Diamond (On Hold)

Chapter Ten

‘Nathan! What are you doing here?’ I asked him with complete and utter shock, holding the door handle like my life depended on it.

‘Why I am absolutely fine, thank you very much Isabelle.’ Nathan replied while grinning.

Ugh. Would he stop grinning already?

Too handsome to handle right now.

‘I’m sorry; I just didn’t expect you here, right now, at my doorstep.’ I said while pausing after every phrase. I was shocked after all, excuse my weird behavior.

‘Actually, I am the one who’s sorry. I just really needed to talk to you and I tried reaching you via the office and they told me you didn’t come for the past couple of days. I also tried calling you but um there was no reply.’

‘Yeah, um sorry about that. I wasn’t feeling very well and my dad usually takes the phone from me when I’m in such a state.’

‘Oh, Noah still does that?’ He laughed.

Stop laughing.

Not getting any easier here.

‘Um, may I come in? It’s freezing out here.’ He said while looking at me innocently.

Wait, I haven’t invited him in yet? Where are your manners Isabelle!

‘I’m sorry, c’mon in.’ I gestured for him with my hands towards the living room and released my death grip on the door and followed him, sitting on the opposite, fluffy couch.

‘I’m sorry. I really am of my behavior the other night. I just..You resemble someone that I knew so well and she looked just like you, and you two even have the same name and family and everything. The coincidence was just driving me insane and you see this person and I, we were very close and I….I guess I don’t know. There really isn’t anything to explain my rude attitude and I deeply apologize again.’

Hurt? Check.

Want to scream out, this is me? Check.

What hurts the most though? The way he uses the past tense to describe me. The words, ‘knew’ and ‘were very close’ felt like they were cutting right through my soul. It was absolutely unbearable.

When Nathan figured out that he wasn’t getting any response from me, he cleared his throat and said, ‘I was hoping we could open a new page and be friends, if that’s okay with you of course?’

Friends. Yes, totally. No harm done, absolutely none.

‘Yeah, sure. Friends.’ And I smiled at him.

Who am I kidding?

‘Okay then, now that that is sorted I got to run. Meeting the girl friend at the shopping mall, which I clearly have no idea why, but receiving a text message with numerous exclamation marks and the letters ASAP means I should be there quickly I suppose?’

‘Very, indeed.’

‘Okay then. I’ll see you at the office as soon as you’re better. Or better yet, why don’t we go out on a dinner? All four of us in celebration of me acting like a civilized person and you accepting my friendship? Maybe tomorrow night, in the diner right across the street from here?’

‘Sounds like a plan!’ I said with a bit of, you could say, well acted enthusiasm. Or not.

‘See ya.’ He then got up the coach and walked himself outside with me staring at the, now, empty couch in front of me.

What have I gotten myself into?