mutuality | wroetoshaw

eighteen

THREE WEEKS LATER.

"So you're dating?" She asks, helping herself to some coffee on the counter. 

"Well - I guess? I don't know. We haven't exactly put a label on it," I reply, sitting on the chair at the counter, sipping from my smoothie bottle.m

"So you aren't dating?" Freya asks, sitting next to me with her own drink. 

"I don't know!" I say, throwing my now free hands up, exasperated. 

"I'm confused," Kirsty adds in, finishing up her coffee.

"So am I," Freya continues, and my two friends look at me with curious looks on their faces. I wish I had the answers they so separately craved, but I didn't even know where I stood with Cam.

In the last three weeks, we'd seen each other at least three times a week, sometimes going to concerts he was working at, and sometimes just to go on a drive, or out for dinner. Things were slowly becoming more serious, and although I would never admit it to anyone - I was absolutely terrified. This sort of thing was frightening!

"Okay, well, we're having fun and that is all that matters," is all I say to them, continuing to drink my drink innocently. 

"So, when are you going to introduce him properly to all of us? Harry is the only one that's met him yet," Freya complains, and the thought of bringing Cam to meet everyone is equally as terrifying as admitting things were heating up between us.

"Uh, pass. I have no plans to introduce him yet. It's only been three weeks, that's barely any time," I tell them. It's partially the truth.

"Okay, but you took Harry to meet your entire family after knowing him for like a month," Kirsty interjects, and the point she makes is an annoyingly good one. 

"That was different! I wasn't dating Harry - and he was going to be alone for Christmas!" I argue back - because those two situations were nothing alike. 

"Whatever you say," Kirsty hums, going back to her coffee.

"You two are awful. Let's talk about something else. When are you and Kon going to admit your undying love for one another?" I ask, and this time it's Kirsty that turns bright red - thankfully. 

"Uh - what if I told you guys we'd already said it?" She says quietly, and now it's my turn to make a shocked face at her.

"Bitch! I was joking! When did this happen?" I ask, betrayed that Kon hadn't even told me this information. 

"Last weekend actually," she tells us, a smile spreading on her face. "It kinda just popped out. He was leaving to go grab us some food and said love you as he left, I said it back and there we go. It was nice and casual. Just like us," she says simply, and admittedly, it does sound like a Kon thing to do. 

"That's adorable," Freya comments, and I have to agree. "I can't even remember when Josh and I first said I love you. I think it was when he first met my family. It was so long ago."

"Well, you are mum and dad of the friend group for a reason," I laugh, putting my finished smoothie bottle in the bin. 

"True that. Me and Kon can be the cool aunt and uncle," Kirsty adds in. 

"Can I volunteer to be cool dog mum aunt then?" I butt in, making all three of us laugh. 

"You need to hurry up with getting a dog. I absolutely need a reason to come round to see you more often," Freya tells me.

"Is seeing me not reason enough?!" I ask, pretending to be offended.

"You know what I meant! I need a dog to spoil. Like, I will totally babysit the dog when you leave the house. I love them, but Josh is allergic. I'll have to live out my fantasy through someone else's dog!"