Author's Note: Hey guys :) I know I promised an update sooner, sorry about the wait. I've been really busy these past few days so I didn't make my writing deadline. I'll update this as soon as I can. The chapters will start getting longer as the story develops, too. Thank you all for the continued support and wonderful reviews!

Chapter Four

"Andy!" Nate called as he attempted to dodge and weave his way through the crowded street.

"Andy, wait up!"

Andy continued on through the crowd as quickly as she could, her arms folded securely over her chest. She hurried along, allowing herself to be jostled by people walking in the opposite direction. Nate was struggling to catch up with her, she knew.

She had hoped that she could at least avoid talking to him until they got back to their apartment. He had made enough of a scene already and Andy certainly wasn't willing to partake in another argument in the middle of the street.

It was then that she felt a firm grip on her upper arm, halting her.

Well, so much for that idea.

Andy whirled around to face Nate, both disappointment and anger marring her usually gentle features.

"I just don't understand why you'd do that!" Andy began, her voice faltering. "I just don't... Ohh, Nate! This is so messed up!"

"What do you want me to say, Andy?" Nate asked her, guilt and frustration evident on his face. "I thought I was doing the right thing!"

"The right thi-" Andy gawked in disbelief. "Nate... How could you possibly think that was the right thing to do?!"

Andy's voice quivered. She was, once again, on the verge of tears.

"I told you Miranda played no part in me leaving Runway! I made that choice myself, Nate! Besides even if I was lying, which I'm not, what gives you the right to accuse her of anything?!"

The volume of her voice had risen considerably, though she was trying to keep a lid on it. She could sense that passers-by were giving her odd looks.

Nate then went to reply but she cut him off before he could utter a single word. "No. You know what? I am not going to be part of another scene in the middle of the street. Let's just go back to our apartment and we can talk about it there. Okay?"

Nate remained silent for a few moments, before conceding. "Okay, fine."

The walk back to their apartment seemed like forever, both of them remaining silent. Andy shot a few sideways glances at Nate as they walked. He appeared to be in deep thought, his brow furrowed and the corners of his lips turned down into a solemn frown. She figured he was probably planning what he would say to her when they got back to their apartment.

When they finally arrived, Andy turned the key and pulled the door open, allowing Nate to enter before her. He moved to the centre of the room and turned, fixating his gaze on her. Andy then closed the door shut behind her and folded her arms, not making any attempt to move further into the room.

After a few moments of silence, Nate spoke first.

"Look, Andy... Like I said before, I thought I was doing the right thing! I don't know why you're so worked up about this!"

" Why wouldn't I be?!" Andy uncrossed her arms, taking a small step toward her boyfriend. "She didn't deserve that!"

"Oh, forgive me." He scoffed in disbelief. "And when did you two become best buddies, huh? I mean, how can you defend someone like her, Andy? I get it, you're a kind person... But there comes a time when it just has to stop!"

His tone of voice sounded more desperate than angry, and Andy fought back the lump in her throat. He continued;

"She treated you like crap! And you know what? What I saw today only confirmed the image I already had of her in my head! She's just as cold and uncaring as everyone says she is! You know, I went over there to confront her because you never could, Andy!"

"And just how is that your decision to make, Nate?" Andy bit back, barely keeping her shaking voice under control. "And how can you just stand there and judge Miranda after meeting her once? You don't know her, and you never will!"

Nate's mouth went slack. He was visibly shocked by what she had just said.

Oh yes, she was going there. She was going to defend Miranda again.

"You know what your problem is? You pretend to know how everything works, like you have the game sown up and you have all the answers!"

Nate went to cut her off, though she continued; "Miranda isn't cold and uncaring, far from it! It's just a front she puts up! She has emotional walls as high as the Empire State Building and you know why that is?" She pointed at him to emphasise her point, "because of people like you that constantly want to attack her and bring her down!"

Andy held her breath and waited for his response. She usually didn't raise her voice at him, but these past few months had pushed her far past her emotional breaking point.

"Oh, here we go again... I just don't see how you could be treated the way you were and still care about he-..."

His voice trailed off when he noticed a few tears slip down Andy's cheeks. She was absentmindedly tugging at the sleeve of her sweater, her gaze falling on the opposite side of the room. He took a few steps forward.

She closed her eyes and her bottom lip quivered, still not allowing herself to look at him.

"Andy...?"

She looked back at him then, an expression of guilt plastered across her delicate features, and a different kind of emotion sparkling through her dark eyes.

It was then that he understood, and in that moment he wondered how he hadn't noticed sooner.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." He shook his head and turned to walk away, heading for their bedroom.

"Nate! I...Wait..." She trailed off.

