Objection To Loving You

Chapter 21

*NATALIE*

It was official. I was a mess. The exact thing that I had been trying to avoid with Zach had happened.

Why did I think that it would ever be possible for us to be more than friends? It was stupid and I was pathetic. I bet the only reason he took me to the ball was to make the girl he was kissing jealous and it looked like he achieved his goal. He must have known that I wouldn't have been able to decline his offer.

*ZACH*

I had been trying to get a hold of Natalie to no avail. I honestly don't know what happened. One moment I was going about my chaperone duties and the next I was getting kissed by someone who I thought was Natalie but wasn't.

I had messed up. Although I didn't know the person wasn't Natalie I should have. If only I could talk to her at least that way she would know.

***

*NATALIE*

I was with Dani at Retrouvallies for our post case ritual. It was a Monday morning and we hadn't spoken since Zach came to get me on Friday which meant she wanted details. Details which I did not want to recall.

My phone rang as I sat down. Zach. Again. It was about the fifth time he had tried to call this morning. Didn't he get the message?!

"Who was that?" Dani questions.

"No one," I reply.

"How was your case?"

We go about our usual pleasantries relating to our cases. Bethany gets our usual order and then she asks.

"How was the ball?"

I sighed. I really did not want to relieve the moment all over again by recounting the night to Dani. I had done enough of that myself. She already knew something was up, because if it wasn't she already would know what had happened.

"I think you already know the answer to that" I replied, which was true. I didn't look like my bubbly usual self and we had yet to speak on the subject matter.

"Not really. I know you're not exactly yourself but it's impossible anything majorly bad happened because of how well you two were getting along. And even if something did happen you probably have been chronically overthinking since we haven't spoke for three days."

"That's where you're wrong,"

"We may have been going fine, which was true for the beginning of the night but then something happened. And it's not been exhasbated due to my overthinking." I continued.  

"He kissed someone else. Plain and simple. No shades of grey. Yet only a few hours earlier he wanted us to work." I explained further.

"I'm sorry Natalie, I didn't know. But why?"

"It's okay. Honestly I don't know. I guess I was just a pawn in a much bigger game of trying to make his colleague jealous."

"That's a bit extravagant though don't you think?" Dani questioned.

"Maybe. I don't know. The only thing I do know though is that we're done."