Because It's You - English Version

¤ 1 - Waltz Away

REMINDER!

It's second series of Nothing Better (Than You). Although you can read them separately, I recommend you to check out the first one so you can understand about what happened behind them better.

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"Nate, over here!"

Nate turned to see Layla enthusiastically waving her over. Penny, Lily, and a blonde-haired girl Nate had never laid eyes on were by her side. Nate swiftly made her way towards them.

"How've you been?" Layla asked, embracing Nate warmly.

"Blimey, you've lost so much weight! What's going on?" Penny asked, concern etched in her voice.

Nate merely flashed a weak smile in her direction. She couldn't bring herself to reveal that her appetite had been dwindling over the past few months, and sleep had become a rare luxury. Layla touched the dark circles under Nate's eyes, her expression sympathetic. She was the only one who understood what Nate was going through.

"Where's Devi?" Nate asked.

"She can't join us, she's got to man the desk during lunch," Lily replied. "Nate, this is Tamara. She's replaced you in procurement."

Nate shook Tamara's hand. The blonde girl had a radiant complexion and bright blue eyes that crinkled at the corners as she smiled, revealing a charming dimple on her right cheek.

"She's actually taken my old job as junior procurement," Penny said, flashing a cheeky grin at Nate. "So, what was Stockholm like? I've heard it's amazing. You must have had a blast living there with your hubby."

"Uh, yeah... it's really pretty," Nate replied, forcing a slightly awkward smile.

"So, are you going to settle down and have kids in Stockholm, or will you come back to the UK?" Penny asked, probing further.

"We, uh, haven't really discussed that yet," Nate said, trying to brush off the question.

Just in the nick of time, the waiter appeared with their orders, saving Nate from further questioning. They were at a restaurant that had been a regular haunt when Nate worked at the same company. With everyone's busy schedules, they'd made a point of catching up over lunch.

"Here you go." Lily said, handing Nate an envelope "They gave it to me to pass on, but Keith was really keen that you came."

"Why's that?" Penny asked, pausing to chew. Lily's only response was a shrug.

As Nate opened the envelope, a wedding invitation slipped out. Her emotions were in turmoil, but she knew one thing—if she'd taken a different path, her name would be on that invitation as the bride. The guilt and regret might have been even more crushing than they were now. But Nate was certain of one thing—she wouldn't have found happiness, not the kind she'd envisioned.

"Are you going?" Lily asked, breaking into Nate's thoughts.

"I don't know, I'll have to talk to my husband about it," Nate said. "And isn't this their second wedding reception or something? They've already been married for a month, so it's not like my being there will make a huge difference."

"Are you close to Mr. Watson?" Tamara asked, seemingly out of nowhere. "He mentions you a lot, and he's actually told me to try to be more like you."

Nate exchanged glances with her colleagues, who were all watching her with interest. But she was just as puzzled as they were by Keith's enigmatic comment.

"Nate's a total multitasker. She can juggle loads of tasks and she's got connections with heaps of suppliers. They even call her Mrs Carter junior, so maybe he'd like you to follow her example," Penny explained. Tamara nodded thoughtfully, taking it all in.