Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 8 - Turning Tables

"Ok, I'm off to Charles now. Don't wait up, I will probably sleep there again" I said, putting on my jacket. Ok I had my keys, a toothbrush and my charger, I was good to go. Nick was sitting in his bed, staring into his phone and just glancing over to me, throwing me a judging look, before returning to his phone almost unbothered. 

"So, that guy is like your boyfriend now or whatever?" Nick asked as I threw one last look in the mirror, to check my hair. I didn't necessarily do that for Charles, but it was a routine for me. I sighed heavily. This is how it has been the past few days, if not two weeks now. Every time I went out with Charles, Nick was throwing a tantrum. It was honestly exhausting and I was trying to stay understanding, against Charles advice, but it was hard. 

"No, he is the guy I'm seeing. He hasn't asked me...yet" I replied, combing through my hair. Nick scoffed and I turned around, throwing my best friend a confused and cold glare. Nick returned that same one with a smilier icy look on his face and I turned back around, pretty sure I had made my point clear. I wasn't attached to Charles yet, but I didn't like how Nick talked about him. He could at least try and be happy for me, right? 

"But you would say yes if he asked you" Nick stated and I took a moment to think about it. Would I say yes? I never had a boyfriend nor had I had the desirer for that in my life before, but now, there was Charles. If he would ask me to be in a committed relationship with him, I think I would say yes. He has helped me so much and I think, I just...I would accept. 

"I guess" I said and Nick scoffed again. 

"You don't even love the guy! Right?" he asked, sitting up and I sighed, hanging my head low  in defeat, as I turned around. He wouldn't let this slide, would he? 

"No, not yet. But I really like him and I think this could go somewhere. He's good for me Nick" I said and Nick clenched his jaw, laying back down like a pouting child, which was getting exhausting at that point. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at the ceiling. 

"But if you don't love him, why would you date him?" Nick interfered again and I sighed, grabbing my phone, ready to leave this awful conversation. Whenever we would talk about Charles, which would always be a topic Nick would bring up, we were fighting, but also not really. I didn't like it at all, but what can I do? 

"Nick, man, you literally change girlfriends every other week. You may think you love them, but you don't really. I think maybe I could love Charles someday and if not, we break up, simple as that. Not everybody's love life is like Blake and Romeos" I defended myself and Nick grunted, but didn't say anything.

"I will see you tomorrow and please don't mope around, pouting all night again" I said and Nick threw me a confused glare. 

"I don't do that!" he exclaimed and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah sure and I'm a virgin" I scoffed, making Nicks lips twitch into a smile, but only for a split second, before they returned to their angry glare, matching the rest of his face. God, I just wanted everything to be normal again. When did we go so wrong? I should have never brought up the kiss. I should have just sucked it up and lived with a little bit of confusion for a while. Would that really have been so hard? 

"Ok...bye" I said, opening the door. I waited one moment, but I didn't even hear him grumble a goodbye. Releasing a deep sigh, I closed the door behind me. Couldn't he at least pretend to not be so hurt? Was he just jealous that I, his best friend, was spending so much time with another person that wasn't him, or was he actually jealous of Charles dating me? I still couldn't believe the last part, even though a literal psychiatrist told me that this might be very true. Its just- we have been friends for so long, it was hard imagining that Nick, my straight best friend, had started to feel something different.