THIS IS A CHAPTER!
I am doing the authors notes before the chapter again just to tell you that it is really long and I suggest doing the thing where you comment on the specific paragraph and stuff because there is a lot going on and with an ending like how I ended mine will make it so thats probably all you can talk about and there is no way you could get all of your emotions out in one comment
Chapter Eighteen - Lachlan's Pov
I kiss her forehead, "I promise you. This baby, our baby, won't be the reason I break your heart, again. Never again darling, never."
Natalie laughs, and her crying stops for long enough to tell me what's wrong. "I'm not pregnant, Lachlan."
"Would it be totally rude to say thank god?"
"No, it wouldn't be," She replies. "I am just feeling sad about my life."
"You seem a little more than sad," I help her to her feet, but she sits right back down on her bed. "I'm just thinking about my family. Five years ago we were all together. My Mom, Dad, Jordan, and I. Now my Mom is off, loving someone else, getting married again. My Dad is six feet under, and my brother is... I don't want to talk about it."
"You don't have too, I just want to know one thing. Is he dead?"
"No."
"Are you lying?" I ask, meeting her gaze. "No, Jordan is fine, but he is a grown man, a busy grown man."
Anger begins to run through my veins, I dig my fingernails into the carpet. "He's been busy for years!? That is just bullshit!"
"Lachlan..." She removes my hands from the carpet, wrapping them in hers. I watch as the carpet slowly rises because the pressure I was putting on it is gone. "...It's not a big deal, okay? Now, I have to take a shower."
I watch as she stands up and grabs a towel from her dresser, the floor creaking as she walks over. "Okay, I'll wait here."
"No," I raise my eyebrow at her, she smirks and throws me the towel that was in her hand. "You are going to be taking one with me."
"Oh."
I stand up, grabbing the towel a little tighter than I should have. I let out a nervous breath and follow her into the bathroom. "I've never actually... Showered with a girl before."
She laughs, shaking her head. "You think I have!?"
I stand completely still as she walks over to me, removing my shirt. "And stop thinking that I'm going to have 'shower sex' with you. I have that sex smell, you know? I'm not wasting my water to not get clean at all."
I remove everything, which feels quite weird. I know I've been naked in front of Natalie before, but I don't have her touch to distract me from the fact I'm naked. I am no body builder, I don't have a six pack or huge biceps, I am just a normal guy who is really tall. She get naked too, and I admire her, she wasn't fat and wasn't very skinny, but she had curves. "Why exactly am I showering with you," I ask while stepping in. She shrugs as she picks up soap and runs it up and down her arms, "We have never done this before and I won't see you in person for months on end so, I thought why not."
I just stand there, watching her because I seriously have no clue what to do. For the first time, besides last night at the party, I am the innocent one. Scared and Awkward.
"I want my nerd back."
"Your nerd? Okay then."
"Lachlan we are showering together!" Natalie says in a panicked tone. "My mom is going to kill me! How many girls have you done this with? I bet you do this with every girl! Even Madi! I can't believe I'm doing this! Oh my god, who am I! We are showering together, oh my god, my mom is so going to kill me! How do you even do this?" She paces around in the small shower.
I smile, "You are supposed to kiss me and tell me to take a risk. Where's my bad boy?" She tries not to laugh at herself.
Natalie starts to pace around again, but I stop her and place my hand on her cheek. "Forget about your mom," I lean in closer to her, "It's just us... Together... Alone.. C'mon take a risk."
I bring her lips to mine, kissing her with great passion, and pulling away very slowly to tease her. "That's better," She smiles.
Natalie goes back to showering, it's obvious she has never showered with someone else either. "Am I supposed to offer to wash you?" I ask, looking down at the drain because I keep getting water in my eyes. "Sure, wash me," She stretches out her arms and giggles.
I chuckle and grab the bar of soap and start to rub it up and down her back and hips. I laugh, "It's hard to try and act like this is normal."
