NATASHA

After what happened a few days ago with Dane, I couldn't stop thinking about these few weeks with Ian, and how everything he did was a complete and utter lie. Am I not good enough for him? Every time he left the home, he went to see another girl? The perfume on him; was it even his mother's? When he left in the middle of the party, leaving me alone with Dane, Who did he meet up with? Or is this some scheme or a prank that Dane is playing?

Ian came back, and I couldn't help but fight the thoughts of him being with someone else without even bothering or communicating with me. Why wouldn't he tell me?
"Hi Nat!"
"Hi."
"Soooo, I bought you your favourite; lychee juice." he winked.
"Oh, thanks." I said, chuckling a bit, grabbing the drink off from his hands.
"You seem moody today. You okay Natasha?"
"I'm fine, Ian." I said, as I saw out of the corner of my eye; Ian shooting a glance at Dane. I was contemplating whether or not I should remove the ring around my finger, or not. Because if I do, Ian would ask me why I took it off, and of course, Dane wouldn't be too happy about getting kicked out for telling me about Ian's affair with his ex. Even though everything in my heart tells me that I should.
"Okay well," Ian trails his hands down my hair, "I'm just gonna go upstairs."
"Okay." I smiled. But really I wanted to snarl at him instead.
A few moments after he left I grabbed Dane's attention.
"Let me see the messages now."
"What no! Are you crazy?" Dane said, his eyebrows almost reaching his hairline, "not when Ian's in the house. He could come down any minute."
"No he won't."
"Okay, hear me out. Let's just wait until he leaves; to meet up with this mystery ex obviously. And then we go on the phone."
"Dane, hear me out. Let's wait until Ian genuinely goes out to get groceries and then we can pretend-"
"No no Natasha we are not-"
"We can pretend that we are Ian on the phone, and call the ex over."
"No, Natasha that's just stupid." He sighed, "sorry but I don't think that's a good idea."
"It's a great idea. I'm not letting you stop me."
"Fine. Do it." He scoffed, "it's the worst plan ever but fine."
"Thanks Dane. We're partners in crime" I winked.

﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋

Ian trotted down the stairs, with a grin on his face.
"Alright Natasha, Dane, I'm going to the shops. Tell me if you guys want anything." Ian said, with one of his arms leaning on the bench top
"Nope." I said.
"Yeah yadayadayada go get the stuff and come back." Dane said.
"Alright." Ian replied, strutting off to the door.
Dane and I stood as still as a statue as soon as we were positive that Ian was gone for good.
"Natasha, are you sure you should do this?"
"He didn't take the phone! That's a good thing. This'll all go to plan!"
Dane rolled his eyes. "Fine but don't say I was involved."
"Stupid. You were the one who told me in the first place."
"Right." Dane pouted, "so are you gonna get the phone?"
"Yup. And I'm reading all the messages. I'll only cry if I have to." I said, while walking off to the garage to try searching for the forbidden second phone hiding spot. I remember where he pulled the phone from, but my brain couldn't process which cardboard box it was behind.

"Dane! I don't know where it is." I yelled.
"Oh my god- I'm coming!" He said, as the door swung open and he step foot into it. "Jesus Christ Natasha your hands are hovering over the hiding spot."
Dane held my wrists and moved them aside, and he pulled the phone out of its dusty compartment.
"There. Enjoy reading these text messages." He chuckled. I snatched the phone that he unlocked, and went straight into the messages. Ian was smart, he didn't put the woman's name on it. But also extremely dumb because I found out about it eventually. "Yes I'll have an amazing time reading this, thank you."

🤫: hello? Ian?

Ian: Sorry, we can go to my house. No one's in there.

🤫: okay great.

Not gonna lie, the messages seemed relatively normal, almost kind of like a professional undertone, until. . .

🤫: I'm home alone, and horny asf. Want you

Ian: Sorry I can't. My girlfriend is already getting suspicious. Let's just take a break okay?

🤫: please

Ian: I'm telling you she's super suspicious. She even asked me about it.

🤫: like what?

Ian: why I smelt like a woman. We need to take some breaks. Isn't your boyfriend suspicious as well?

🤫: he's not. I just tell him I'm going out with my friends and he believes me.

