Chapter 27  - "We all know you're in love with Izzy."

(Some sexual content)

I sprinted up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, in my rush to get to my Spanish class. Last night, Nathan had randomly turned up at my door to surprise me, and we'd inevitably spent most of the night doing things that we probably shouldn't have been doing considering that I had an early class the following day. We'd ended up oversleeping, with Nathan having to bolt out of my flat to get to work on time, and me having to skip breakfast in order to avoid being late for Spanish.

Coming to a halt outside the classroom door, I took a deep breath to compose myself and quickly checked my phone for the time. It was a couple of minutes past nine. Then I casually pulled open the door and walked in as if I wasn't actually late. Sitting down on the nearest chair, I noted that students were still chatting amongst themselves and that it didn't appear as if the lesson had started.

"This is uncharacteristic of you," Pedro commented, spinning around in his chair to face me.

I raised my eyebrows in acknowledgement whilst I pulled my water bottle and notepad out of my bag.

"I overslept."

"Late night?" Pedro asked. "Pretty hardcore going out the night before a 9am..."

"Oh, my boyfriend actually—"

"Buenos días, guapos!" our Spanish teacher trilled, instantly silencing all ongoing conversations.

Pedro immediately twisted back around in his seat to face the front again, ending our conversation. I sincerely hoped this wasn't going to be an intense lesson; I was too tired for that.

Luckily for me, the lesson was grammar based. That meant that all I really had to do was write down examples of sentences using the appropriate grammatical structures, while the teacher walked around the room checking everyone's work. I didn't have to talk, which was fortunate because my mind wasn't focused on speaking Spanish, and I knew I'd end up partnered with Pedro, whose fluency didn't exactly boost my confidence.

Last night had been incredible. Nathan was like a machine, a never-ending supply of energy that was able to keep going, time after time. I think we'd exercised pretty much every sexual position we'd ever done together last night, plus a few new ones that we happened to just move into at the time. The fact that it was almost make-up sex made it even hotter, like we were both trying to prove how we felt about each other. My body was paying for it now though.

"You seem a million miles away," Pedro commented, bringing me straight back to the classroom.

I flushed, but he mistook my embarrassment for anxiety.

"Don't worry, she's still a few people away," he said, referring to the teacher. "I just thought I'd give you the heads up."

"Thanks." I smiled in appreciation. And then I focused my attention entirely on the task in front of me.

At the end of the lesson, I noticed Pedro hanging back to wait for me, and quickly hurried my efforts to pack up.

It was our usual routine to walk back to halls together after our class, and Pedro's chatty nature meant that I didn't have to worry too much about sustaining conversation.

"So it's all kicked off," he was saying. "I mean, why would you sleep with your flatmate? That's just asking for awkwardness."

"Are they being awkward?" I asked.

"Not really," Pedro said. "It only happened on Saturday, so they're sort of laughing it off and joking about it at the moment. But once you do something like that, then you've definitely crossed the line."

"Definitely," I agreed. "It would alter your whole friendship."

"Exactly. They don't realise that yet. But they're not going to be able to do anything now without the whole flat either speculating or joking about it. They can't walk to campus together. They can't go shopping together. They can't hang out in clubs together. It's changed the whole dynamic of the flat, really."

"Do you reckon they'll make something real of it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you reckon they'll actually date?"

Pedro shrugged. "I doubt it. They weren't exactly close to begin with, which I think is why it happened. They were drunk, started talking, started dancing, next thing they were kissing, and then BAM. Friendship over as quickly as it began."

We came to Pedro's block and hugged briefly in goodbye before I carried on to my own flat. Pedro's flat drama had temporarily distracted me, but now I was back to thinking about Nathan.

Taking out my phone, I sent him a quick text, knowing he probably wouldn't be able to reply until lunch.

Me: Can't stop thinking about last night.

To my surprise, his reply was almost instant.

Nathan: Me neither. You make me feel things that I've never felt before.

My whole body warmed at that. It was some compliment coming from a guy who'd slept with tons of girls. It just showed, though, sex with a long-term partner who you love, is inevitably better than a one-night stand with someone who doesn't know what you like in bed. Nathan knew exactly what I liked...and where I liked it.

Me: Maybe you should tell me exactly what hits the spot, so I can concentrate more on giving you those feelings...

As I neared my flat door, I slipped the phone into my pocket. I would continue this conversation in private.

"Yo, Izzy," Jack called as I passed his room. "Not very polite to walk past without saying hi, is it?"

"Sorry." I stuck my head around his door. "I was in a world of my own."

