Time Heals

Chapter 50

Zara

It was weird how one minute Nathan unintentionally made me feel really shitty and the next he made me feel like the most amazing girl in the world. Love was confusing and I certainly don't claim to understand how it worked.
The love between Nathan and I was very different to any love I'd experienced before. For example when Alex and I were a couple I fancied him but I never truly loved him. And the love between my Dad and I was different as well. Obviously otherwise that would have been creepy. But one big difference is nothing could break the bond between father and daughter. Nathan and I on the other hand could come to an end. Maybe he'd fall out of love with me or we'd hurt each other so bad we break up. Even that thought made me tear up a tad but Nathan and I were not obliged to stay together forever. And yet somehow I knew we'd be by each others side for years to come.
I smiled to myself as I dragged myself out of Nate's warm bed.
"So you and Zara are all good now?" I overheard Eric asking Nathan.
"Oh yeah, all good." Nathan said before adding. "And let me tell you man, make up sex is just as good as everyone makes it out to be."
I rolled my eyes at that, a smile tugging at my lips. I took that as my queue to enter.
"Morning." I called, striding in and giving Nate a big, sloppy kiss. "You like make up sex then babe?"
Eric chuckled at Nate's blush.
"You know, if you're going to arrange a flash mob for me every time we fight we might have to fall out more often." I smirked, running my hand through his hair as his arms snuck around my waist. I shivered as his hands caressed my back underneath my T-shirt. Oh wait...his T-shirt.
"You arranged a flash mob for her?!" Eric raised his eye brows, clearly impressed.
"Yeah, take notes mate." Nathan suggested jokily although he was slightly distracted by my lips wondering up his neck.
"You are so whipped." Eric chuckled but I could tell he was happy we'd sorted stuff. "Anyway I'm off to my first class, good luck meeting your new roommate Zara."
"Thanks." I called as he left the flat, probably scared off by the PDA.
Nathan's arms tightened around me and I glanced up at him.
"Zara, I love you." He said with such feeling I almost dropped dead because I think my heart stooped beating for at least five seconds. "And I didn't just do that flash mob to makeup what I'd done. Today's our six month anniversary."
"Shit?! Is it really?" I laughed, genuinely surprised because it didn't feel like we'd been together half a year already. "How an earth have I put up with you for so long?"
"I don't know but I'm glad you do put up with me." His eyes flickered to my lips for a second before he continued. "I wanted to show you how much you mean to me. I wanted you to feel like the most important girl in the world. Because in my world, you're always the most important."
"Oh god Nate, don't make me cry." I leant my forehead against his shoulder, feeling overcome with love for this guy.
"Happy six months Z." He whispered, one of his arms leaving my back and his fingers brushed my hair softly. I raised my head and he leant forward, kissing me with such passion.
We only stopped to catch a breath and I cringed, realising I hadn't brushed my teeth yet.
"Sorry about my morning breath." I apologised but Nathan flipped me off.
"I didn't notice." He tucked my hair behind my ear lovingly. "But you should probably get ready now, we need to meet your new roommate."

