We're Just Friends... Aren't We? (Finished)

Chpt 9

nathan looks at me stonily. i smile at this. "what?" i ask him innocently. he raises his eyebrows.

"you are seriously asking me that?" 

"yeah." i reply.

"why did you tell charlotte that?!" he asks me. 

"well technically i didn't tell her..." 

"don't be such a smart-alec ivy." he says. he is really pissed. 

"what do you mean by that?"

"you told charlotte that i couldn't conceive!"

"not my fault nath-"

"ivy." he says in a threatening tone. 

"well it's kinda your fault nathan! i don't see why you can't just tell her?" 

"because she'll get so hyped up and try to set us up and it'll become such a freaking headache." he groans. i roll my eyes. 

"you're such a drama queen." i tell him. he bristles at this.

"am not." 

"are so."

"not."

"are."

"n't. hahahaha i win!" he says. i stick my tongue out at him.

"you're such a baby." i tell him. 

"says you, sticking your tongue out at me!" he retorts. 

"yeah says me." i reply. the door creaks open. i smile at charlotte.

"it's not that bad nathan. IVF can solve these problems-"

"charlotte stop speaking now." he says, seething. 

"someone's tetchy." says charlotte, looking at me sympathetically. 

"i know right?" i reply, turning to face her.

"i hate you both." he says, storming into the room. i glance at charlotte and we both burst out laughing. it's way too funny not to. 

"poor kid. can't even have children." says charlotte sympathetically. 

"hey charl?"

"yeah."

"thought you were coming tomorrow?" 

"yeah. i was, thought that i'd surprise you and it looks like i did." 

"you sure did." i tell her. "where's adam?" i ask her. adam is her husband. 

"he's fine. he's coming later." she says. there's this smile on her face.

"why are you grinning like that?" i ask her.

"you know me too well." she says, flushing.

"what....?" 

"if i tell you then you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even adam knows!"

"what?"i ask, excited now. 

"well... i'm pregnant." she says to me. i gasp and squeal.

"no way!"

"yeah! that's why when i thought you were preggers to i was like ... wow! but obviously not..." she says, still smiling.

"yeah. i suppose." i whisper.

"well i better go and unpack." she says. "wanna come with?" 

"nah, i had better go and see if nathan is ok." 

"good idea, he seemed really pissed." 

"he is really pissed." 

"yeah... good luck with that one ivy." 

"thanks, i think that i'm going to need it." i reply. i walk back into the room, my mind spinning. "nathan?" i call tentatively. no reply. great, he's ignoring me. "well there's no point in ignoring me because it's your fault that charlotte thinks that." i declare to an empty room. i'm met with silence. 

"how is that my fault?" i hear nathan ask. 

"because you're the one being sensitive about telling her that we aren't really engaged!" i reply. he looks at me stonily. 

"am i?" 

"yeah!" 

"it's not as easy as you think ivy." he replies heatedly.

"it kind of is."

"what, what do you want me to tell her? i'm pretending to be engaged with my best friend because my actual fiancee decided i wasn't good enough and abandoned me for some GP?" he asks me, looking at me witha pained expression.i gulp. didn't see that coming.

"that's not what happened, nathan." i assure him. he laughs sarcastically.

"it is what happened." 

"she's just stupid to not see the great guy she had." 

"not really great." he mutters.

"you are nathan! don't be so down on yourself. you're meant to be the optimist!" i tell him, he smiles at this.

"i am, aren't i?" 

"yeah."

"ok. but my sister now thinks that i'm infertile." he says.

"but we both know that you aren't. and does it really matter? she won't talk about it again because she knows that you're sensitive to that topic. and it's kind of funny when you think about it." 

"yeah. it kind of is." he says, smiling at me. i smile back. "you always know what to say." he whispers, walking over and ruffling my hair playfully.

"is it really a wonder that i don't spend time on my appearance?" i ask myself, straightening my hair out. nathan merely laughs at this comment. "that wasn't a joke." i say awkwardly. he continues to laugh.

"i like you the way you are ivy, don't ever change." he tells me. i nod.

"i wasn't planning on changing but gemma and charlotte might make me change."

"nah, they'll just get you looking gorgeous." he says, smiling. "should be interesting." 

"not really."

"might be quite comical actually..."

"if you dare laugh when i wear the stuff we buy..." i threaten.

"what'll you do?"

"i'm not going to tell you!"

"because you can't do anything." he replies.

"au contrair."

"what does that mean?"

"on the contrary. you should know that."

"i should?" 

"ugh, i give up."

"on what?" 

"you." i reply. he pretends to sniffle at this comment.

"giving up isn't the way to go ivy." he says babyishly. i roll my eyes.

"i could never give up on you nathan, you have too much freaking potential." i tell him. he grins at this and ruffles my hair once again before running off.