"I bet..." His lips turned up.

"What? Why the smirk?"

"Oh, come on...Nath randomly turns up at eight o'clock...that's a booty call if I've ever seen one..."

"It wasn't like that..."

He snorted. "Don't even try denying it. I'm pretty sure everyone in this flat heard your bed at one point during the night!"

I flushed. "Okay, well it resulted in that, but that's not why he came around."

"No, I'm sure he came for different reasons."

I rolled my eyes and carried on down the corridor. Jack laughed and got up from his seat, trotting after me like a little dog and following me into my room.

"I'm sorry! But I wasn't going to go without saying anything... I'm just really glad you guys are back on track."

"Me too," I said.

"It's good that there's no underlying awkwardness after such a big fight," Jack said, sitting down on my bed.

"Yeah," I agreed, placing my bag down by my wardrobe and removing my coat.

"You're straight back to normal."

"I think that comes at a certain stage in the relationship though," I said. "We've been together over a year now and we know pretty much everything about each other. We hit a bump, we overcame it, and now we're moving on."

"True. I guess arguments become much bigger deals if you have to cope with the aftershock."

"Exactly." I smiled, pressing the power button on my laptop as I sat down on my desk chair. "Nathan and I don't have time for that."

"Yeah, your time is better spent doing other things."

I sliced him an unimpressed look and he laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Okay, that was the last comment, I swear! I'll leave you to work now..."

Once he'd gone, I reached into my pocket for my phone. One new message from Nathan.

Nathan: I could give you a list, but I don't think your innocent nature would be able to handle it...

He knew just how to wind me up. Rather than continuing to pester him, which was probably exactly what he wanted, I played him back at his own game.

Me: You're right. I'm far too innocent. Maybe it's better we don't do any of that stuff again then.

Then I smiled to myself and logged on to my laptop. Nathan took a while to reply, and when he did, I picked up my phone before it had even finished vibrating.

Nathan: That's entirely your call, Bella. You know I'd never pressure you :)

Damn him. I gave up with reverse psychology and resorted back to begging.

Me: Just tell me! I almost hit send, but then thought of something else to add onto the end that was bound to encourage him to open up. And then maybe I'll tell you my favourite parts too...

Nathan couldn't resist any potential insights into my preferences during sex, especially since I barely ever opened up about it. I knew it would work. And it did.

Nathan: I love it when you squeeze my balls during sex. I love how you know exactly how to move your hips when you're on top. I love the way you wrap your legs around my back and pull me deeper into you. I mostly love how you come across as an absolute sex goddess, yet I know I'm the only person who gets to experience that side of you.

I took it all in, my heart thumping. It wasn't even the explicit descriptions; it was the fact that I was now imagining us doing everything he'd listed.

Nathan: Your turn...

Certain parts of last night sprung to mind instantly. Maybe it was better we didn't repeat those inside my flat again, since I'd obviously forgotten that the walls were not as soundproof as I'd like, but I was on board with this new communication.

Me: I love it when you're loud and I can hear exactly how much you're enjoying it. When we're going so hard that the bed is shaking. When you suck my nipples and graze them ever so slightly with your teeth. I love how you take control and throw me around a bit, but then also relinquish it whenever I want to change positions.

Nathan: I'm inappropriately hard in my office now...your fault!

Me: How about you come round later and I sort that out for you?

My heartbeat pulsed between my legs. Excitement thrummed through me at the discovery of yet another part of our relationship.

Nathan: I refuse to even consider that at this moment in time - I need at least an ounce of concentration left in me for this afternoon!

As much as I was enjoying my newfound texting confidence, it probably wasn't fair to turn Nathan on when he was supposed to be in a professional environment. Plus, I had essays to write. We ended the conversation, promising to catch up later, and then I finally got down to some work.

Concentration didn't come easily. My mind kept wandering back to the previous night.

An hour later, I ventured into the kitchen in search of a snack. My morning so far had been relatively unproductive so I hoped sugar would give me a boost of energy.

"Morning, Izzy." Hayley smirked knowingly as I entered the kitchen. She was sitting at the table with Gemma, and both of their faces immediately informed me that they, too, had heard Nathan and me last night.

"Morning."

"Did you have a nice night?"

"Yes thanks. Nathan popped round."

"Oh, we know Nathan popped round." She laughed, and Gemma started giggling too. Their cliquey friendship had always bugged me, but even more so at times like this.

"Yeah, I guess we weren't quiet enough." I opened the fridge door, praying that the cold air would cool my blushing face.

"It did sound like you were both having a good time," Hayley added.

