Chapter Seventeen
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TOBIAS
My face hurts.
Bad.
However, had anyone been in Natalie's car on the way back to my house, they would never have known. I saw the way her body shook and the way her gaze glazed over as she stared at nothing. Natalie was quickly getting agitated and was about to blame herself. I couldn't let that happen.
Griffin fucked up. Not her.
So, if anyone asks, I’m fine, and it’s not that bad.
But there is a chance I might cry a little when I’m alone later.
I’ll probably keep that to myself, though.
I sit on the couch and blow out a breath, listening to her move around the kitchen. I lean my head back, resting it on the sofa.
Despite the pain, it felt good to punch that asshole.
I’m not one to enforce violence, but he earned it.
And now, Natalie is officially done with him and never has to see him again.
“Okay, do you want it wrapped in a paper towel or not?”
I look up just as Natalie rushes out of the kitchen with a sealed bag of ice. She ran inside while I was unloading the suitcases, even though she argued with me about doing anything other than sitting.
I wince when she tries to place it on my nose and then take it from her.
“I told you I was fine.”
“I can see it swelling. You should have let me put ice on it while we were there.”
“We had things to do, and again, I’m fine.”
I didn’t want Natalie to have to see Griffin again, and I didn’t want to risk punching him a second time.
“So, this doesn't hurt,” she says, then jams her finger into the spot between my eyes.
“Ouch! Fuck yeah, that hurts, but I’m still fine.” I laugh, placing the ice against my eyes and nose as she stands in front of me with her arms folded and a scowl on her face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask, my gaze drifting to the blood on her shirt.
My blood.
It was a lot more than I expected. Both of our shirts are ruined.
“Because I don’t understand why you have to be so stubborn. You were punched in the face because of me.”
Instantly, I shake my head. “You didn’t do this, Dove.”
“Ugh! And will you ever tell me why you call me that?”
“Nope.”
“Tobias.” She drops to the seat next to me and lays her head on my shoulder with a sigh. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“You’re welcome.”
I move the ice back to my eyes and wince. She must feel me because she sits up and grabs it.
“Here, let me help.”
“I can do it.”
“Just stop arguing with me and let me help.”
Her commanding tone catches me off guard.
“Fine.”
She leans in farther to gently move the ice pack. I shift to help her, lining up our faces. Her gaze flicks from the ice to my eyes.
She bites her bottom lip for a second.
“Do you think people will ever stop asking us if we’re more than friends? Or assuming that we’re hiding something?” she asks. Her voice is quiet, as if this is a subject we can’t be caught talking about. To be fair, we deny it all the time, but we never actually discuss it.
“Probably not.”
“Does it ever … never mind.”
Considering the fact that my face feels the way it does because Griffin accused her of cheating with me and it’s clearly on her mind, I choose to keep this topic going.
“Never mind what?”
“Nothing.”
“Since when have you hesitated to talk to me about something?”
The silence in the room thickens as she swallows. “Because we never talk about this.”
I nod slowly.
“No, we don’t. We know where we stand, so I guess we never needed to.”
“Yet, somehow, it’s always a topic of discussion for our friends.”
She sits back and sighs.
“What do you mean?”
I know the guys never let me forget, but is that the same for her?
“I mean, the girls already brought it up this week.”
“Seriously? Let me guess; Calla?”
Natalie laughs. “Yep.”
“Beck did too.”
Her laugh deepens, then she says, “Do you ever feel like we should just bang and get it over with? Just so people stop asking. Like, we tried, but it didn’t work out. Sorry.”
Jesus. Is this how she sees me? Us?
Why does the idea of us just banging piss me off?
I shake my head, trying to get a grasp on the words I want to use.
“See, this is why I didn’t want to mention it.” She moves to get off the couch, but I reach for her and pull her back.
She lands in my lap, just the way I'd planned for her to.
“I want to talk about it. I just wasn’t expecting you to say we should bang and get it over with.”
The words taste like metal in my mouth, and I don't like them.
“So you don't think about it?”
“To be honest, until that day in my office, no. But I sure as hell think about it now.”
“That we should bang and get it over with?” I ask to clarify.
“Ugh, stop saying that. It was a poor choice of words, I get it.”
She tries to get up again, but I still don't let her.
This conversation has set my mind reeling. If I had one chance with my best friend, what would I do? How would that play out?
The answer comes to me faster than I expected. My heart beats rapidly at the thought of Natalie and I as more.
“I could never just bang you, Dove.”
Her breathing instantly picks up, matching mine, as she looks down at me.
“You are worth so much more to me than that,” I confess.
She doesn’t tear her eyes from mine. I rest a hand on her bare thigh, my thumb brushing back and forth. She still doesn’t look away.
“I’m … I’m going to get you more ice.”
Her hand rests on my chest as she pushes herself off me.
I catch her looking at my lips one more time before she walks out of the living room.
I blow out a breath.
Shit.
It all makes sense now.
Why I grew to hate Griffin. Why I’ve been stuck in life. Why I’ve been uninspired to finish a book. Everything changed the day she appeared at my grandma’s door.
Natalie is why.
Natalie.
I want my best friend to be more than just my friend.