Getting Over Matt

30 - "You're a wonderful distraction."

I smirked. "Come on, Jess. I think past experiences have taught him that I wouldn't exactly need seducing."

"But he's a gentleman," she reminded me, as if I'd forgotten. "Maybe he wants it to be romantic."

"Maybe," I said, just to humour her.

"Or maybe he's proposing." She grinned mischievously.

"Don't be ridiculous."

She laughed. "Aren't you curious about what the special occasion is?"

"No," I replied truthfully. "Why does there have to be a special occasion? Maybe he just wants to do something romantic once in a while. Doesn't Alex ever do anything like that?"

"We go out most weeks," she said. "You and Nathan hardly ever go out."

"We do go out!"

Nathan and I may not go on as many dates as Alex and Jess, but that was mainly because he was having to support himself without any form of income. While his house was paid for, he still had to buy the weekly shopping and cover the monthly bills. We had just as much fun in his house, so I'd assured him that treating me with dates wasn't necessary.

Jess shrugged. "I just reckon there's something else behind this."

"Well, if there is, you'll be the first to know," I assured her, signalling the end of the conversation.

-

"How was your day?" Nathan asked as he poured me a large glass of wine.

"Thanks." I smiled as he handed it over to me. "Yeah. It was all right. How was yours?"

He shrugged. "Not too bad. Got an A on a mock."

"Amazing! Feeling more confident about the exam?"

"I guess. It's just been such a long time since I did an exam. Last time I was in school, I was too busy messing around to worry about grades."

I took a sip of wine and then peered at him over the top of the glass. "I still find it hard to imagine you being like that."

"Good." He grinned. "That means I've sufficiently changed."

I raised my glass in toast. "Cheers. To change."

He knocked his glass gently against mine. "To change."

We'd come to a point where we could discuss Nathan's past without me squirming. I wanted to know everything I could about him and that inevitably involved his former life. I loved him, the person he was now. Nothing was going to change that. But my conversation with Jess played on my mind. Even though I was comfortable with his history, maybe he still struggled.

"Speaking of last time you were in school, Jess asked me earlier how many people you'd slept with," I said.

Apart from a low chuckle, he didn't react. It had been a few months since I'd last brought it up, so maybe he'd be more open to talking about it. If not, that was fine, as long as he wasn't holding back for my benefit.

"What'd you tell her?"

Swirling around the wine in my glass, I studied him carefully. "I said I didn't know."

"Hm." His lips twitched and he tipped back a gulp of wine.

"I'll understand if you don't want to tell me," I said. "It's private. I just want you to know that I won't judge you or feel differently about you, if that's what you're worried about."

He cleared his throat. "Truth is, Bella... I don't know the exact number. I wasn't keeping notches on my bedpost."

Maybe he was avoiding the question, or maybe he thought I'd prefer a vague answer. Either way, I tried a follow-up to see if that reassured him.