Twenty minutes later and I walked beside my boyfriend, his hand wrapped around mine. Every now and then he'd glance down at me and we'd catch each others eye and smile. My heart fluttered every time.
A random thought just popped into my head.
"How will you beat a flash mob for our year anniversary?" I wondered and Nathan grinned cheekily at me.
"Oh I don't have to beat it, it's your turn next." He informed me and I scoffed.
"Blanket fort evening is the best I can do." I told him, and Nathan smiled at the memory of that evening.
"It was incredible." He squeezed my hand.
"No need to get soppy." I teased and Nathan stuck his tongue out at me.
We walked down the path until we got to the girls dorms. Nathan opened the door and, like a gentlemen, held it open for me to walk through first. "How polite, thank you dear sir."
He laughed at my posh accent.
"No worries malady." He followed me through and let the door swing shut behind us.
"We're weird." I smirked up at my boyfriend.
"No, we're special." He corrected me, throwing his arm around my shoulder.
"Get a room." Someone shouted at us, I didn't see who.
"We already have thanks." I called back and Nathan chuckled at me. "What? They were probably jealous."
"Yeah of me."
"Uh no."
"Z it was a girl."
"Exactly."
"She was clearly into me."
"I don't think so big man."
"Well you are and that's all I need." He turned our banter all soppy and I smirked.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I patted his chest and he pouted at my comment. Ohmygod he's so cute when he pouts.
"You help me sleep at night." He said quietly in my ear and grinned in triumph when my cheeks flushed red.
"Can we just find my new room already?" I whined, turning my attention to the numerous rooms down the corridor. "Number 24, you know that's my..."
"Favourite number." Nathan finished for me. "Yeah, you may have mentioned that a hundred times."
"Don't exaggerate." I tutted.
"Hey, that's number 22." He suddenly pointed at the room we were stood outside of. "So your room is that one."
I rushed forward excitedly before he'd finished speaking and found the room with 24 on the front. I knocked and less than a millisecond later the door flew open and I was greeted by a stunning red head.
"Oh my god hey! You must be Zara." She was grinning from ear to ear as I nodded, walking into my new place as she stepped back. "I've been so excited to meet you. I've been dying to have a roommate!"
"Same I've been living with this doofus for the last week." I joked, gesturing to my boyfriend who was hanging awkwardly outside.
"Oh Nathan right? Come in!" She gestured for him to enter and closed the door behind him. "I've heard about you two, the star couple."
"Oh really?" I chuckled awkwardly.
"Yeah, anyway this is the living area and cooking space." The girl flung her arms around, sort of reminding me of my old drama teacher who used to have no spacial awareness. "The bathroom is through there and we share that room to sleep in."
She pointed out the two rooms and then beamed back at me.
"Awesome, so what's your name?" I asked politely.
Her face morphed into one of shock.
"Oh gosh I didn't introduce myself I'm so so sorry I'm not really that sociable you see and I get over excited when I meet new people and I..."
"It's okay." I interrupt her babbling, smiling at this harmless girl.
"My names Alison." She shyly ran a hand through her impressively frizzy ginger hair. "Friends call me Ali, you can call me what you want. I hope we can be friends though."
"Its good too meet you Ali." I said softly. "And I think we're going to be great friends."
Her excitement returned and I couldn't deny it was infectious.
"Right, I'm off to start bringing your stuff here." Nathan decided, clearly happy that Alison wasn't some psycho bitch like my last roommate. He gave me a peck on the cheek before he left. "See you in a bit."
"Bye."
Once Nathan had gone Alison clapped her hands together.
"You guys are so cute!" She 'awed'. "I heard he arranged a flash mob for you last night, I mean how romantic is that?!"
Wow, news travels fast.
"Yeah it was pretty special." I smiled, knowing I'd never forget that. "So tell me about yourself. Favourite colour, food, animal?"
Ali beckoned me over to the expensive looking sofa and we sat, preparing to get to know each other a little better.
"Well I like red because I'm a red head and proud." She pointed at her hair. "I like food, any food really." That's my kind of girl, I thought to myself. I couldn't be dealing with a figure obsessed 'I can only eat rabbit food' kind of people. "And my favourite animal is a kangaroo."
"Random as hell, I love it." I laughed, already knowing now Alison and I were going to be good friends. "Any siblings?"
"A little sister, she's twelve." Ali answered as though from memory. "What about movies?"
"I love snuggling into my duvet and watching a good movie." I admitted and she seemed to agree. "Action, thriller, comedy and romance...love them all."
"Be my best friend!" Ali pretended to plead with me and we both laughed.
"Seriously, I've not had very good luck with girl friends but I can tell we'll be close." I said with all seriousness.
"When Dad told me you'd been paired with Lucy I felt so sorry for you." Alison's features fell sympathetically.
"You know her?" I wondered and she nodded.
"She's only polite to me because my dad's the head but I've heard some horrible things about her." Ali shuddered. "Like there was this poor guy who had a crush on her and she strung him along for ages and stashed drugs in his room until they got found and the guy was expelled."
That familiar story I'd heard from Nathan after we'd got back from paying off that debt.
"And she's such a bully. She used to pick on this geeky guy who had really bad achene." Ali continued. "She was so mean he ran away from college to get away from it. Went home and refused to come back."
"That's so uncalled for, does she even realise she's ruining peoples lives?" I muttered frustratedly.
"No but that's not our problem anymore." Ali reminded me and my mood instantly brightened. "We're roomies and I may be a little crazy but it's a good crazy I assure you."
"I can deal with good crazy." I grinned, so glad I'd made the change of rooms.
"I'm sorry if I come across overwhelming or something it's just people avoid me and are careful around me 'cause of Dad and it gets so lonely." She sighed and I shook my head.