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Vol.1 - Story 5: The gap (3)
Chapter 38
They reached Brighton in under an hour. Stepping out of the station, which was situated at the town’s highest point, and looking down over the cityscape, Alex felt his mood brighten instantly. The buildings were noticeably lower than those in London, and the town felt cozy and compact. The sun was shining brilliantly.
They began to walk slowly down the sloping road. The sky ahead was so wide and transparent it looked like an inverted sea. A smile naturally tugged at Alex’s lips.
“Do you want to go to the beach first?” Nathan asked as he walked beside him.
Alex failed to hide his excitement, a grin breaking across his face. Seeing his reaction, Nathan’s eyes crinkled as he smiled back.
“Is that okay?”
The breeze here felt different, thick with the scent of salt, denser and more potent than the air in London. Nathan gave a light tug on the hand he’d been holding the whole time, and Alex found himself almost skipping to keep up. A low, soft chuckle echoed between them.
They stopped by Morrisons to pick up sandwiches and drinks for the beach. When Alex timidly suggested he should pay this time, Nathan simply nodded.
While Nathan was selecting sandwiches, Alex took a quick look around. Out of habit, he began scanning for discounted items before coming to a halt in front of the chocolate aisle. He checked the price of a bag of Maltesers; the cheapest one was only about a pound. He debated whether it would be okay to treat himself today, but ultimately decided against it. It wasn’t much, but it was money he didn’t need to spend.
“Do you want those?”
Nathan stopped Alex as he was about to turn away. He walked over, carrying a basket already filled with sandwiches, water, and juice. Alex shook his head in a fluster.
“No!”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. Alex hesitated for a moment before taking the basket from him. “Are you done? I’ll go pay.”
Alex hurried toward the registers as if he were fleeing the scene, desperate to change the subject. Nathan didn’t follow him immediately. After Alex finished paying, he stood by the exit with the bag, waiting and looking around. Nathan had suddenly vanished.
Just as Alex was debating whether he should call him, Nathan emerged from the self-checkout area. Alex’s eyes widened when he saw the large box of Maltesers in Nathan’s hand. He felt the back of his neck flush a deep, embarrassed red. He looked at Nathan with a crestfallen expression.
“Let’s go.”
“…I didn’t actually want those.”
“Sure you didn’t.” Nathan shrugged.
Alex tried one more time. “I’m serious.”
“I bought them for myself.”
Alex had no comeback for that. Nathan watched him for a moment to see if he had anything else to say, then held out his hand. Alex hesitated briefly before taking it. The embarrassment of his own frugality was quickly forgotten as they stepped out of the store and onto the downhill path.
☂