"I know, I'm trying not to laugh right now, that and kiss you, but I like the laughing thought better."
I wash her legs, "Turn around." Once she turns, I start to rub the soap up her arms and collar bone and slowly go down her chest. Natalie grabs my hand, stopping me, "How about I wash those and you do my stomach, okay?"
"Or.. You can do it all yourself." I suggest because I feel really uncomfortable washing her. She laughs a little, "Thats fine with me."
12:05 P.M
Natalie pulls her shirt over her head and slides it over her stomach, "Okay, are you comfortable now?"
"Yes.." I say, looking at her fully clothed body and then at mine. "Good because I was having a hard time not kissing you in that shower. You just.. You just make me feel better and lately I've been needing some cheering up."
"Lately... You mean the past few hours?" I tease.
"Don't mess with me Power."
I press my lips against hers, placing her head in my hands. "We haven't kissed this much all summer," I remark. She smirks, "Well that's because I won't see you for a long time, I need my Lachlan."
"I definitely don't mind it. I like kissing you."
I kiss her neck before she pushed me onto her not made bed. "Your skin is still warm," I say, staring at her hovering about me. She kisses me, running her hand up my arms and to my neck.
I take her hand in mine and we just lay next to each other. While she talks my mind is still somewhere else. I stare at the box of pregnancy tests again, my eyes in some kind of trance.
"Natalie."
"Hmm?" she props herself up on her pillow, resting her head on the top of it. "Why do you have pregnancy tests?"
She stays silent, "Did you think you were pregnant? I hope you feel like you can tell me, it would be my fault right? I promise you, I won't be mad. I'll be happy... Not about the fact we would be having a kid at nineteen. I'd be happy because we could do it, you know? Start a family, move to an apartment together."
Natalie is still silent, but she lets herself smile. "Get married. Natalie Power... That has a nice ring to it."
"Anyways, why do you have pregnancy tests?"
She sighs, and pulls me up so my back is resting against the wall. "I was just having the common side effects. I tried three of them, all negative."
"Could you do a fourth... Just to make sure?"
"Absolutely."
I wait patiently as she goes into the bathroom and closes the door. Is it supposed to take this long?
Natalie's Pov
That makes no sense. I stare down at the test, that positive sign making me feel sick. How do 3 end up being negative, and the one time Lachlan asks me to it says positive. I throw it in the trash, washing my hands before exiting.
"And....?" Lachlan sits up, making my unmade bed even worse. "Negative."
"Cool..."
I smile, and kiss him. "What was that for?"
"You're the best boyfriend in the world.."
He raises his eyebrow at me, "I am sure there are plenty other-" I interrupt him. "-You are the best.."
"Okay I am the best!"
He really was. The fact that he is so certain that we will grow old together. By going so far as to saying that we could get married just blows my mind. Lachlan isn't big on the whole commitment thing, I guess he is now, but I have never really seen this side of Lachlan before. Personally if I was him, I'd run while he still has a chance, but hey, I am hoping I won't be the one to break his heart. I don't want him to remember me like that.
Hi phone buzzes in his hands and he giggles, what a child. "Mitchell texted me.. So I guess we are all parting ways again? Meet up at your house or Natalie's?"
"Oh, my gosh! Lachlan my stuff isn't even packed!" I hide my face in my hands, where have I been. "I'll help you, how much stuff do you need to bring?"
"Almost my whole room..."
"Oh.. Well, what do you need me to do?"
I look around my room, at least it's clean. "Uhm... Just pack up my bedding and necessities."
"Necessities... You mean like soap, hair products, and all that?' He asks walking around back to my bathroom. "Yes, and you know, period necessities.."
For a second he was silent, probably needed time to realize that was really what I said. “Ew! Natalie gross!” I laugh at his reaction as I go through my drawers, throwing the clothes I want to take in a pile. Several minutes later, Lachlan comes out with a whole bag full of my ‘necessities..’