"Okay deep breaths Natasha." I say, while taking deep breaths in and out.
"Natasha why the fuck are you talking to yourself."
"Because I'm about to text her. As Ian. And I'm shitting my pants Dane!"
"Oh."
"Not literally." I rolled my eyes, "okay okay. What do I say?"
"Hm. Well you did read how he texts her right?"
"Yep."
"So just replicate the way he speaks."
That should be easy, I guess.

Ian (Natasha): Hey. I'm free, so I was thinking maybe you could come over?

🤫: sounds good to me. I'll be there in a few minutes.

My hairline was dripping with sweat, and my fingers trembled with the phone in them, because she believed that I was Ian.
"So, what did she say?" Dane said, curiously.
"She is coming over! Like now." I inhaled, "I'm super scared."
"Natasha; you did that to yourself. It's the consequences of your own actions." Dane shrugged, as he put the phone back into its compartment. We walked out of the garage, and both of us waited patiently for the doorbell to ring. I was anticipating who this mysterious girl was, and most importantly, what she'd think of me or even do to me. My heart was jumping out of my body, and I was sure that even Dane noticed.

There was a doorbell and a few knocks on the door. Oh fuck me in the ass.
"I'll get the door, because right now you look like you're gonna dissolve."
"You're right, Thanks."
When Dane pulled the door open, my heart sank, my throat started to ache, and my eyes were welling up with tears.
"Natasha." She starts walking towards me. She wraps her arms around me.
"No fuck you Clara!" I yelped, my voice breaking. "You never told me you dated Ian, besides having an affair with him while I was-"
"Tash, I'm sorry."
"Why did you hang out with me the other day huh? Was that because Ian knew I was getting suspicious?"
"Tash. I'm so so sorry."
"No you're not. You knew." I said, while my sniffles shuddered, "you knew and you still lied to me. You acted like we were best friends Clara."
"You are my best friend."
"You're not mine," I said, "not anymore."
"Natasha please I'm sorry I know this is all my fault."
"It's both yours and Ian's. Two people that I loved so hard."
"Natasha-"
"No." I said, as I pushed her away from me. I never wanted to see her face ever again. Dane clenched my arm. "I think you should go upstairs for this."
What I didn't realise is that in the midst of my bottled frustration, Ian opened the door and dropped all of the groceries and watched.
"Natasha. . ."
"Don't talk to me Ian." I said, while twisting the promise ring off my finger, and leaving it beside him.

Dane came upstairs with me, with one of his arms wrapped around my waist. "Maybe we should avoid this room" he said, while his eyes locked onto mine and Ian's room. "You can sleep in my bed. There's no guarantee we're staying here another night."
"Okay."
"Natasha, I'm sorry."
"No. Clara and Ian should be saying sorry."
"Ian is- Ian doesn't deserve you Natasha. You're incredible." He exhales, "but if you don't mind me asking, how did you know her?"
"She is- was my best friend since year one. I was her Yin, and she was my Yang. I used to call her Crow because her last name is Crawford. I don't want to talk about it, Dane."
"I understand. I shouldn't have asked about that."
Uncontrollably, I started breaking down, with my two hands covering my eyes. Dane immediately caged me in his arms, and his warmth fulfilled me. He looked like a rainy day on the outside, but he was like a ray of sunshine on the inside. The smell of leather and clean rain lingered around me, and my tears fell on him leaving a huge wet puddle of salty tears.
"It's just- Clara meant everything to me." I sniffled, "and she threw it all away. Our years of friendship and- Ian. He meant everything to me as well. From the first day of meeting him in our all time favourite restaurant. He threw it all away too. How could they both do this to me."
"I know how this feels Natasha. I'm here to listen."
"Thank you Dane. I don't know what I'd be doing right now if you weren't here."
"Well you'll probably be in my case report for the murders of Clara Crawford and Ian Walton." He chuckled.
"Also," I wiped away my tears and giggled, "you do realise there's only one bed in here right?"
"Yeah. I'm sleeping on the ground."
"No Dane you don't have to do that-"
And then Ian's voice echoed upstairs. "DANE FUCKING WALTON COME DOWN HERE NOW."
"I should probably go." he nervously chuckled.