𝐇𝐄𝐑 ━━ mitchel cave

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

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&&.   c h a p t e r   n i n e t e e n
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my expressions went blank. natalia's question caught me off guard, almost stopping me in my tracks. why would she ask that ?

" so you do ! ", she exclaimed way too loud.

" no. ", i replied coldly, trying to brush it off.

" oh no way, you won't lie to me now, will you ? ", she said excitedly, " who is- "

" natalia, for god's sake, i'm not seeing anyone and you know exactly that i won't in the near future so would you be so kind and shut the fuck up ?! ", i cut her off harshly, not bothering to look her in the eyes.

the blonde muttered something under her breath, probably how rude i was being once again, but i didn't care. that's what she gets for annoying me. if she would have been an actual friend, she could have prevented it but she didn't. since we've known each other, which are now about four years, i haven't seen, let alone dated anyone ever, so it should be pretty obvious that all this romance stuff wasn't my cup of tea.

" you're being a fucking dickhead, do you know that ? ", natalia grumbled.

" you should be used to it by now. ", i shrugged and casually made my way to the entrance of the restaurant, her trailing behind me.

we took a seat in a more quiet corner since we both didn't feel like having trouble around us. an overly friendly waitress brought us the menus, though it wasn't really necessary because we went there frequently and knew beforehand what we wanted. yet, natalia took plenty of time to scan the menu for a drink.

" have you already decided what you want to order ? ", the waitress smiled at us once again.

natalia ordered our usual along with a simple water for me and glass of white wine for her.

" white wine and sushi ? ", i asked raising an eyebrow.

" why not ? ", she put her hands up in defence.

" you really are an alcoholic ... ", i muttered under my breath, suppressing a chuckle.

we had some light conversation going on. nothing too deep, just us catching up with each other while we waited longingly for our ginormous plate with the finest sushi. it was quite pricy but definitely worth it since it was, by far, the best sushi in the area.

" you know ... ", i started, fumbling with the chopsticks between my fingers, " mom's gonna retire soon. "

" so you'll be the owner of the company soon ? ", she figured.

" exactly. ", my voice was absentmindedly.

" you don''t sound so thrilled about that, huh ? ", natalia cocked her head.

" not really. ", i sighed deeply, " the thing is, i don't even really like my job. it's okay i guess, but that's it. it pays my rent and my lifestyle but it's nothing that fulfils me. "

" maybe you should talk to her about it. ", she took a sip of her wine.

" no. it's not that easy- "

i was cut off by the waitress that placed the large plate in our middle, which we thanked her for before she excused herself again.

" where was i ? ", i asked, more myself than her.

" it's not that easy. ", natalia stated and begun eating.

" uh-huh. ", i munched on some maki, " she founded this company, it's her baby and so she won't pass it to someone random. and since i'm her only child, it's only logical that i will be the new owner after her retirement. "

" we'll, tell her you don't want to. ", she shrugged, " you're going to be twenty three in a month, avery. you have your own life. "

her words replayed in my head and technically, she was right. but still, it was my mother we were talking about.

" i can't. ", i huffed and took a sip of my sparkling water, " she will be heartbroken. sure, she's a pain in the ass most of the time but i can't do that to her. "

" don't get me wrong, but since i'm your best friend- "

" you're my best friend ? ", i asked sarcastically.

" shut up for once, would you ? ", natalia rolled her eyes, " since i am your best friend, i have to be honest with you. also, since when do you care about anyone but yourself ? "

"i- "

" anyways, you have to do what's best for you. even though she's your mom, you always come first. ", she smiled at me warmly.

" i appreciate your concern but i know what i'm doing. "

silence found its way between us and we started eating our food; it's really the best sushi in town.

" henry asked the group whether we wanted to go clubbing next week. ", natalia informed me while her mouth was still full, " should i tell him you're in ? "

anyone that happened to know him, knew that henry wasn't particularly good news. whenever he was involved in anything, something bad would happed, without exception. but though his influence was terrible, his parties were most definitely legendary. he had connections to various club owners in town, so it was laugher for him to organise the fanciest places. i've known him for about a year now because of natalia. they have been friends for a lifetime and i suppose he is the reason for her countless addictions.

" i guess. ", i shrugged.

" great, i'll text him. ", she informed me and started typing in her phone.

my thoughts subconsciously wandered to mitchel. the last time i went out to party, i met him and i wondered if i would feel the same type of euphoria in a couple of days.

" we should go shopping or something, eh ? ", natalia asked then.

" actually, i'm pretty busy. ", i answered making excuses, " i have to go to the office. there's this really important client and i have to arrange some things. "

" that's too bad. ", she pouted and emptied her glass with a final sip, " let's pay then. "

we split the bill and tipped the waitress extra before we said our goodbyes. she said something about how she was going to miss me, though we were seeing each other again next week. her childish behaviour could drive me insane sometimes, but deep down i was really glad i had her.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

thank you so so much for 300+ reads ! <3
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