It had almost been a week since Natalie had met Cassie, and living with Nick had become difficult all of a sudden. He was still the same person, but he'd failed to notice she wasn't. Coming home wasn't something to look forward to anymore, but something she dreaded in case Cassie was over or Nick was getting ready to see her. She managed to have polite conversation, but it wasn't the same. She didn't mean to purposely shut Nick out, but avoiding him was the best way she knew of dealing with her feelings and Nick's lack of them for her.
"So what'd you think of Cassie?" Nick asked with a smile when he noticed Natalie had made one of her rare appearances out of her bedroom.
Natalie had her back to him, so he didn't notice her face contract into a hurt expression. She tried her hardest to put on a happy smile. "She seems nice."
"She is huh?" Nick sighed happily.
Natalie focused her attention on the sandwich she wwas making to try and block out the happy tone evident in Nick's voice. I've never heard him sound so happy.
"So what's up with you?" Nick inquired, forcing Natalie to have to turn around.
"Nothing's up with me" Natalie said softly.
"Then why do I hardly see you anymore? You're always locked up in your room, and everytime I come home you need to go out."
"I've got stuff to do Nick. I just realised I'm here to study and I'm keeping my focus on that from now on."
"But you can't study all the time, your brain will explode" Nick teased, as Natalie gave a forced smile.
"It's a risk I'll have to take" she smiled.
"So how about blowing off studying and doing something with me tonight?"
"I don't think so Nick" Natalie responded with a shake of her head.
"Come on Nat, you're starting to lose your tan" Nick said jokingly.
Natalie inspected her arms, noticing she had lost some of her hard earned Florida hue. She looked at Nick smiling at her and considered actually doing something with him. Regardless of everything she missed being with him and goofing around together. "Okay Nick I'll..." she trailed off as the phone rang.
Nick dove for it as he was the closest, while Natalie tidied up the mess she'd made, trying to think of what she was going to wear.
"Cassie, hi" Nick grinned into the phone.
Natalie stopped dead in her tracks, and sighed knowing she wasn't going anywhere with Nick that day. She slammed the fridge and headed for her room, looking back only to see Nick with the biggest smile on his face.
**************
"Hang on a sec" AJ called loudly, before rushing to his front door to answer it. He quickly checked if his hair was okay before opening it. "Hey there babe."
"Awww I didn't know you felt that way" Nick teased before bursting into laughter at Aj's disappointed face.
"Oh it's you" AJ said dryly. "What do you want Nick? I saw you like a few hours ago, do you miss me already?"
"Dream on" Nick shot back, before smiling at AJ innocently. "Can I come in?"
"If I say no you'll come in anyway right?"
"Pretty much" Nick agreed. "I've got over a foot on you. Do you really wanna argue?"
"Fine, come in" AJ finally said, taking a step aside to let Nick in.
"So who were you waiting for anyway? The new flavour of the month you picked up from the side of the road?" Nick teased as he took a seat in AJ's living room, which had taken on a slight jungle feel. "How many animals died to make this room?"
"Do you aim to be obnoxious everyday or is it just a habit?" AJ retorted sarcastically.
"Talent" Nick grinned, before becoming serious. "No really who were you waiting for?"
"Why would it concern you?"
"I'm just asking, jeez did something bite you on the ass or something?"
AJ sighed. "Okay I'll tell you. I was waiting for Nat."
"Why?"
"Cause I was alright."
"Well that's kind why I needed to talk to you."
"What about?"
"It's Nat, she's gone really weird on me. It's like she's become anti-social while I was gone. She doesn't leave her room hardly ever, and when I'm home she leaves or doesn't come out at all. I don't know what's wrong with her."
"Ask her then" AJ shrugged.
"I did, I keep getting the same speech. Something about priorities and studying if you know what that's suppose to mean" Nick said back.
"Well maybe she's telling the truth and she's just tired of explaining it to you. She's still pretty normal with me" AJ replied. "We're suppose to go out somewhere today, so I guess she decided to come out of her room for once."