1:27 P.M
I pack the last suitcase in Natalie’s car and close the door. I turn towards the guys, plus Natalie and Madi. “So, this is it huh?”
Mitch sighs, scratching the back of his neck while scraping a pebble on the bottom of his shoe, “Not for good. We can all plan a time to meet up?”
“How about next month?”
Natalie steps forward a little get, “I can’t guys… The only time I could possibly be available is during Christmas and I haven’t seen my mom in almost a year, and I don’t know about you, but I think family time is a little more important.”
Madi walks up to m, and hugs me, giving me the biggest hug I think I have ever received from her. She wiped a tear from her eye, “Do what you gotta do, Natalie. Just… Make sure to call me.”
“I will, and Madi, remember, I will always be there for you if you just want to talk or anything else really.”
She hugs me again, “Jesus Christ. I love you, man. Who knew this was going to be so hard!”
Preston steps in front of us, “Alright, alright. Enough with this boo-hoo bullshit! We’re supposed to be happy! HAPPY THOUGHTS!” Jerome shouts a ‘yeah’ followed by a ‘woo.’
My phone rings, loudly and obnoxiously. I already know what its for, and so does everyone else. It seems like this moment just got twenty times sadder. “NO NATALIE YOU CAN’T LEAVE!” Jerome runs up to me, practically suffocating me in his arms. “I have to, I have to.”
“Hey… I’m leaving too!” Lachlan fake pouts. Jerome removes himself from me, rolls his eyes at Lachlan, runs over to him, and hugs him just like he hugged me.
After a while of talking, my phone rang again, and I was hugged once again by everyone.
“I know things between us are a little awkward,” Preston pulls back from our hug, “But, I do love you. Not in that way… I just love you, and I hope you are very successful. Stay in touch okay? I can’t lose my almost-girlfriend.” I laugh at his cautiousness. “Love you too, I’ll call you when I get to my college.”
“Cool…”
“Good..”
Lachlan grabs my hand, “Time to go.”
“Wait Natalie!” Madi runs up to me and puts a stick in my hand. “What is this?” She laughs, looking down at it. “One of the first times we hung out together, we went out in my woods and you had sliced all the bark off that stick and said it smells like cucumber.. So, I kept it to always remind you of all those late night talks we had. Going from super serious, making each other cry, to super hilarious and off-topic. And don’t think I don’t remember staring at that christmas tree that was in your living room while I spilled my life secrets and thoughts to you-” I interrupt her, tears rolling down my cheeks. “-Madi, stop, you’re making me cry!” She smiles and pushes me slightly, “Thats the point.”
2:41 P.M
I put the stick in my bag once we arrived at the airport. I am pretty sure I cried the whole way here. Lachlan and I were standing at my gate, he sighed looking down at the floor.
“So, this is it.”
“This can’t be it!” I say, “No… No, I can’t leave!” He brings me into an embrace, “It’s okay.. Natalie, you have to do this okay? Now listen to me right, now.. I know this will be a lot for you to take in, but I love you. I love you so god damn much. I never knew I could love someone that was so… well, like you! Its been a whole 3 years that I let you in my life, and I don’t want to block you out of it now. I honestly would not know what I would do without you. I was going to wait and surprise you at college, but its obvious you might not make it there without this.” He digs through his coat pocket, and pulls out a black box. “I wanted to wait until the perfect moment to ask you. This is far from perfect, but everything isn’t always perfect.” He opens the box revealing this amazing ring that I can’t even believe he actually paid for. “Lachlan- I- I-”
“-Shhh.” He slides the ring on my finger, “I’m not popping the question now… And I know I shouldn’t give you this ring, but I think you need it as motivation.” By now I’m bawling, people are looking at me like I am crazy, but I don’t care. “So, Natalie… I am giving you this ring so you can know that I want you to be my wife someday.”