Page 65 of Fate in Motion
“I gotta agree with that one,” Spencer adds.
Nate pipes up, grinning. “I actually kinda like him. He’s just…bro-y. But he’s cool.”
Then he extends his hand. “I’m Nate, by the way. And you guys are amazing football players, don’t mind me if I fanboy for a second.”
They glance at each other and then at him. Spencer grins. “Fanboy away. I like you already.”
“Isn’t Boston way better than New York anyway?” Roman jokes.
Nate looks at me, then back at them. “I mean, I have to be biased here, but Boston is pretty good. You guys are 5–3, so technically you’re one game ahead of New York.”
They both chuckle. Spencer says, “Well, technically, but literally, we’re also better.”
Then, without even realizing they’re speaking in sync, they ask, “So what do you do? How’d you guys even meet?”
I’m about to answer, but Nate jumps in. “Well, we actually met in college. Very briefly, and I’ll let Carter explain thatpart. But we reconnected through some mutual friends at a performance my band played at.”
“A performance?” Spencer cuts in. “Are you, like, a famous singer or something?”
Nate laughs. “More like a wannabe famous singer. Right now, I’m just doing random gigs and praying I make enough to survive the next day.”
I see my mom’s ears perk up. “Nate’s an amazing singer! Well, according to Carter.”
She turns to Nate with a smile. “How about you sing for us? Sing anything! I dare you!”
Nate’s brothers belt out, “Do it, you won’t!”
Nate looks at me, a little bashful, but grinning. “How about this, if someone can find just the instrumentals of any Ed Sheeran song, I’ll sing for a full minute.”
Immediately, everyone pulls out their phones, frantically searching. Out of nowhere, Chase holds his up. “Got one!”
The last person I’d expect to find anything useful, but he hits play.
It’s like Nate has a sixth sense for music. He simply clicks into it and starts singing without hesitation. For someone who always talks about being shy and socially awkward, he’s full-on performing in front of my entire family and two friends I haven’t seen in months. And he sounds incredible.
Everyone’s faces shift into pure awe. It’s amazing.
After about a minute, Nate stops. “Okay, that’s a minute, done.”
Everyone gets up, half-joking but fully serious, and starts clapping.
While people chat around us about Nate’s voice, I lean in. “I don’t know how you did that.”
And I mean it. I can be talkative, but the idea of singing in front of this many people? Fuck that shit. But Nate just does it. It’s like it comes naturally to him.
Everyone’s still looking at him like he’s some kind of superstar. My mom pipes up again. “Carter says you were good, but not that good. How are you not famous? You literally have it all; you’re hot, sweet, and your voice is magnificent.”
I glance over at Nate, who smiles and says, “Tell that to the producers and record labels.”
Everyone laughs because we know he’s right. The music industry is brutal, and a lot of it is really a matter of luck. I think Nate knows that, too, but I also know he won’t stop trying. Lately, with the cafe and everything, he just seems more confident, like he is finally starting to feel successful.
Suddenly, my mom claps her hands. “Alright, enough lingering in this tight living room! Let’s head to the backyard.”
She intensely glares at my dad. “Turn on the grill, put on the burgers, dogs, and chicken. Let’s feed these grown boys.”
We head through the kitchen to the backyard, and my dad fires up the grill. Smoke rises around us, the scent of charcoal and meat already filling the air. I walk a little further away from the heat and away from the smoke. That’s when Spencer steps beside me and lightly tugs at my arm, pulling me away from Nate.
“Let’s have a chat,” he says casually. “I think Roman and Nate can handle themselves.”
