn't want to lose precious studying time on Saturdays catching up on sleep.

Tonight would be the last time we would be visiting the forest until the exams were over.

Well, it was the last night I would be sneaking out.

We had a short discussion about it, and Nolan refused to put a pause on his weekly forest walks. Knowing what I did about him now, I wasn't as worried for his life or safety as I had been before. When he said he would be continuing even without me, I didn't bother arguing with him.

His grades were still as good as ever—he obviously knew what he was doing.

We were holding hands as usual in the denser part of the forest where we had to walk through to reach the clearing. It was so dark. I could barely make out the outlines of nearby trees, let alone any potential hazards on the ground.

A cry fell out of my mouth as I stumbled over something that I hadn't noticed was in front of my foot.

As I fell forward, I yanked Nolan's hand down with me. The swooping sensation in my stomach caused my heart to stop beating for a split second.

"Hey!" Instantly, he whirled around and circled his other arm around my back, pulling me into him.

My face was promptly buried in the front of his pullover hoodie. When I inhaled, my nose was treated to the wonderful fragrance I'd come to love. As he held me securely in his steady arms, the fear I'd been feeling vanished entirely.

"You smell so good." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could rethink them, and then it was too late to rescind them.

It was too dark for me to see his expression, but Nolan jerked back a little, and his hold on me loosened just the slightest bit. After a couple of seconds, he tightened his arms around me again.

"What are you talking about?" There was a strange unevenness in his voice that I'd never heard before.

"Nothing!" I attempted to regain my footing and reached up to grab the sides of his arms for support. "I said nothing!"

Although he helped me to stand properly, Nolan didn't respond.

"Thanks for saving me," I said, grabbing his hand once I was upright again.

Contrary to my expectations, he didn't turn around to continue walking. Instead, he stayed still and stared at me. "What happened? Why did you suddenly fall?"

"I was lagging behind you a little, and I guess I didn't realize that there was something near my feet," I said, peering down at the ground to identify the mysterious object.

I still couldn't see it.

"I told you to walk right behind me," he said.

I looked up guiltily at him. "Sorry! I wanted to look around."

"Why? I thought you couldn't see anything, anyway."

"I can't, but the atmosphere is kind of cool. I just wanted to, you know, take it all in," I said. "I mean, I won't be coming back here for a couple of months, or maybe even until next semester."

"It's only for a while. We can return before the semester ends," he said, but stepped to my side. "I'll walk beside you. If there's anything in front of you, I'll warn you first."

"Thank you," I said, feeling a large smile take over my face.

"No problem."

Walking side by side with Nolan in this part of the forest felt different. All the other times we held hands before was for him to literally lead me by the hand to the open clearing. They weren't quite like the leisurely stroll we were taking now, especially since I had to go a lot slower in case of tree roots or rocks.

For some reason, I found myself smiling down at my feet, even though I could barely see them.

Suddenly, he said, "There's a rock in front of you."

Tugging my hand, he pulled me to him, so that the side of my arm bumped into his.

"Oh, thanks," I said, following him as he moved to the left.

After what felt like a particularly long time, we finally stepped into the usual clearing.

It seemed more serene than usual. I didn't know if my increased appreciation was because I knew that this was my last night here, but I just loved how fresh the crisp air felt tonight in my lungs. Even the distant owl hooting seemed to create a melodious harmony with the chirping of the crickets.

I loved the way the stars mapped the exceptionally clear night sky with their twinkling beauty.

I didn't realize how much warmth Nolan was bringing me until he released my hand. Despite being wrapped up in my thick hoodie and sweatpants, I shivered when cold air replaced his presence beside me.

"It's just as well that I stop coming here for a while, anyway. It's really getting colder," I said, shoving my hands into the large pocket on the front of my hoodie.

"Why didn't you bring your gloves?" he said, glancing over at me.

I shrugged and unfolded the plastic sheet I'd kept after he gave it to me the first time. "I forgot how much colder it gets at night."

"Do you want to borrow my jacket?"

Confused, I smiled at him. "What? But then you'd be freezing, right?"

"I'll be fine," he said, settling down on the grass beside me. "You can have it if you need it."

"No," I hurried to say, when he began to take it off, "I'm okay, thanks. I am still wearing my own hoodie."

I didn't want him to freeze on account of keeping me warm.

Nolan's questioning gaze seemed to turn slightly skeptical. "Are you sure? I saw you shiver just now."

That was when he just let go of my hand. My face grew hot as I turned away from him.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I said. "It isn't winter yet. I won't turn into an icicle."

"You want?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something appear on my right. I glanced down at the spare pair of binoculars he was offering me.

"No, thanks," I said, shaking my head. "I just want to take in the quiet atmosphere tonight."

He stowed it back in his fanny pack. "Alright."

It felt so good to stretch my arms upwards under the open night sky. A contented sigh left my throat as I crossed my legs. I was going to miss all of this.

Mildly surprised when Blue appeared in a flutter of wings and landed on Nolan's lap, I beamed at him.

"Hey, Blue!"

"Hi, Blue," Nolan said, reaching down with a finger to pet Blue on the head. "Tonight's the last time you'll be seeing Chelsea in a while."

"I'll miss relaxing in the forest, but I'll miss you even more," I told Blue. "I promise I'll come back once the exams end."

Blue flew to my upturned hand and perched on my thumb.

"Aww, did you just understand what I was saying? Smart boy!" Although I was aware that I was coming off as completely gooey, I continued cooing over him anyway.

It wasn't like Nolan was going to laugh at me.

