Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 174 - Better Days

The silence that followed felt... different.

Without the distraction of the others, Nate noticed how the air shifted between him and Madison, like an invisible weight had settled. She tucked a loose strand of her black hair behind her ear and stared down, nervously scratching the tip of her shoe against the concrete.

Nate smirked. "Madison, you're sweating," he teased playfully, leaning in slightly.

Madison's head snapped up, flustered. She threw a weak punch at his arm. "Stop teasing!" she huffed, cheeks still pink. "I wanna talk to you about something."

That serious tone in her voice made Nate's teasing grin soften just a little. He nodded and sat down on one of the benches nearby. Madison followed him, sitting right beside him — close enough that their shoulders almost touched.

There was a moment of silence as she took a deep breath. Then, finally, she found her courage and started to speak.

"I hate you," Madison said suddenly.

Nate blinked, but instead of being offended, his smirk returned. He didn't even flinch. He could read her so well now that the words didn't catch him off guard. In fact, her tone, her body language, and even the way her eyes softened betrayed what she really meant.

He simply leaned back on the bench and crossed his arms. "Go on," he said, waiting for her to get it all out.

Madison clenched her fists on her lap as her eyes focused on the ground. "You… you always disappear," she said quietly. "You have this terrible habit of just leaving without thinking about how it affects the people who care about you."

Nate remained silent, letting her vent.

She sighed deeply and continued, "Back on the island, when you left and went missing... I worried about you every single day. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I couldn't focus on anything else."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly but never breaking. Nate could tell she was trying hard to sound strong, but it only made her look more vulnerable.

"And then," she went on, "when we finally made it back to Earth, my parents whisked me away. Three months, Nate. Three months where I couldn't stop thinking about you. Their fault though but it was torturing for me"

She finally looked up, locking eyes with him. "I was angry… but mostly, I just missed you."

Nate noticed the faint quiver of her lip, and for a second, he almost felt guilty for teasing her earlier. Almost. But instead, he kept the same knowing smile on his face because he could see it clearly — Madison wasn't just venting. She was opening up to him in a way she hadn't done before.

Even now, despite everything she was saying, there was something else sitting just beneath her words. Something she wasn't ready to say yet.

And Nate? He already knew exactly what it was.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he gave Madison a sideways glance, the smirk never leaving his face.

"You want to know if I feel the same about you, right?" he said quietly, voice smooth and steady.

Madison's breath caught for a second, and then she nodded, but instead of looking at him, her eyes shifted toward a group of girls up ahead making TikTok videos on the school lawn. They were dancing to some trending song, laughing as they recorded themselves, completely unaware of the much more important conversation happening just a few feet away.

Nate didn't care about them, though. He was looking at Madison, watching the sunlight bounce off her sleek black hair. Her side profile, soft and thoughtful, made him smile even more.

Without hesitation, he reached out and gently cupped her cheek, turning her face back toward him. His thumb lightly grazed her skin as her wide eyes met his. There was a slight glint of surprise in them, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into his touch, her lips slightly parted.

"I think about you every time you're not with me," Nate said softly, voice filled with a calm sincerity. "When I was away... you were constantly on my mind. I kept thinking about you — your smile, your stubbornness, even your stupid farewell."

He chuckled softly, but Madison just stared, completely drawn in.

Then, his voice lowered, and he whispered, "Madison, I love you."

The weight of those words settled in the air between them.

Madison's whole body tensed, a subtle shiver running through her as she absorbed what he just said. She had imagined hearing those words a thousand times, but hearing them now — in his voice, filled with genuine warmth — was completely overwhelming.

Slowly, her hand rose and rested on top of his. Her fingers traced the back of his hand in slow, silent strokes, her thumb moving softly against his skin. That small but confident smile she always wore returned to her face, but this time it held something deeper. A calm assurance.

"You're being cocky now," Madison murmured, her voice soft yet teasing.

Nate chuckled and dropped his hand from her cheek. "You're blushing," he said, leaning back on the bench with a satisfied smirk.

Madison rolled her eyes and gave him a playful punch on the thigh. Before Nate could even react or throw a comeback, he suddenly felt a hand ruffle through his hair, fingers digging in like someone was petting a cat.

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"The hell—" Nate furrowed his brows and looked up, only to see Jack standing right there, towering over them with a smug grin.

Jack looked different. A bit taller, face sharper, but his cocky vibe now radiated in full force. His arms were crossed, but the sparkle in his eyes showed he was in a much better mood than Nate remembered him being back on the island.

"Brat," Jack said, shaking his head dramatically. "You totally forgot about me."

Nate scoffed. "Jack?"

Madison's eyes lit up in recognition, her surprised expression quickly softening into a warm smile. "Jack? You grew taller," she said, visibly pleased to see him again.

Jack, of course, didn't hesitate to return the compliment, flashing Madison a wink. "And you, Madison… you just keep looking better every day." His tone was light and teasing, but there was genuine admiration beneath it. Then, shooting a playful glare at Nate, he added, "Stop clinging to him — he doesn't deserve you."

Nate snorted and immediately stretched his leg out, delivering a sharp kick to Jack's side, sending him stumbling back a few steps. "Someone's been working on their humor," Nate commented dryly, though he couldn't hide the grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

Jack rubbed his ribs dramatically but laughed it off. "What can I say? I'm a people person now."

It was strange. Back on the island, Jack had been the serious, battle-hardened kid — always tense, always calculating. But now, he radiated a positive energy, bringing with him a lightness that hadn't been there before. It was like being back home had melted away some of the walls he'd put up.

Madison chuckled at their exchange, leaning closer to Nate. "He's... different now."

"Yeah," Nate agreed, eyes never leaving Jack as the boy dusted himself off. "But I'm not sure if it's for better or worse."

Jack flicked them both off playfully. "I heard that!"

The three of them shared a quiet laugh, the awkwardness from earlier fading fast. For a brief moment, it felt like the island days — but with a new, calmer energy. No monsters, no running for their lives, just... this.