We're Just Friends... Aren't We? (Finished)

Chpt 2

I walk into my apartment and dump my bags on the floor. Nathan sounded sad, like something was bugging him. Maybe I should go over to his place and see? Walking out of the apartment I lock the door, shoving the keys into my pocket. My pale green little runt of a car is awaiting me, so I clamber in, turning the key in the ignition and hearing that all too familiar rattling noise. Thinking of my destination and trying to ignore the rumbling car, I drive. I love Nathan's house. It's big - bigger then my place ever was - but it's welcoming. His mum left it to him when she went to live overseas. I knock on the door and Nathan opens it, he looks bad. "Nathan? What's up?" I ask, walking in as he moves away from the door. He runs his hand over his forehead and that's when I see it; his engagement ring is missing. Uh-oh. "Is it something to do with Jenny?" I ask him softly as he shuts the door. He looks up at me, startled. 

"How do you know?"

"I have known you since forever." I remind him, "Plus you haven't got your ring on anymore." He looks at his hand absent-mindedly. 

"Right, you're right of course." he mumbles. I frown; there's something else up with him.

"Nathan...?" I mutter.

"Mum came back from the hospital today." he says, forcing a smile. I nod, smiling too.

"Hey that's great! Oh my god, that's why you called me, right?" I ask as it slowly dawns on me.

"Mhm." he says, smiling weakly.

"Oh gosh! I was only shopping, I could've come with you, why didn't you say so Nathan!"

"Because I didn't want to interrupt your shopping!"

"You should have! You know I would have come down, poor Gemma."

"I know, but I didn't want you to ruin your trip."

"Yeah but you should have thought about your mum. She only had you to welcome her home."

"Oh real funny." he replies sarcastically.

"So what happened?"

"Well she..." 

"She what?" I ask him softly.

"She wants to meet my fiancé." he mumbles, closing his eyes, there's something major that he's not telling me.

"Of course, but obviously Jenny..." I start.

"Yeah, and seeing as mum didn't know who I was engaged to I-"

"You?" I prompt, unsure of what to expect. He seems awfully … jumpy. 

"I kinda accidentally sorta told her it was you." he says all in one breath. I frown, shocked. Did he just tell me that he told his mum that we were engaged, or am I just having hearing issues? I blink a little, trying to take it all in. If he's serious, did Gemma actually believe him? I mean, that's kind of ridiculous. She's known me ever since Nathan has, in fact I'm sure our parents were the ones that got us to be friends. Does she really think Nathan and I are together? That's kind of odd if I'm honest. I never thought of Nathan that way, although Sally, Sasha and Tash have never really failed to point out that he's apparently 'uber sexy' or something. But there's no way that I could ever think of Nathan like that, I mean I've known him ever since he was picking boogers out of his nose for Christs' sake!

~Nathan's pov~

I swallow. She's just quiet. Eerily quiet, I can see her thoughts flickering across her face. I wonder how she's going to react. "So?" I whisper.

"So what? Did she actually fall for that?" she asks me incredulously.

"Well, yeah." I tell her. 

"Right, so now what?"

"Now you just have to act like you're my fiancé." I tell her in an embarrassed voice. We've known each other for far too long, we both know that we wouldn't be together. We just don't think of each other like that. 

"Yeah, but really Nathan?" she asks me.

"Well you aren't with anyone, right?"

"Right. ever since John." she says, shuddering, causing my jaw tightens as I nod. "You're still mad now."

"Well he messed you around, didn't he? I mean to say stuff like that-" I start, my hands fisting up. She touches my arm gently, shaking her head and suppressing a smile.

"Relax, it's over. He's gone." she says, smiling at me now. I nod.

"And good riddance." he mutters, still looking a little mad, "So can you do it?"

"I don't know. I'm a singer not an actress!"

"Oh come on, it can't be that hard! I'm not that unattractive." I joke with her, causing her to laugh.

"It's not a matter of how attractive you are Nathan. It's a matter of me being in love with you. which I'm not."

"I know that, but we just need to pretend, it doesn't have to be serious."

"Of course not, I'm just pretending to be getting married to you is all."

"We don't have to do the marriage part. When mum gets better then we can tell her." I promise. She raises her eyebrow at me, surveying me for some time. 

"Fine, I'll do it." she says in a resigned voice.

"Thank you so much!" I say, hugging her tightly. she laughs at this.

"I guess we'd better go up to her then."

"Mmm. I guess so."

"You owe me big mister." Ivy says to me as we climb up the stairs.

"I know." I reply. 

"And you still owe me for paying when you forgot your wallet by the way." she informs me.

"You have an annoyingly good memory." I tell her. she just laughs at this.

"I know. I know." she says, mock bowing. 

"Thanks again Ivy, I will repay you."

"We'll see." she mutters. "We'll see."