"Of course he can't understand you." He was still peering through his binoculars at the sky.

I shot him a quick glare. "I was talking to Blue, not you! Besides, you were the one who told him this was my last time here. You're not one to talk!"

His laughter was smooth, and it struck me then how different it sounded now. Nolan's voice was just as low as before, but it had been so much rougher a few months ago.

"I'll miss you, but I still can't wait for our exams to be over," I continued, stroking his little gray-brown head. "Studying is such a pain. If I could ace everything without studying like Nolan does, you bet I'd still be back here every week."

"Hey, I study," he said.

I snorted. "You don't even pay attention in class."

"I do my homework and revise in the evenings."

"Really?" I frowned cynically.

"Did you think that I did nothing on my own?"

"Kind of. I mean, what's the point of sleeping in class if you end up studying on your own, anyway? Wouldn't it save you more time if you just paid attention?"

"I thought we already went over that. I'm nocturnal, remember?" he said, letting his binoculars hang from his neck. "It's hard to stay awake in the mornings when I'm up so late."

"That's true, but if you could sleep earlier at night, you wouldn't have to play catch-up," I said, looking over at him.

"I just can't." He shrugged. "And I'm fine physically, so don't suggest going to the doctor's again."

I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't going to. I know you're more than fine physically—you could be top of our gym class if you actually attended!"

"And yet I just don't care that much."

Nolan lay down on the grass. I watched as he ran his long, thin fingers through his fine black hair. It looked soft to the touch, and suddenly I wanted to pet his hair even more than I wanted to pet Blue.

I immediately lowered my gaze to Blue. "It's not just the exams I want to be over. I'm also looking forward to going home. You'll probably think I'm a baby for saying this, but I miss my parents."

"I don't think that makes you a baby," he said. "You know what a baby is, right? Only age can define you as a baby."

He was unfazed by my death glare.

"I'm being serious here!"

"So am I. It's normal human emotion, isn't it?" His bright green eyes stared unwaveringly at me.

"I guess," I said begrudgingly. "Do you miss home, too?"

Several silent seconds passed as I looked at him, waiting for his answer.

Finally, he said, "I don't know."

My eyebrows drew together. "You don't know?"

Closing his eyes, Nolan clasped onto his binoculars with both of his hands. "Yeah. My mother died in a car accident, so I got sent here. She never really talked to me, and it's not like my nanny is still back in my old house. I don't even know if that's home."

"I ... I'm sorry," I said, completely at a loss for words.

I had no idea Nolan was dealing with so many problems in his life.

Was that why he was the way he was—and still kind of is—before I got to know him? Was that why he was so aloof and never wanted to make friends?

If that were me, I would've been so lonely and desperate for friendship. I couldn't make sense of his unsociable behavior, which ran contrary to my own reaction.

His face was still expressionless, but I just wanted to reach over and give him a hug. I wanted to comfort him, even though nothing about him indicated that he needed it. Blue flew over to the grass beside Nolan.

"It's fine," he said. "I wasn't close to her, anyway."

"But ... who sent you here?" I said. "I mean, if you don't mind sharing—"

"My stepfather. I'd rather not talk about that."

I nodded my head. "Then we won't."

I wondered where his dad fit in this picture, but Nolan hadn't even once mentioned him. The sensitive nature of this topic made me uncomfortable to ask any questions that could be seen as overly prying.

"You don't need to get awkward with me," he said, slowly opening his eyes. "I feel fine. Besides, if I don't have a home, it doesn't matter where I go."

"I'm glad you came here," I said firmly. "I'm glad I got to know you."

Nolan didn't look at me. "Thanks."

"If you hadn't had a headache that day, we probably wouldn't have become friends. It's kind of weird to say this, but I'm thankful that you did." A sheepish smile spread across my face when he cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're right. Thank yourself, since you were the one who gave me that headache," he said.

"What? When did I do that?!"

He moved his binoculars back over his eyes. "Did you forget how you almost blinded me?"

The word 'blinded' rapidly brought back memories of how he accused me in the classroom, in front of everyone else. My jaw fell. I couldn't believe he still remembered that—it was literally a split second mistake.

"Are you going on about that flashlight again? I already apologized. How did that have anything to do with your headache?"

"Oh, sure, blind someone and act like it's not your fault." He heaved a massive sigh. "Besides, who turns on a flashlight in a darkroom?"

"But I didn't blind you! Also, I couldn't see anything."

"You're not supposed to have any lights on in a darkroom. For future reference, it can ruin any photos that are being developed. Just thought I'd let you know in case you catch me skipping gym in it again."

"I don't even bother really looking for you anymore. There's just no point," I informed him. "That bit of information is good to know, though."

"Smart," he said. "By the way, I'm glad I got to know you too."

His voice was so quiet for the last sentence that I almost missed it.

Warmth spread from my chest all the way to every single part of my body, touching all of my limbs. In this moment, my hands, which had been uncomfortably cold, became warm enough to take out from my hoodie pocket.

I grinned at him, although he didn't seem to notice because he was still viewing the stars through his binoculars.

"Thanks, too."

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AN: to each and every one of my readers, thank you so much for all your support!! i love you ˉ̞̭(′͈∨‵͈♡)˄̻ ̊ sorry i didn't update on thu, I couldn't finish it in time T_T hope you enjoyed this part anyways, and chelsea learnt a little bit more about nolan!

dedicated to whambaamthankyoumaam for all your support, i'm so so happy whenever i see your name in my notifications. your comments and votes always make my day better!! ilyyyy ♡ฅ(ᐤˊ꒳ฅˋᐤ♪)