It Was You

Chapter Nine

Kate was busy skulling down her vodka and partying with all the guests. She was wearing a skimpy polka dot dress with what looked like two push-up bras. 
I was sitting on the couch watching the spectacle and thinking about what Chris had said earlier. 

If he was Romeo would he be disappointed to find out that I was the girl he was talking to the whole time? 
I needed to know.
I had to sort it out. 

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Romeo. I couldn't see Nate anywhere, I hoped he had his phone on him. Kate was too busy to worry about him. 

Briar_Rose36: Hi, I haven't talked to you in a few days. Just wondering how you are. Hope everything is ok. 

Immediately I got a reply. He must have already been on his phone. 

RomeoGuy65: Hi, I know, I'm sorry. It's hard to explain, there's a lot of crap going on right now. I miss talking to you, I haven't stopped thinking about you. 

I swallowed. I couldn't just come out and ask him if he was Nate. I got up from the couch and walked around the house to try and find him. I spotted him on the end of his bed as I walked passed his room. He hadn't seen me. I decided to send my reply, maybe that would confirm if he was Romeo or not. 

Briar_Rose36: I understand. I miss talking to you too. I was kind of worried you didn't want to talk to me anymore. 

I watched sneakily at his door to see if he got a notification. 
He did.
His phone beeped. 
He looked at it, smiled and then sighed. 

I frowned, why did he sigh? 

I saw him typing. Once he was done he fell back onto the bed and covered his head in his hands. 

RomeoGuy65: Don't be silly. Of course I want to talk to you...it's just hard. If I don't reply for a while I'm sorry. I'm still thinking of you. I just have a lot going on right now.

It had to be him, it had to. 
And I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was disappointed thinking it wasn't him. 
I slipped around into the bathroom to fix my hair up, I don't know why I thought that would get his attention but apparantly it's what girls do. 
As I was about to find him and confess as to who I was, my phone rang. 
It was Brea.

"Mia. I'm stuck." She was sobbing. "I don't have any money to get back. The guy didn't even meet me but I'm lost I don't know where to go." 

"It's ok." I spoke calmly. "I'll find a way to come and get you, ok? What are you near that I could recognise?" 

"Uh..." She paused. "I'm across the road from a nightclub called Mystic Dance." 

"I'll be there as soon as I can." I hung up the phone, my hands shaking and my heart racing. I knew it was a bad idea for her to go into the city to meet a stranger and it was a dick move for him to not even turn up. 
I didn't have the money to get a train and it was probably a while until the next one left to the city. 
I had to find someone to give me a lift. 

Chris! Yes, Chris would. 
I found my brother playing beer pong with a bunch of guys. He was definitely not capable of driving. James was also drunk. 
The only person who I saw hadn't been drinking was Nate. He had a car. Although I'd probably have to put up with Kate for 45 minutes. But I'd risk it for Brea. 

I found Nate sitting on the couch in the loungeroom, staring off into space and annoyed that Kate was getting plastered. 

"Um, Nate." I asked. He turned to me. "Can I ask you a really huge favour?" 

He must have been able to tell the panic in my voice because his face was suddenly covered in worry.

"What is it?"

"Brea is stuck in the city. It's a long story but I need a lift to go and pick her up. Chris and James have been drinking and I don't really know anyone else." I explained, my voice breaking just thinking of my friend all on her own in the city she'd only been to once before and at this time of night. Who knew how many weirdo's were out there... 

He quickly got up from the lounge and grabbed his wallet and keys from the coffee table. "Let's go." There were no questions asked. 

"But what about Kate?" I looked over at the flirting, trampy girl grinding up against two guys. 

Nate laughed, about time. "She'll be fine. Come on, we'll go get your friend." 

                                                                                              ***
I rolled the window down in his ute to let in the cool breeze and calm myself down. My hands were still shaking. 
"So are you going to tell me what happened?" Nate asked, turning down the radio. 

I looked over, I wasn't going to tell him but he was nice enough to drive me to get Brea so it was fair that I told him why."Brea got this new app where you can meet people for a blind date after getting to know them without knowing their name and stuff. She and this guy were talking and they were going to meet in the city because apparantly they couldn't wait." I took a breath I was speaking too fast. "He didn't meet her, she has no money to get back and she's lost." 

Nate took it all in, shaking his head. "I bet that isn't the first time it's happened for that app. Such a stupid idea I think."

I scoffed, "Why? I don't think it's stupid. I think it's romantic actually. Talking to someone and then finally meeting them in person after getting to know them. You won't be able to judge a book by it's cover." 

He laughed at me as we turned the corner, "Don't tell me you have that app?" 

Surely he wouldn't make fun of the app if he had it...maybe I was wrong.. 

"You do, don't you?" He asked again, smirking. "Don't you?"

I slammed my hands on my legs in frustration, "Yeah I do and so what? I wanted to try it out. It was something different."

He chuckled, "I have it too." 

"I know..." I quickly said. "Chris told me." 

Nate frowned. "Of course he did." 

"Only because I asked if you were ok. You weren't yourself, even though you're a pain in the butt sometimes. I was just-" 

He interrupted me, "You were just being nosy." He snapped. 

"I wasn't nosy I was caring. Kate isn't your type of girl I don't even know why you're with her." I wish I'd stopped myself from saying that but it came out too fast. 

"Who are you to tell me who's my type and who I should be with?" He pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park. "I can date Kate if I want to." 

"You can I was just saying it doesn't look like she's making you happy. I'm not telling you what you should do I was just observing." 

He sat for a moment and took a deep breath, he was silent. 

"Nate...I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to ask about you and Chris shouldn't have told me. I-" I hesitated. Did I really want to confess to him about who I was? What if I was wrong? I would have made  fool of myself. "My dream date could be anywhere doing anything as long as I'm with someone like you." I quoted Romeo. Hoping beyond hope that I'd gotten it right. 

Nate looked at me with a gasp. "You're...you're Briar Rose?"