My Fake Relationship with My Best Friend **Completed**

My Fake Relationship (Chapter Nineteen)

"Are you okay?"

I turned to look and I saw Ringo, and just looking at him reminded me how to breathe. I was standing outside of restaurant with a name I couldn't pronounce as it was in another language, and in a dress that most days I wouldn't be caught dead in. I slowly nodded and Ringo moved a small strand of hair out of my face.

"You look amazing."

He pressed his lips to my head and then took my hand to lead me inside. A fancy looking waiter took us over to a table were a tall man and slim women sat. The man, didn't look scary like I pictured him. He looked so nice, so comforting. He barely had any hair, and was getting a bit old on the outside, but it worked. Ringo's mother looked just as nice, or at least just sitting there she did. She had thin black hair that was pulled back, but a huge smile on her face, something that calmed me slightly. Least they didn't look at me like they hated me already.

"Mum... Dad, this is Nina," Ringo said quickly.

Ringo's dad stood up first and he took my delicate hand in his firm grip and shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nina," he said.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Cannon," I said.

"Please, call me Harrison," he said.

"Nina," Ringo's mother said, "what a pleasure to meet my son's girlfriend. Please sit."

Ringo and I sat quickly, and I tucked some hair behind my ear and flattened out my dress. I placed my phone on the table as I stupidly hadn't brought a bag, and swallowed slightly. I was in it now.

"Ringo has told us so much about you, but he seemed to fail to mention how beautiful you are," Ringo's mother said.

"Mum, I told you she was beautiful," Ringo muttered.

"Yes I know, but you failed to exactly tell us how much," she muttered.

"What do you think about football, Nina?"Ringo's father suddenly asked me.

"Excuse me?" I blinked.

"Football? You're opinion?" he asked again.

"It's a... sport," I muttered. "It's good to watch I guess."

"Football is very important to Ringo," he said.

"Dad," Ringo muttered.

"Is that why you wanted me here? To find out if I could screw up your son's life or not?" I asked them.

They were taken back by how forceful I was, and so I was. I slightly glanced at Ringo who was just as shocked as the rest of us. I knew I had to apologise and fast, but before I could open my mouth my phone interrupted me. I quickly reached out and grabbed it. I glanced at the caller ID for one second. Tim. Tim who hadn't spoke to me for days. Tim, was calling me now... something I'd have to deal with later.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"No, you shouldn't be sorry," Ringo said, backing me up. "If my parents continue like this, we'll leave."

"Ringo, it's okay," I muttered.

"It's not," he said, slipping his hand into mine.

"We just want to be clear on everything is all," Ringo's mother said. "Have you two talked about college yet?"

"Not this again," Ringo muttered. "I told you, I'd go to the open day, I won't accept the scholarship yet."

"You got a scholarship?" I asked surprised, turning to him.

"A football scholarship," Ringo's father said. "Is there anything you are particularly good at, Nina?"
"I... I'm writer," I whispered.

"A young writer-," Ringo's mother started to say when my phone started to ring again.

I grabbed it quickly and declined the call again, this time from Hayley.

"Is there a problem?" Ringo's father asked, looking at my phone.

"Yeah, Dad, there is a problem," Ringo said. "Nina, isn't going to spoil any of it, my future, our stupid family legacy, so don't even go there."

My phone rang again, and again. Three missed calls from Tim, five from Hayley... two unread messages. I couldn't handle this; I couldn't handle any of it. It had been eating me up, and right now I was going to explode.

I did the only thing I could physical do, and ran out. I didn't say a word just stood up and ran out. I heard Ringo cry out for me but I kept running. I collapsed on the sidewalk outside a couple of blocks away from the restaurant and just started to cry. In the dark, alone, I cried.

"Nina."

I looked up slightly to see Ringo and he sat down next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed my head to his chest, holding me tight.

"Was it my parents?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No."

"Who was calling you?" he whispered.

"Tim... Hayley," I answered. "I have to pick."

"What?" Ringo asked confused.

"I can't... I can't keep lying anymore, Ringo. I can't take it, it's too much. Harry deserves to be happy and so does Hayley and Tim needs to just... tell everyone."

"How are you going to do this then? What are you going to do?" Ringo asked me slowly.

"I'm going to talk to Tim first, tell him I'm done being his fake girlfriend, and he's going to tell his parents and we'll break up, and then, I guess I'll just ease into things with you, tell Harry and then... let Hayley and Harry be together," I said quickly.

"Sounds like you've really thought about it," Ringo muttered.

"Yeah, I have," I nodded. "Tim comes back tomorrow, I can catch him before school I guess, talk to him, and get it over and done with quickly."

"How long do I have to wait?" Ringo asked.

"What?"

I turned towards Ringo and he side and brought his hand up to my face and brushed my cheek.

"Your plan involves waiting in between boyfriends before you jump to me. How long to have to wait until we're able to go public?" Ringo asked me.

"Not long? I don't really know how long you're meant to wait, do you?" I asked him slowly.

"You're asking me?" he said, giving me a look that made me smile and laugh a little.

"Of course, I forgot you'd have no idea."

"I'll wait however long I need, because Nina Partridge... I....well I actually.... I actually love you, I love you quite a lot actually," Ringo admitted.

He breathed deeply, he was nervous, scared, like I wouldn't respond or something. I sat up so I was facing him and moved my hair away again, I was starting to realise it was a nervous habit. I breathed, not sure which emotion to show first. I was happy, I was really happy he said that. I felt like crying more from happiness. My long time crush wasn't only dating me, now he was telling me that he loved me. Did I feel the same? The word love was never one I had thought about. It felt so serious, but when I thought about it with Ringo, it felt so right. I knew how I felt right then, I always knew, I just, had to find the right time to say it. I looked back up at Ringo to see he was worried and I smiled immediately.

"I love you too, Ringo Cannon," I said softly.

Ringo's worried face turned straight into a smile and he leant forward and kissed me softly, and then again.

He pressed his forehead towards mine and I shut my eyes. We just sat there for a moment, no words needed to be spoken. It was time for everything to happen the way it needed to be.

"I love you," Ringo whispered again.
"I love you too."