Confused by his sudden change of mood, Andy followed him. She watched as he sat on the bed, his shoulders slumping. He had this strange, faraway look in his eyes. He almost looked... defeated?

Andy, at this point, had almost forgotten how to be angry with him. She had wondered if she'd gone too far with the accusations. After all, she knew that, in his mind, Nate had thought that he was doing the right thing.

She sighed, taking a few small steps toward the bed. She knew she should at least try to be grateful. His heart had been in the right place, after all.

"Nate? Look, I'm sorry that I-"

"You're in love with her, aren't you? The dragon lady?" A short pause. "Miranda, I mean."

Andy froze dead in her tracks, eyes widening like she was a deer caught in the headlights.

Her heart thumped hard against her ribcage and suddenly her mouth felt very dry.

"I..." Was all she could manage while she registered the shock of what he'd just said.

He looked up at her, then. Despite his sadness, he allowed a small smile to tug at the corners his lips. He absentmindedly scratched at the side of his neck.

"I guess I should've known. That's why you hate it whenever anyone says anything bad about her. You know, whenever you mention her name your face just lights up like she's the greatest thing in the world." He stood then, facing her. "When we were in the cafe today and you saw her... That look in your eyes, Andy... That's the way you used to look at me before we started dating. It's what made me notice you in the first place." He laughed, then. "You were always so obvious."

"Nate... I..."

"No, no. I know." He cut her off. "You're not happy with me, are you? I thought that after our breakup things would be easier. That maybe we could work something out. I guess I was wrong. "

"Nate, please... I..." Andy let the tears flow freely then, as she gripped his hand with both of hers. "You know I love you."

"But you love Miranda?"

Andy looked down, biting her bottom lip. Then her eyes locked with Nate's again, her voice cracking slightly as her mouth formed a response. She nodded.

"...Yes."

He frowned. "Then we can't be together. It wouldn't be fair on any of us. You, me, or... Miranda."

Andy let go of his hand then as he pulled it away.

She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, desperately trying to keep her composure. "Nate... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. Really, I didn't."

He nodded, eyes sparkling with emotion that he didn't allow the rest of his face to show.

"I know."

Nate had to resist saying what he really felt, though. He desperately wanted to say he didn't understand what she saw in her, and that all Miranda could possibly bring her was pain, if she were to even try.

But he knew that she was in pain, and he didn't want to make it worse. He figured this was something that Andy would have to learn for herself.

"Come here."

He pulled her into a tight hug, then, and Andy laid her head against his shoulder. He felt the moisture from her tears soaking through the material of his shirt. She said nothing, just sniffed quietly as she silently tried to will the tears away.

He let go after a few moments, making an attempt to leave the room. "I'm going for a walk. I gotta try and clear my head a little."

"Nate...?"

He paused in the doorway, turning his head to glance back at her. "Yeah?"

"We can still be friends... right? I couldn't watch you walk out of my life for good. I don't know what I'd do."

He turned to look at her fully, her dark brown eyes pleading. He felt a lump form in his own throat, then. "...Yeah. Of course we can."

With that, he turned and left. After a few moments of silence Andy felt the front door close and she sank down onto the bed. Her eyes stung from the tears, and her heart had become a heavy lump in her chest.

Despite not being happy with her relationship, a part of her wondered if she had done the right thing by confessing to Nate. She wondered; if she had just kept living a convenient lie, if she had just clung to their relationship, what would her life have been like in ten years time?

Maybe she would have accepted things as they were. Maybe she could have fallen in love with Nate again. Maybe they could have had two children and a dog and a house with a white picket fence.

Every young girl's dream.

Maybe, with time, it would have been possible for her to get over Miranda?

That last thought made her heart ache.

However, in some almost forgotten part of her brain, there was a small voice telling her that she could never get over Miranda, no matter how hard she tried.

And now, she found herself in a situation that would be very difficult to deal with.

Her relationship was over, and after what Nate did, Andy was probably the last person Miranda wanted to see.

But she still had to try and make this right.

Tears still streaming down her cheeks, she dove off the bed and ran to her handbag, which she had dumped on the table earlier. She rummaged through it, finding her phone and hastily hitting the number pad with her fingers in the pattern she had memorized so well.

When she was done, she looked over the message.

Miranda,

I know you're probably angry, and I don't blame you. But I want to apologise for what happened today.

In person.

Please meet me tomorrow night in Madison Square Park, by the fountain.

I'll be there at 8:30pm.

-Andy

Drying her eyes quickly, she hit the send button before she could think twice. She hoped, with all of her heart, that Miranda would agree to meet with her.

For now, she would wait for Nate to get back from his walk. They had a lot more to talk about.