A/N: So I promised this chapter wouldn't take me as long to get up and a couple of days is definitely better than a couple of months! Thank you to everyone who's still reading, I rarely abandon fics but do get a bit side tracked sometimes. I'm off work for the foreseeable future so should get plenty of time to work on this and my other Skins fics.

"You're actually trying to kill me, aren't you Fitch?" I grumble at Emily as I lie sprawled out on one of the floor mats in the gym. We've been working on stretching exercises for the better part of an hour and every muscle in my body is screaming in protest. It's been a few days since she came round to my house to clear the air and things seem to have settled down between us. There's still the crushing weight of knowing her fiancé is a cheating scumbag, but I'm doing my best not to think about that when I'm around her. It's easy not to think about a lot of things when Emily's wearing a tiny tank top, treating me to a view of her nicely toned abs. Of course, now that she knows I'm gay, I've got be careful about staring at her too much.

"Anything to stop you whining Campbell." I roll my eyes at her as she teases me. I'm glad things have pretty much gone back to normal between us. There's been a couple of times when she's gone a bit quiet on me after I've said something a little too flirtatious or if we've touched for a little too long, but I've got to hand it to the girl she's taken the whole me trying to kiss her thing in her stride.

"Alright girls, how's it going? Working hard there Naomi?" Rob Fitch greets us he walks in to the main gym carrying a stack of clean towels. He's a pretty nice bloke and I can see where Emily gets it from. He's always talking to me whenever I'm in; usually it's conversations about whey protein mixes or what vitamins I should be taking, but it's still nice of him to make the effort, even if I don't have a clue what he's talking about half the time.
"I'm whining according to your daughter."
"Our Emily's a tough nut, but she'll see you right! See you Em." He grins at me and tosses a wave in his daughter's direction before walking off to get rid of the pile of linen he's carrying.

"So, what fresh hell have you got for me next?" I ask wryly, though the truth is I'm actually starting to get in to this whole fitness thing. I avoid the cross trainers and the stepping machines like the plague as they both aggravate the shit out of my knees, and I'm not too keen on the spin bikes, but other than I pretty much let Emily decide my routine for me.
"Actually, you can call it a day if you want? I've got to leave early today." I can't deny I'm a little disappointed, but I try not to let it show as she helps me up to my feet.
"Oh, doing anything nice?"
"Just a bit of shopping." She shrugs off the question and for some reason I get the impression she's only giving me half an answer. She looks uncomfortable as she finally gives up the rest of it. "For rings actually; we're getting our wedding bands today."

She doesn't exactly sound thrilled about this. Emily's far from a blushing bride. She doesn't gush on about her upcoming nuptials like most women do. In fact she barely mentions her fiancé whatsoever. Hell, I don't think she's even told me Freddie's name yet – something I've got to be mindful of when we're talking. If she hadn't told me she was getting married I still wouldn't have a clue she was even seeing anyone.

Of course when she says 'we' she's not talking about the royal we, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise when we're both heading out the door and we run in to her husband to be. Freddie stands at the entrance, slack jawed and wide eyed as he takes in the sight of me standing next to Emily. It looks like Effy hasn't told him about me knowing Emily yet; he looks sick to his stomach as he tries to force a smile Emily's way without staring at me. His two worlds have just crashed together and he's standing there like he's got whiplash. "H-hey, sweetheart." He stumbles over his words and places a clumsy kiss on her cheek. Seeing me here has thrown him for a loop and I can see the panic mounting in his eyes. "Ready to go?"

"Hey. Yeah, I was just saying goodbye to Naomi. Naomi, this is Freddie, my fiancé." Emily introduces us and we just stare at each other. I'm caught between playing dumb and breaking down and telling her the truth. Freddie takes the decision out of my hands as he recovers first and holds out his hand to me.
"Freddie McClair, nice to meet you Naomi." His smile is strained and his eyes are begging me to play along. I reach out and take his hand, sealing my fate. It's too late to do anything now.
"Nice to meet you too."

"We better be off. I'll see you Friday though Naoms." Emily's goodbye is pretty friendly and I can practically see the wheels in Freddie's mind turning. No doubt Effy will be getting a frantic phone call if he can find five minutes to tear himself away from shopping for his wedding ring.

Sure enough, when I walk through the front door Effy is sitting waiting for me. She's opened a bottle of wine and poured me a glass of wine. I pick it up as I drop my kitbag on the floor and flop down beside her. I think I'm going to need a few more glasses by the end of the night.

"Freddie called. He's freaking out over your little meeting today."
"Me and him both." I grumble as I kick my trainers off and let them clatter to the floor with a thud. "It's good to see your keeping things from him too."
"I'm a big believer in equal opportunities, besides I knew he'd freak out if he found out you were anywhere near Fitch Bitch-"

"Why do you call her that? Emily is like the nicest fucking person I know! She's sweet and she's kind and she does shit for other people without expecting anything back!" I'm really sick of Effy being such a bitch. She doesn't even know Emily. She's met her once for like five seconds and all she knows about her is what Freddie's told her.

"It's easier to think he'll leave her if she's not so damn perfect." Effy tries to shrug with indifference, but what she's just said is the probably the closest thing I've ever heard to her admitting she actually cares about something.
"I didn't know you wanted him to leave her." Up until now I'd honestly just thought Freddie was something for her to pass the time. It's never occurred to me that she might actually want what they have to be real. It's like a punch to face as I realise I know fuck all about what's going on with my best friend right now.

