Blackbird (13 page)

He led her through the bush land, keeping her
steady with his hands, making sure she didn’t trip on anything. When he thought
they were far enough into the bush he stopped. They could still hear the music
from the house, but it was dark where they were now, the moonlight the only
light they had.

“This isn’t the moment where you take me into the
bush and have your way with me is it?” Claire joked, holding his arms for
support.

“Taking advantage of a woman drunk and in the
bushes isn’t really my thing.”

She looked up at him, placing her hand on his
cheek. “I like you, Nate.”

“I like you too, Claire.”

Her eyes moved to his lips. She bit down on her
lip, sending vibrations through his body.

Fuck, she was sexy.

If he didn’t consider himself to be a half decent
kind of guy he might have just taken advantage of her and kissed those
mouth-watering lips of hers. Instead he lent down slowly and kissed her
forehead. “You need to pee, remember?”

“Right, I do,” she said quickly, pulling away from
his grip and walking a few steps to the right. “Turn around and don’t you dare
look!”

Nate turned and laughed. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Seriously though, this is embarrassing enough as
it is.”

“I promise, now just get on with it so we can get
back.”

There was silence as he waited for her to go.

“You’re making me nervous!” she called out.

“I’m not doing anything,” he said defensively.

“You’re being too quiet. Talk about something.”

Nate shook his head.
Women.

“What do you want me to talk about?”

“Anything!
I don’t care!”

“Fine!
Jeez, calm down,
crazy.” Nate took a breath and thought about what he could talk about. He could
still see Tim’s house when a story popped into his head. “Okay, I’ll tell you a
story about the first time I met Tim. I met him when I was eighteen. Liam and I
have been friends since we were little and he had told me about this Tim guy he
met at a party, told me he was the craziest son of a bitch he’d ever met and
that I should meet him. So we decided to go to his house party, at this very
house we’re at now. Anyway Liam was right…”

He tried not to notice the noise coming from
behind him, but he laughed to himself anyway. Never in a million years would he
have thought he’d be talking a chick while she was pissing in the bush.

“… He was the craziest person I’d ever met. He
lost a drinking game and as the loser he was dared to jump off the roof into
the pool and he did it without hesitation. He didn’t, however, take into
consideration that it was winter and the pool was below five degrees, nearly
freezing him to death. I knew then we’d get along, and we have ever since.”

“You liked him because he jumped off a roof into
freezing cold water?”

“No, I liked him because he was like me, he took
chances. They may have been stupid, but he has an awesome view on life. He
believes in living every day to the fullest. He was the one that encouraged me
to travel.”

Claire came up beside him. “I used to be like
that.
Crazy, impulsive.
Fun.”

“What happened then?”

“I don’t know. Things have changed the past few
months. I guess I’m getting older now and should settle down and focus on my
future.”

Nate had a feeling he knew why things had changed.
Claire never talked about Dave that much, but from what she’d mentioned he was
very career focused, which might have made her change her way of thinking.

“Look at me, Claire,” he said, turning her to face
him. “You are twenty-one years old. You have your whole life ahead of you to
settle down. You need to live life with all the happiness and passion you have.
Life was meant to be an adventure. You just need to make it one.”

Claire nodded. “You’re right. It’s my life, and
I’m so young. Let’s go dance!”

“Not exactly what I had in mind-”

“You’re doing this, Nate!”

She raced off back to the house, Nate following
her close behind, trying to keep up.

Once they reached the fence he helped lift her
over and followed behind.

As he hit the ground, he noticed they were behind
the back shed. Claire was frozen in her place.

“What’s up?” he asked, standing by her side.

She didn’t respond instead he heard the familiar
sound of Tim talking.

“I love you too, Mum. Yes, everything’s fine.
Jackie is doing
good
, too. Yeah, I know you want
grandkids. Don’t mention that, Mum. I was a teenage boy I didn’t know doing
that could make me infertile.”

Claire burst out laughing. Nate quickly grabbed
her and pushed her up against the shed, hand on her mouth.

He smiled and put his finger to his lips to keep
her quiet.

“Hold on a second, I thought I heard something,”
Tim said.

Nate pressed himself against her, trying his best
to hide themselves in the shadows.

Claire’s expression turned serious as he removed
his hand from her mouth. He traced his thumb on her jawline.

“Fuck, you’re gorgeous,” he whispered so only she
could hear.

The skin on her chest flushed and her breathing
quickened. She was beautiful. She was…too good for him.

“No it’s fine, Mum. What were you saying? I’ve
promised not to use it like that again. Yes I know it’s unhygienic. Jeez can we
stop talking about my penis!”

Both Claire and Nate smiled now.

If Tim had any idea they were listening to his
conversation right now
, he laughed to himself.

They both listened as Tim’s voice trailed off and
knew he must be out of distance now.

“So what were you saying about dancing?” he said,
stepping back from her.

She smiled. “Ready when you are.”

They made their way back through the crowded room
to the dance floor.  Nate was thankful when they reached the dance floor
and Claire hung her arms around his head. All night he’d been getting attention
from the women in the room, all trying to bat their fucking eyelids at him, and
groping him when Claire wasn’t looking. At least this way they would get the
clue that he was with someone. Well at least it looked like he was with Claire.

Any other time a chick grabbed his dick he’d be
all over it, but not tonight, not now.

‘Midnight City’ by
M83
came over the speakers sending everyone into
a dance
frenzy. Claire ground her hips against him, their bodies moving as one to the
beat. Her body fit so perfectly against his.

