"Uhh can I borrow her for a bit" Nick asked shyly as he tapped AJ on the shoulder. AJ begrudgingly handed Natalie over. He held his arms out for her as Natalie fell into them. He thought he had never felt anything so right.
"Congratulations by the way" Natalie grinned, as she swayed along to the music.
Nick inhaled Natalie's perfume and sighed. He watched the crown of her head and tried to tell her how he felt. "Thanks."
"Great speech, that one word summed it all up" Natalie teased, giving Nick a perfect grin.
"Yeah" Nick laughed.
"Exactly" Natalie giggled, looking up at Nick.
"Uhh Nat..I.um..I" Nick stammered. Years of media experience and he was finding it hard to talk.
"That's it Nick. Keep trying and eventually you'll get it out."
"Hang on..I'll get there" Nick protested.
"Nat I think I..."
"Rob asked me out" she stated just as Nick finished his sentence. "Think I like you."
Natalie stopped dancing, just as Nick began to turn red from embarrassment. She gaped at him in shock. "You what?!"
**************
Natalie headed for the table to grab her bag. For months she'd wanted to hear Nick say those words. But all she felt was confusion. She had thought she had managed to get over him, and she had been thinking all day about Rob and she felt so sure he was the right person. Nick's voice was calling out for her. "Nat, please, Nat."
Ignoring the strange looks Sarah was giving her, she grabbed her bag and headed for the main exit. As she was just out the door AJ grabbed her by the arm. "Hey, hey, hey, where's the fire babe?"
"Let go AJ, I gotta get outta here" Natalie warned as she tried to wriggle away, noticing Nick was nearing her. "I meant now."
"Nat, listen, don't run away we have to talk" Nick finally said breathlessly.
"Talk about what?" AJ asked curiously.
"Nothing" both snapped.
Aj stood on the spot, watching Nick run after Natalie. "I was just asking."
**************
"Natalie we have to talk" Nick announced as soon as he step foot in the house. He spotted her on the phone already, presumably to Rob. "Natalie!"
"What?" She asked impatiently.
"We need to talk about what happened" Nick answered, taking a seat next to her on the couch. "Right now."
"Not now Nick. I don't want to deal with this right now."
Nick quickly reached out for the phone and ended the conversation wordlessly by clicking the phone off. Natalie turned and glanced at him. "That wasn't nice."
"I told you we needed to talk. You wouldn't listen" Nick explained nonchalantly. He slipped out of his jacket, and took of his tie, dropping it onto the coffee table. "Are you ready to listen?"
**************
"Why now? Why the hell now?" Natalie exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.
"I wanted to tell you before. I was just too scared to" Nick answered softly.
"I can't believe you! Just cause Rob asked me out you have to go and do this" Natalie snapped angrily. She knew she wasn't really angry at him, just angry with herself for not having resolved her feelings when she thought she had.
"It wasn't because of him. It was because of me and you. I really care about you and I didn't want to lose you" Nick confessed. He glanced up at her, he knew he meant every word he was saying.
"Nick.." Natalie sighed. She didn't want to look at him, she knew once she was swimming in his blue eyes she'd never be able to look away.
"I know I was the one who pushed you away. I think part of the reason was that I was with Cassie but all I could ever think about was you. And the whole Rob thing was probably because I didn't want you to be with anyone else. It was you that I wanted, I just didn't realise."
"Man" Natalie said, jumping up in frustration. " A few months ago, even weeeks ago I would've loved to hear you say that. But now you've just confused things even more and I hate that."
"You hate me?" Nick asked tentatively.
"No I don't hate you. I hate the situation I'm in" Natalie cried out. "Rob is a great guy and all I can think about is what you said."
"You are?" Nick asked.
"Yeah and I hate muself for that. Rob has never ever done anything to hurt me and you confess and suddenly I'm messed up. What kind of a person am I?"
"I think you're great. That's why I like you. You're special Nat and I'm sorry I didn't realise it sooner" Nick tried to smile.
"No, no, no" Natalie yelled out, covering her ears. "You can't say things like that it's not fair."
"Is it Rob?"
"Yes it's Rob! It's everything" Natalie cried out. "Why am I doing this? I was supposed to say yes to him but I can't now. Because of what you said, I suddenly stop my feelings for a guy who cares about me so much."
"I care about you" Nick said softly.
"Don't say that!" Natalie exclaimed. "You don't care. You just said you did to stop me from going out with Rob."
"I was telling the truth. I meant every single word I said" Nick said seriously. He got up and made his way over to Natalie who was cupping her face in her hands. "Look at me."
"No" she protested, refusing to look up.
"Natalie..come on" Nick said, prying her hands away. He tipped her face up. "Look at me and tell me you don't feel the same."
Natalie looked up at him. She thought she would be able to but she couldn't. She stared down at her shoes. "I can't."
"Cause you feel it too. From that moment in the pool I think we both knew" Nick said huskily.
"No" Natalie began to say without much effort. She felt Nick tilt her face up to look at him. She felt his blue eyes burning right into her. "You're wrong. This isn't right" she said softly.
"I'm wrong am I? Is this wrong?" Nick stepped forward and kissed her. He brushed his lips softly against Natalie's as she slowly returned it. He knew it wasn't wrong, because it felt so right.
Chapter Twenty Eight
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