Chapter Five.
I opened my eyes to find that I was in a dark room. I frowned as I tried to work out why I was not in my own bedroom at home. A door behind me clicked open and I heard someone breathing.
“Are you awake?”
“Yes.” The lights were flicked on and I found that I was laid on a sofa and not just anyone’s sofa, Nathan Sykes’ sofa. I looked up at him and he smiled. He was odd. He was awkward. But he was kind. No, he’s not kind!
I looked down to see a blanket covering me. I was still wearing my dress from last night, thank god.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” Nathan asked politely and I nodded as I twisted my body so I was sat up. He walked into the kitchen and I was left alone in the room. I tried to remember last night as the alcohol had only left me with a slight headache. I remember going to the club and talking to Nathan. Maybe I had gained his trust now. I remembered coming back here with Nathan and I remembered…the kiss. He hadn’t questioned me about Paige after that, thank god.
“Here you go.” Nathan put two cups of tea down in front of me then sat beside me. I rubbed my head as I became annoyed at the slight ache in my forehead.
“So, tell me.” Nathan started and took a sip of his tea.
“How do you know my best friend?”
I sighed and looked up at him. His green eyes searched mine for some sort of answer.
“I don’t. I just know you have a friend who is female.”
“How do you know that?”
“Lucky guess.” He wasn’t buying it.
“How do you know?” I sighed but stuck to my answer.
“I guessed.”
“No you didn’t.”
“I did,” I protested and sipped the cup of tea Nathan had made me.
“Tell me,” he continued.
“I’m telling you. I guessed.” He frowned and leaned towards me. His eyes looked straight into my soul and I squirmed underneath his gaze.
“There’s something strange about you. Something that’s not quite right.” I decided to take another stab at it. What did I have to lose?
“What’s your best friend’s name?” He frowned slightly and sat back.
“Paige.” I subconsciously curled my upper lip in disgust at the name.
“Is something wrong?” Shit. He saw me.
“I used to know someone called Paige. She wasn’t a very nice girl.” He raised one eyebrow at me but I ignored him and finished my tea.
“I guess I’d better go.” I stood up but Nathan grabbed my hand and pulled me back down.
“Stay. Let’s talk,” he said. I didn’t know whether this was a good thing or not but I stayed.
“Tell me about your family.”
“I rarely see my mum because she still lives in Manchester. My dad’s a barrister and my brother is at university,” I explained and he nodded.
“What about yours?”
“They live in Gloucester. My parents aren’t together anymore. I have a little sister, Jessica.” I nodded and he took my hand in his.
“Tell me about this scar,” he said as he rubbed his thumb over the white line on the back of my hand. He looked genuinely concerned. Maybe he actually cared about me.
“I was six. I was on holiday with my family. My brother and I were fighting. I fell over a chair and smashed a mirror. The glass left that scar. My brother didn’t stop apologising for weeks,” I explained. Nathan had a small smile on his face.
“He cares about you, your brother?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s really quite protective over me but I don’t mind. It shows that he cares.”
“He sounds nice.”
“He’s the best.” Little did Nathan know that my big brother was Joshua Knowles.
Nathan’s thumb stroked my knuckles and I smiled at the feeling. No one had ever been so intimate with me even though it was hardly more than his hand touching mine.
“Nathan?”
“Mm.”
“I saw something about you in the newspaper yesterday.” He looked up at me and it clicked. That’s how I knew he had a female best friend, so he thought.
“Your friend, Paige, she was assaulted?” He nodded and looked down at the floor sadly.
“Do you mind me asking about it?” He shrugged.
“I reported it to the police. She came to me in floods of tears and I couldn’t just sit back and watch him get away with it.”
“Who?”
“His name is Joshua Knowles.”
“How do you know it was him?”
“She told me.” I froze and felt anger building up inside of me.
“It breaks my heart to see her in pain. She didn’t deserve this.”
“I’m sorry,” I said to cut through the silence. He looked at me and smiled.
“It’s fine,” he replied and stood up.
“Listen, I’d like to see you again.”
“You would?” I asked in surprise and he nodded.
