In Case You Didn't Know

Chapter 21

Alexia

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I'm sipping my second cosmopolitan of the night when I see him walk in with Jared. I knew I should have stayed home tonight. I arrived to Chicago earlier today after spending a week in New York. I had another signing, which was much more enjoyable than the first I had (all nervousness forgotten), and then I spent a few days with my parents.

My mother and I visited my brother's grave as soon as I got there; it is his birthday soon. After that, taking advantage of her maternal skills, she forced me to go to the hospital so I could get an MRI. I tried to convince her once more that my doctor had been very adamant that it wasn't necessary, that I've been feeling exceptionally good, but she's a neurosurgeon herself so my word was equal to rubbish.

"Look who dared us blessing with her presence." Jared wraps an arm around my shoulders and I kiss him soundly on the cheek. "How was New York?"

"Crowded." He rolls his eyes in pretended annoyance, and proceeds to say hello to Scott, Ben, Lilly and Sofia, friends from Midwest who have also joined us tonight. Then I'm face to face with Nathaniel.

"What are you doing here?" He inquiries, hands tugged in his pockets.

"These are my friends. What are you doing here?"

"I had a late meeting with Jared. He invited me to come and didn't take no for an answer."

"He can be very persuasive." I knew that Nathaniel was coming. Jared texted me earlier to tell me about it, half freaking out that he didn't ask me first if it was okay, and half telling me I'd have to suck it up anyway because they were in their way.

"When did you get back?"

"Just a few hours ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to do it later," looking at him directly in the eyes as I take a sip of my drink, I add, "friend." I'm partially proud of the raillery in my tone; partially because given how deliciously handsome he looks tonight I'd very much prefer to kiss him nonstop. He's not yours to kiss anymore. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to hit that dance floor."

I had just finished eating breakfast yesterday when he texted me. I think that one of the reasons that I enjoyed New York so much —despite of unwanted public attention, despite of Mason, and despite of the hospital— was because I no longer had the burden of not knowing where Nathaniel and I stood. The bubble burst just as unexpectedly, however, when he basically told me that we should keep being friends, "for the time being". Well, I say fuck that.

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Nathaniel

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I wouldn't bet my life on it, she is giving me her back and therefore I can't assess her face, but I'm positively sure that this dancing of hers has the only purpose of teasing me. She has made it very clear that she's crossed with me with all the times that she has called me friend in the past hour.

"Pretty, isn't she?" Scott, Alexia's friend who is sitting next to me, asks. I'm forced to take my eyes off the dance floor, feeling slightly ashamed that I was caught staring.

"Ah, we're friends." If only she were here to hear me say that... "We go way long back, actually."

"She doesn't strike me as the kind of person that has many friends." Although he doesn't show signs of rudeness, there's something about his tone that irks me. I know that she tends to show this standoffish façade, but that couldn't be further away from the truth.