Sorry it's taken me so long to update. My three month old has been sick, so I haven't been able to write much. It's not even a thousand words, but it was all I could write at the moment. I hope you like it.
"So, you'll never guess what just happened," I heard Mike saying as Nathan and I walked into the kitchen. "I was just honored with the privilege of hearing these two profess their love for each other. Isn't that grand?" Surprisingly enough, with all my years in the James house, I had never heard such sarcasm before.
"We weren't professing our love," I assured him.
"You better not lie like that on the stand. I heard you say I love you to each other."
"Yeah, because he's my best friend. He's helped me through all of this bullshit without ever asking for anything in return. I wouldn't have made it through this without him. So, yes, I love him. I'm pretty sure if I was in love with him, you would have seen us making out, but you didn't. He was giving me a hug, because we are friends. I don't get why people can't understand that!"
"Because a single guy and a single girl cannot just be friends. And I see the way that boy looks at you!" Mike was screaming by now, obviously pissed at both of us. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. Mike was right, Nathan looked at me different than anybody else. Not even my husband looks at me that way and I knew Mike could tell the difference. "Maybe if that boy even looked at another hot girl that walked by, I'd believe things were purely platonic, but he doesn't. Not even the juror with fake boobs! It's ridiculous."
Mike's arms were flailing and I could tell that he was getting angrier by the second as he thought about everything more. I was getting just as angry myself as he continually called Nathan 'that boy'. "For the record, that boy has a name. It's Nathan. Hopefully you know that though, considering he's the main witness on the case other than me."
"I know his name. I don't know why you're getting so upset about me not using it though. No, wait, I do. It's because you love him, right?"
"Mike!" Vivian screamed as she tried to break up our shouting match. "Lay off. She's been through enough. She doesn't need her lawyer turning on her too." Thank you very much, favorite sister ever.
"I'm not turning on her. She just needs to be more careful. I don't need to see them together. I can go for your story for now. It is plausible, although highly improbable. If I see anything funny going on between you two again, I won't be able to deny a relationship or allow you to testify against one." I kind of wanted to laugh at how quickly Mike turned around from being insanely angry, to pretty docile. He is definitely whipped and it made me proud of my sister. She knew how to work a guy over and it generally worked out well for me. Just like right now.
"I have no problem with that. There is nothing going on between us."
"Maybe you should get going, Nathan," Vivian suggested.
Nathan looked at me before making a move. It amazed me how considerate he always is. It probably shouldn't baffle me as much as it does, but I guess I'm just not used to it. I nodded my head in consent before offering to walk him out.
"You seemed pretty convincing," Nathan noted once we were outside.
"Was not almost everything I said true?"
"About us being completely platonic?"
"No. I mean about you being my best friend. Isn't that what a relationship is really about? Isn't the person you love supposed to be your best friend? The one person that you can tell everything to without judgment. The one person in the world that you know you can always rely on. I just don't know how I could be that person for you. I've never had to prove anything to you."
"You don't have to prove anything to me, Hales. Just letting me in has been enough. Mike was right though. We need to be more discrete. Especially since I'm testifying tomorrow."
"So don't look at me like you always do," I joked as I pushed my finger against his chest.
"I can't help it," he whined back.
I looked at the gorgeous man in front of me and couldn't help but laugh. I never would have thought a grown man could look so adorable with his bottom lip stuck out like a baby. I should have known by now that Nathan defies anything normal. I quickly gave him a hug before either my mind or body decided I wanted more. For all we knew, Mike could still be watching us and my lips attacking Nathan's wouldn't really be good for my case.
"I'll see you in the morning," I whispered into his chest. He kissed the top of my head and I swear I just melted. The simplest of gestures from him seemed to do that to me. Oh man, I really was gone for this guy.
