The connection - New beginnings

Chapter thirteen - That's what friends are for

Natalie 

"Alex what the hell is going on with you" I asked my best friend as I dragged her into the ladies bathroom at the coffee shop. She looked a mess, her skin was deathly pale and I could tell she'd been crying. I turned the lock on the door so we wouldn't be interrupted. Her tearful eyes watched me in silence. The boys had been clueless when I'd said we needed a quick girl talk when Alex had come back inside. 

"Al please you're scaring me" I pleaded with her and she began to cry.

"I'm sorry Nat, I'm sorry" she croaked between tears as her face crumpled into sobs. I pulled her into me trying to offer her some sort of comfort. I wrapped my arms around her and could feel her begin to tremble.

"Shhh, calm down Alex" I soothed hoping she wasn't going to cry herself into a panic attack.

"I'm a horrible person" she croaked again still sobbing as she pulled herself out of my hug.

"Alex you are not a horrible person. What's brought all this on? Was it seeing Nate and Chase?" I offered a sympathetic smile knowing that seeing them would have been hard on her. We had been best friends for a long time and I know she was kidding herself if she thought she could just move away and forget all her problems. 

"I still hear them" she whispered as her gaze met mine. Shit.

"I feel a pull towards them. Nate's moved on and I'm happy for him I really am. I think things are different with us now. It's not so intense, or at least it's not now anyway" she mumbled as she turned to the sink and began to splash cold water on her face.

"Not now?" I questioned understanding the deeper meaning behind her words.

"The morning after Jules's party, he kissed me" she admitted as she hung her head in shame "it was just for a second and he instantly regretted it. He made me promise not to say anything, he didn't want to hurt Jules" she turned to look at me.

How did I tell me best friend that I already knew. Nate had gone straight back and told Jules and she'd confided in me after our shopping trip. I could tell things were a bit frosty between them but when Alex told me that Jules invited Nate into the changing room and then that comment about old and new or whatever. I'd questioned her on her motives and she'd fessed up. Now it looked like it was my turn to be honest.

"I kind of know about the kiss Alex, Jules told me...Nate kind of owned up about it when he got back that morning" I watched her reaction as a wave of disbelief washed over her face.

"He told her" she stated more than asked. I nodded in response before I felt her hard gaze on me again "and you knew and didn't tell me" her eyes were full of hurt. I knew she would feel betrayed but I was in a really tricky situation.

"Al please understand, I wanted to tell you but I didn't want to bring it up when you hadn't mentioned it. Besides, Jules is my friend too and she told me in confidence" I pleaded with her hoping she understood.

"So what, she's got Nate and now she's got you too" she spat back. I knew this wasn't really how she felt, she was just upset and I'd probably caught her off guard when she was already upset.

"Alex you know it's not like that, no one could ever replace you as my best friend" I reached out and gave her shoulder a small squeeze. 

"I'm sorry Nat, I just...with everything going on at the minute I just feel lost" she began to sob again

"Talk to me, what else is going on?" I soothed 

"Chase...he hasn't moved on and seeing him again. It's hard, it brings back old memories, old feelings" she sniffed 

"Are you sure they are old?" I asked with a raised brow. I knew these two had a pretty intense relationship and I don't doubt for one minute that those feelings were still there.

"Maybe not as old as I thought" she admitted as she wiped her tears away "I imagined him Nat. Me and Zac were...getting close and I imagined it was Chase. But it turns out I didn't only imagine it but I somehow managed to pull him into my thoughts so he saw it as well. He made me feel things when really it was Zac doing them...but"

"You wanted it to be Chase" I cut her off not needing her to finish. I wasn't going to pretend to understand whatever weird mind reading, though hearing supernatural ability that they had going on but I knew damn well that she had never felt a fraction of what she felt for either one of those boys for anyone else. Not Josh and not Zac. A ringing sound filled the room as Alex pulled her phone from her pocket. Her face looked puzzled as she looked at the screen 

"Hello?....who is this? Hello" she let out an exasperated sigh before hanging up 

"Wrong number?" I asked as I surveyed her expression

"Uh yeah maybe, that's like the third time this week though" she shook her head as she returned her phone to her pocket. I offered her a small smile as we turned to look at her reflection 

"Here use this...just like old times" I joked as I handed over a tube of concealer. She let out a small chuckle before dotting it over her red puffy eyes. I don't know how this is all going to pan out but one things for sure, we're in for an eventful summer.