“Are you free tonight?” I thought about the question for a moment. Dad and Joshua would be concerned with my outings as it was unusual for me.
“Yes.”
“Can I take you out for dinner?”
“Yeah.” I smiled and he returned it.
“Great. I’ll pick you up at six. Where’s your house?”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” I thought quickly.
“My brother will flip,” I lied and he nodded.
“Okay. Meet me outside Starbucks then?”
“Okay. I’ll see you later.” I grabbed my bag and left his flat before he could change his mind. This was going well. I had Nathan right where I wanted him. He wanted to see me. He wanted to talk to me. He wanted me. Maybe I could fake liking him. Then break his heart. I smiled at the thought as I walked back to Leicester Square then made my way back to my house from there.
*
“You look lovely,” Nathan said as I sat down in the restaurant. I blushed at the compliment.
“Thanks.” The two of us began looking through the menu while occasionally glancing at each other.
“I’m thinking Spaghetti Bolognese.” I looked up at him and smiled.
“I’m thinking lasagne,” I said and he smiled at me.
“Great, let’s order,” he said as he waved at a waiter. The guy walked over to us and smiled.
“Good evening, may I take your order?”
“Spaghetti Bolognese and lasagne, please,” Nathan told the waiter.
“And what would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have a pint of Magners, please, mate.”
“Same, please.” The waiter scribbled it down on his notepad before taking our menus and walking away.
“A pint of Magners?” Nathan questioned and I nodded.
“You’re odd.” We both felt a little more comfortable around each other now and the awkwardness was more or less gone.
“So, how are you?” he asked and I chuckled at his choice of conversation.
“I’m good, thanks. How are you?”
“Great. I’m with you.” I blushed once again and looked down at the table.
“You need to learn how to take a compliment,” he said and I bit my lip, looking up at him. He smiled at me.
“You’re cute.” The drinks arrived and I smiled gratefully at the waiter.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“You just did but sure.” I giggled quietly and he smiled at his successful attempt to make me laugh.
“Why are you sad?” He looked a little confused by my question.
“I-I’m not sad.”
“You are. I can see it. You just pretend you’re okay to make everyone leave you alone.”
“I’m not sad.”
“Nathan.” I put my hand over his. “You can trust me.”
He sighed and took a sip of his drink. He moved his hand so it was holding mine.
“I wished I’d never got involved in this whole thing with Paige. I felt sorry for her at first but now I feel as though she’s using me. Just the other day, I was walking round the shops with her and we were stopped by reporters. She hung off my arm while they took photographs but I had to pretend that I was okay with it as I am the one who reported it to the police. One minute she was devastated about the assault but now she’s acting like it never happened. And I’m starting to doubt her.” Bingo!
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He had no idea who he was dealing with. Now all I had to do was get Nathan and Paige apart so she had no one. Nathan would distrust her and withdraw his statement from the police. Dad and Joshua were going to love me. All I had to do was flirt with Nathan until we were in some sort of relationship. Then I’d have his complete trust and it would be easy to get him away from Paige.
“Here are your meals,” the waiter said as he put the two plates down in front of us.
“Thank you.”
*
“Come on then,” Nathan said as he finished his drink and placed his glass on the table. We both stood up and he took hold of my hand. The two of us left the restaurant and walked the short walk to Nathan’s flat.
He unlocked the door and let us in.
“Nathan, I-” His lips crashed on mine as he pushed me back against the wall. Our lips moved around each other as his hands roamed my body. Was this how it worked? Meet a girl, take her clubbing, let her spend the night on your sofa, take her out for a meal, get laid. Was that the guy code?
Nathan took his coat off and threw it onto the floor. We both kicked our shoes off and Nathan led me to the bedroom, trying not to part our lips the whole time. He pushed me onto the bed and removed his shirt. He quickly took off his trousers then propped himself up above my body.
This time, I kissed him. He unzipped my dress and I kicked it to the floor. We were now just in our underwear. I smiled against Nathan’s lips as his fingers trailed across my skin making it tingle. He pulled away and I sat up.
“I like you, Eva. You’re different.” I smiled as he leaned in and kissed me once again.