"We were." She'd give up eventually.

"And we thought you were the quiet one!" Hayley laughed again, this time in mockery. "But not the way you were moaning...and the way Nathan was crying out suggests you were giving him a good seeing to as well!"

Humiliation burned my cheeks. Jack could tease all he wanted, but it felt different coming from Hayley. She was making fun of me. And even if she wasn't doing that intentionally, then I didn't like the crude way she was reciting last night. The sex with Nathan may have been explosive and very hot, but it was still private to us. Hayley was making me feel cheap and dirty.

"Izzy, I hope you're not starting lunch without me—" Jack had entered the kitchen but stopped mid-sentence upon sensing the atmosphere. "What's going on?"

"Oh, we were just teasing about last night," Hayley explained with a smile. "You know, about how Izzy's secret is now out."

"What secret?" Jack asked, his eyes flitting between both Hayley and me, but mainly staying on me.

"You know, about how she's not as pure as she makes out... I'd love to know what her and Nathan were actually up to in that room last night."

"Fucking hell, Hayley." Jack scoffed and shook his head. "Find some class."

She laughed at him. "Why? Sex isn't a taboo topic at university. In fact, Fifty Shades of Grey means that pretty much all forms of sex are acceptable—"

"We weren't doing that sort of stuff," I snapped, losing it completely. "It was just sex, okay? Maybe the reason we were so loud was because we were enjoying ourselves. None of your one-night stands ever seem to be that great."

Hayley's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. Rightly so. I'd never argued back at her. It wasn't in my 'pure' nature. The atmosphere in the room dipped from uncomfortable, to downright awkward.

"Well, I like variety," she shot back. "Fucking the same person is boring."

"Actually, it's not. Relationship sex is much better because you know what the other person likes." I didn't add the part about experimenting and trying new things; she didn't need any more ammunition. "One-night stands are all about guess work, and I doubt you're going to be at your best when you're smashed off your face."

She didn't seem offended; in fact, the sinister smirk returned to her face. "And that, Isobel, is why I'm the fun one in this flat. And you're the boring one."

"Hey," Jack snapped, instantly springing to my defence. "The only reason you think Izzy's boring is because you've not bothered getting to know her."

"Yeah, because she's barely here! She's either studying or with her boyfriend. Hardly living the student life..."

"And there's a fine line between being the fun one and being the one everyone laughs at," Jack told Hayley.

"Oh, Jack. Don't take that attitude with me. We all know you're in love with Izzy. But other than that, you're just bitter. Bitter that I only have to click my fingers to get laid, whereas you haven't managed it in the whole three months we've been here."

Jack's hands balled into fists, his shoulders tightening. "You can be a real bitch sometimes, Hayley. And you know the thing about bitches? They're fuckable, but they're certainly not lovable."

Once again, she didn't even flinch. "At least I'm one of those things, Jack. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the same can be said about you."

My own protective instincts pushed to the surface. "That's not true. Jack would be the perfect boyfriend if any girl was lucky enough to have him."

Amusement flitted through her fake-lash-adorned eyes. "Hear that, Jack? Maybe Izzy is in love with you after all. I just hope you're as good in bed as Nathan... Apparently their relationship sex is amazing."

And then she left the kitchen, having the last word, with Gemma trailing after her.

"She's such a bitch." Jack shook his head and perched on the edge of the kitchen table. "Are you okay? She was really out of line saying those things."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. It's my own fault for having such noisy sex," I joked.

He grinned. "You were awesome by the way."

"Well clearly the whole flat now knows I'm good in bed—"

Jack interrupted my attempt at a joke. "No. I meant with Hayley. You really stood up for yourself. It was great. You should do it more often."

"She just really got to me. I hated the way she was talking about Nathan and me. Someone needed to stand up to her. And it's not like I've really lost a friend... She never liked me in the first place."

"She's not much of a loss anyway," Jack smiled, squeezing my hand. "And I hope, for your sake, that you carry on having outrageously amazing sex, just to rub it in her face. Don't let her put you off it. It's pure jealousy. Trust me."

"And you can trust me, Jack: you're very lovable indeed."

He laughed. "Well, we'll see, eh?"

We shared a hug, that was only supposed to be brief, but ended up being longer. Both of us were taking comfort in the other one, expressing gratitude that we'd been there for each other.

"Thanks, Izzy," Jack sighed. "I appreciate that you stood up for me. I really do."

"What are friends for?"

*

Later that afternoon, a text from Louisa arrived.