"Do you think he ever will?" I ask, hoping she'll keep going on and not clam up like usual.
"You wouldn't." She answers, though she smiles to let me know that she's only teasing me. "I don't know. He says he still loves her, but just not in the way he's supposed to. Things haven't been right between them in a while… they haven't slept together in months." So he tells her. I keep my comments to myself and let her carry on. It's rare to find Effy in such a talkative mood. "He says he wants to leave, he just doesn't want to hurt her." Yeah, because going behind her back and stringing her along with this sham wedding isn't hurting her in the slightest. For all I'm trying to keep my mouth shut, she reads my disgust right off my face.

"She won't thank you for telling her you know. It's not like she'll going running in to your arms if you tell her he's a cheating bastard." She's right and we both know it. When Emily finds out the truth it won't just be Freddie in the firing line. I sealed my fate this afternoon when I went along with him pretending we'd just met. Emily's met Effy now. If she finds out about Effy then she'll figure out I knew all about the affair and she'll hate me for it. I take a second as I close my eyes over; trying to come up with a way this can all work out without blowing in my face. There isn't one.

I let out a heavy sigh as I get back to my feet. It's been a long day and I'm starting to stiffen up after my workout so I decide an early night is in order. I stop as I reach the living room door, deciding that I should take a leaf out of Emily's book and not be so damn self-centred for once. I should be thinking about my friend. "If he really cares about you both then he should just be honest with her…not shopping for wedding rings."
"I'll make sure to tell him that." Effy remarks dryly, though I can see her biting her lip. She hates talking about feelings. I'm surprised she's even talking to me about this stuff to start with. "Are you really being a boring sod and going to bed? We've got the rest of this bottle to finish."

I end up giving in and sitting back down. I'm not one to pass up on free wine. We're still sitting there when the door goes around midnight; my early night has definitely gone out of the window. "Where is she?" I hear Freddie growling from the hallway before he storms in to the living room like a bear with a sore head. I would be intimidated if he wasn't such a wet towel. At almost twenty-three he's still got the body of a teenage boy, with his gangly arms and perpetual slouch. He looks like an overgrown school boy with his shirt hanging out of his suit pants and his tie sitting halfway down to his waist. "What the fuck were you doing with Emily?"

"Um, some squats, some leg stretches, a few sit ups?" I really can't help the sarcasm; it's just in my nature.
"I'm sorry, let me rephrase that for you Naomi, what the fuck are you doing hanging about with my fiancée you stupid bitch?" He really is panicking over this. I've never heard him raise his voice before; it's like watching a toddler take a tantrum in the middle of Tesco.
"She's been going to the gym, Emily's her trainer." Effy tries to defend me as she follows him back in to the living room.
"You knew about this?" He forgets all about me as he rounds on Eff. "What the hell Effy? Why didn't you tell me?"

"She only just found out!" I lie. Effy and I might have spent most of the week being mad at each other but she's the closest thing to a sister that I have. "I had no idea Emily was your girlfriend…by the way, how did ring shopping go? Find anything you like?" I shoot him a sickly sweet smile.
"Naomi!" Effy reprimands me. She moves in to put a hand on Freddie's arm but he pulls away and sneers at her too.
"I'm going home!"
"Back to the little woman?" I really wasn't kidding about the sarcasm. I can't help it; it's practically a syndrome.

"Stay. You're here now." Effy tries to persuade him as she slides a hand under his shirt. God, I really don't need to see this.
"Yeah Freds, stay. I'm going to bed anyway, got to be up early in the morning for yoga." I slip passed the two of them and make it all the way to my room before Freddie realises that it's Emily leading the class in the morning.
"Fucking bitch!"

I was kidding about going to yoga; I really don't need to be putting myself through that more than once a week. I wake up late, so of course Freddie's already been in the shower and used all of the hot water. I'm still cursing him as I stumble in to the kitchen to get my breakfast. "Morning." He huffs at me with a mouthful of Coco Pops. I nod at him in return and start filling up a bowl of my own. Freddie and I don't usually exchange many words, especially not at seven in the morning, but this morning seems to be the exception. "About last night…I'm sorry I lost it. Look, I know you think I'm a dick and all, but I really don't want to hurt Em."

"Then stop dicking her around. Emily's not the only one you're hurting in this situation; so choose." I really didn't want to get in to this with him. I've tried to stay out of it, but I just can't keep my mouth shut anymore. Emily's sort of my friend now too.
"It's complicated." He sighs as he rubs at the stubble on his chin. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
"For fuck's sake…we've been friends since we were like eleven, ok? I spent years fancying her, hanging around her like her fucking gay best friend until she finally figured out I was in love with her."
"So what happened? Why did you stop?" Emily's perfect. She's gorgeous and funny and I can't believe anyone could ever stop loving her. I'd give my right arm for a girl like that.

"I didn't. I love her now as much as I did back then…it's just different." He seems to have aged ten years over night. His eyes are framed by dark circles and they're heavy with grief as they settle on me.
"What changed?" I feel perverse asking him. I should just drop it and walk out of the room, but I can't. It's like driving past a train wreck and being unable to look away. When he finally replies I'm not sure whether to feel relieved or sad about his answer. I just don't know how to take it.
"She stopped loving me back."