She was like a ray of light in the dark. The bodies
around her moved like shadows in the dark. He could only see her. She was right
when she’d said she looked different tonight. She wasn’t like the other girls.
She stood before him in all her beauty. She was pure and he was corrupting her.

This is wrong
, he told himself.

“Claire-”

She placed her finger on his lips.
“
Shhh
.
Let’s just have this
moment, if that’s all we’re to have.”

Why he felt his heart twist in that moment he
couldn’t tell you.
If that’s all we’re to have…

A part of him told himself to walk away now, she
had a boyfriend,
nothing
would happen between them,
she had even told him that. He didn’t stand a chance.

But he didn’t walk instead he stayed with her and
they danced together all night long until they couldn’t dance anymore and it
was time to go home.

“Did you want the driver to take
you back to your house?” Nate asked as they jumped into the taxi.

Claire replied, “Can I sleep at yours tonight?
Only as friends, of course.
I just don’t want to go back to
my place right now. Tristan is back and the paparazzi will no doubt be outside
the house camping out.
Me
turning up at this hour
would look bad.” 

He hadn’t expected she would ask to stay at his
house.

“I’ve got a spare room, so you can stay at mine if
you want.”

“
Thanks, that
would be
good.” She sighed deeply, snuggling into the side of his shirt.

Her head rested on his chest, such a simple act
that felt so normal, like a force of habit. 

Although the taxi ride back to his place was
short, Claire fell asleep. She must have been exhausted so he didn’t wake her.
Instead he paid the driver and carried her to his apartment. It wasn’t hard.
She was light as a feather. Once inside his apartment he took her to the spare
room and laid her down on the bed.

He quietly took off her shoes. Sliding the tutu
down her hips and legs, he put her body under the covers.

She stirred in her sleep. “Did I fall asleep?” she
grumbled, her eyes still closed.

“You did. But you can go back to sleep now. You’re
in the spare bedroom,” he said softly.

“Thank you Nate.
For
everything.”
She took a deep breath. “You deserve the world and I wish I
was the one to give it to you, but I can’t, and I’m sorry if I led you on to
think I that I could. Someone will make you happy one day Nate, it just won’t
be me…”

Nate watched her drift back to sleep, her peaceful
eyes closing gently. 

He brushed the fallen hair off her face.

For the first time in his life, he wanted that
happiness with someone. He wanted that happiness with Claire. She challenged
him, made him want to be better, do better. She made him feel. She was perfect
in every way. He knew he would do anything for her, be anyone for her. He’d
protect her at all costs and would make it his legacy to bring only happiness
into her life.

Fuck.

 
It all made sense now, everything he
had felt over the past few months. Claire. It was Claire.

I’m in love.

He was in love. In love with a girl he could never
have.

CHAPTER
EIGHT

The next morning Nate found
himself
alone. Claire was nowhere to be seen, only a note
left on his kitchen bench.

Nate,

Thank you for last
night. I had a great time. We should do it again soon.

Please know that what I
said last night still stands. I really do like you Nate, but I’m not the girl
for you. You’re a great friend and I don’t want to lose you.

Talk soon.

Love Claire

Thanks for the reminder
, Nate thought,
rolling his eyes.

If that wasn’t proof enough she didn’t like him as
any more than a friend, then he didn’t know what was.

He wasn’t about to give up just yet. For the first
time in his life he had found love in another woman and there was no way in
hell he would walk away without giving it the best fight he could give.

If
friends was
all they
were going to be, then he would have to live with it, but he was going to be
the best damn friend anyone could have. All he could do was hope, hope that one
day she could see him the way he saw her.

***

Claire knew that reminding Nate of
what their relationship
was,
was important. She
couldn’t have him thinking there was anything more to it than there was. Even
though she had fought with Dave, she was still his girlfriend. Well, she
thought she was anyway.

When she pulled up into her driveway, she noticed
Dave’s car parked in the street. She didn’t see him in the car, so Tristan or
Stella must have let him into the house already.

When she opened the door into the house and walked
towards the living room, she hoped Dave would be apologizing for what he had
said because Claire was in no shape for an argument. She’d had had just under
four hours’ sleep and felt exhausted. Lazing about on the couch was the only
thing she was interested in today.

“Claire,” Dave’s voice called from the living
room.

She turned into the living room to find Dave
standing in front of one of the couches.

“Hey,” she said calmly.

Dave looked concerned until he noticed her outfit
and the fact that she just looked like she’d just gotten out of bed.

Dave snapped, “Where have you been?”

Claire dropped her clutch and keys onto the couch.

She took a deep breath and spoke peacefully, “I
went to a Halloween party last night.”

“With who?”

“A friend.”

“What friend?”

His face was angry now; his voice remained sharp.

“Do you know what, Dave? I’m not really in the
mood for a fight. If you’re going to try and have a go at me, there’s the door.
Leave.” She motioned her hands towards the door and walked upstairs to her
room, pulling her hair out of its tangled bun.

He didn’t say anything, but she knew he was
following her by the sound of his footsteps behind her. When she reached the
main bathroom she opened the door and entered, taking her clothes off in the
process.

She desperately needed a shower to not only get
clean, but to calm
herself
down. She was so close to
losing it with Dave.

She could see him out of the corner of her eye,
leaning against the doorframe as she undressed.

“Should I be worried?”

She pulled the rest of her leotard off, leaving
her in her underwear.

“Worried about what?” she asked.

“Us.
Last night,” he
replied, his voice slightly calmer than before.