Hi Isobel, it's Louisa. I was wondering when you'd be free for that drink? Friday or Saturday evening would be best for me, but I understand if you've already got plans with Nathan. Let me know when works for you x

Did I have plans with Nathan? Well, we always had plans at the weekend, but we'd not really made any concrete ones yet. I could go for a drink with Louisa first and then get a cab to Nathan's. She was obviously going out of her way to settle my doubts, so I didn't want to mess her around.

I replied to her message, saying that Friday would be great. Continuing with my procrastination process, I then checked Facebook, and a chat box from Jess popped up.

We chatted for a good two hours; I told her about my recent ups and downs with Nathan, and then Hayley's bitchiness. She told me about how Alex was becoming difficult committing to dates to visit. We offered each other advice and arranged a Skype date for next week.

As I was making dinner that evening, a text came through from Nathan.

Nathan: Finished work. Still want me to come round?

I thought I was okay with everything now and that Hayley's words hadn't bothered me. But I was hit with reluctance. Earlier this morning I'd wanted nothing more than to have a repeat of last night. Now I was almost embarrassed to have Nathan around again. Guilt rattled through me. Should I really let someone like Hayley have an effect on whether Nathan visited? After our recent problems, nobody should stand in our way.

Me: I've just started making dinner. You can come and share it with me if you like?

Nathan: Are we eating it off each other's bodies?

A funny joke in any other circumstance, but not tonight.

Me: Text me when you're here and I'll let you in. Love you xxx

Half an hour later, we settled down at the kitchen table.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"In their rooms, I think," I said. "There was a bit of an incident at lunch and it's sort of altered the dynamic of the flat."

His brow furrowed. "What kind of incident?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but the kitchen door opened, and Hayley walked in. She was dressed in a tight skirt and low-cut top, carrying with her the unmistakable biscuity scent of fake tan, so she obviously had plans for tonight.

"Oh, hi, Nathan." She tossed him a sweet smile. "We didn't know you were coming over."

"No, I figured our inevitable loud sex later would let you all know I'm here," he told her with a smile.

An awkward laugh drifted from between red-painted lips. I just stared at Nathan. What was he up to?

"Yeah," she said. "We all knew what was going on!"

"Students really make me laugh," Nathan said, not hiding his patronising tone. "The way they're obsessed with sex. I swear half of them just come to university because they think it'll be easy to sleep around. It's sad, really."

Hayley kept her eyes down, focused on filling half of her glass with vodka.

"I guess we do love a bit of sex," she said.

Nathan laughed at that, as if she'd told a hilarious joke. "Yeah, a bit of sex. That's a good way of putting it. That's why I feel sorry for you all. You come to university expecting it to be three years of amazing sex, but what you actually get is drunken one-night stands. The ones who actually manage to get an erection only last a few minutes. But I guess that's a good thing since nobody can actually control their cock with any degree of skill when they're that drunk."

The vodka bottle slipped from her hands and hit the worktop with a dull thud. Nathan picked up his cutlery.

"This looks great, Bella," he said, shooting me an appreciative smile. Then he glanced across at Hayley. "Sorry. I went on a bit, didn't I? I didn't mean to keep you from pre-drinking. Have a lovely night."

She mumbled thanks and left the kitchen quicker than I'd ever seen her move. I almost choked on my potatoes in my effort not to laugh.

"That was amazing," I told him.

"Jack text me this afternoon. He told me what had gone on and that he was concerned you were still upset about it. The fact you didn't reply to my suggestive message and then insisted on me texting you rather than knocking on the door just confirmed that you were, indeed, still upset."

I shrugged. "It got to me."

Nathan reached across the table to take my hand. "Everything I said to Hayley was true. Student sex is shit. She lashed out at you earlier because she heard what great sex you were having and she was jealous. Being able to pull boys means nothing if they're not satisfying you sexually. And she's obviously a very insecure girl."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked him.

"Because if not then she wouldn't have spoken to you in that way," he told me. "She's jealous that the quiet girl is the one getting the best sex. And she deals with that jealousy by making you feel awful about it."

I nodded. "Maybe you're right. Not that she'd ever admit it."

"Maybe we were too loud last night," he conceded. "But our sex is our business. Nobody else's. You should never, ever, feel ashamed or embarrassed, okay? And if you do, then you talk to me about it right away."

"Somehow I don't think she will be getting to me again," I told him with a smile.

But when someone was wired to act that way, how long would it be before they opened their mouth again? A day? A week? And would they open their mouth, or would they attack you in an entirely different way? Hayley might come across as stupid sometimes, but I'd be the stupid one for underestimating her.

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Thank you for reading :) xx