"I asked her to come somewhere with me and Cassie today and she said she was busy" Nick said looking puzzled. "What's the deal?"
"The girl is not a chaperone Nick. I don't think she wants to be the designated third wheel in your little outing."
"But she wouldn't have been. I just wanted her to get to know Cass is all" Nick insisted.
"I don't know Nick. I think this is something you two will have to sort out amongst yourselves" AJ pointed out, looking over at the clock, wondering where Natalie had gotten to himself.
**************
Smiling for the first time in what seemed like forever, Natalie waved goodbye to AJ who waited until she had the door opened then beeped and drove away. She had managed to have at least a bit of fun on their day out to Orlando, and being with AJ had let her forget about Nick for awhile. Making her way inside she heard voices and hesitated because she knew who was going to be there.
"Hey Nat" Nick greeted with a smile.
"Hi" she said trying not to look up from her shoes because she knew seeing Nick and Cassie would end up ruining the fun that she'd had that day.
"Hello Nat" Cassie said, giving Natalie the once over before looking back at Nick.
She cringed at hearing Cassie refer to her as 'Nat', before finally looking up to see Nick leaning on her shoulder, while she ran her fingers absent-mindedly through his hair. She fought back the lump in her throat, while Nick smiled at her. "You wanna watch a movie with us? We hired My Best Friend's Wedding, and I know how much you like that guy in it."
Natalie almost felt compelled to laugh as she thought of the irony in the movie. Then the familiar feeling of disappointment brought itself to the pit of her stomach, while she tried hard to hide any emotion from Nick. "That's okay, you guys watch. I've got alot of stuff to catch up on."
"No, come on Nat. Please, for me? Just sit down and watch with us, you can do whatever you have to do later on" Nick urged with a pleading look, which made Natalie stop to think about why it was so important to him that she watch.
"Really, it's okay Nick, I'll just be in my room, if anyone needs me." She turned and walked down the corridor to her room, quietly closing it to block Nick and Cassie's laughter as they watched together.
Natalie sat on her bed for awhile, playing with a teddy bear she had had ever since childhood. Looking down at it, she began to wish for things to be as simple as they were back then. She sat for awhile before hearing laughter coming from the living room. She heard Cassie giggling hysterically before yelling at Nick to stop it. She knew he was probably tickling her, like he always used to do to her before, and felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. Wiping at her cheek, Natalie realised a tear had fallen down already and silently scolded herself for moping around and allowing everything to get to her. "This isn't like you Nat" she muttered to herself.
Unable to take the laughter coming from the pair, she quickly scooped up a few books and dropped them in her backpack. Quickly grabbing her keys from the desk, Natalie took a deep breath and ventured out with great trepidation. She was hoping to make a quick exit but Nick spotted her and began to ask questions.
"Where are you going?" Nick asked.
"Out, I need some air" Natalie said with a forced smile.
"I thought you had stuff to do?"
"I do, I've got my books. I think I'll go for a drive."
Nick looked at her with a concentrated blue eyed stare. Natalie looked down, knowing he knew something was wrong and she was trying to hide it. "Nat..."
"Yeah" she said knowing Cassie had now drawn her attention from the TV and was looking at her critically.
"Drive safely okay" Nick said with a small smile. "I don't want anything happening to you."
Cassie looked up at Nick before staring at Natalie so hard she could feel the resentment transfer from Cassie to her. Natalie felt confusion set in even more. Damn it Nick, why do you have to say stuff like that. "Yeah take care" Cassie added, looking far from sincere.
"You don't need to worry I'll be fine" Natalie remarked. "So I'll see you later then."
Natalie quickly walked to the front door before Nick could get a word in. She felt her pulse racing after the intensity of the moment, and was glad for the breeze the night air was bringing. She got into her car, before driving away wishing so hard she didn't have to come back to face the pain again.
Chapter Fifteen
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