I tap my right leg nervously. George reaches for my leg and stops me for the fifth time.

"Sorry," I utter.

"Say sorry to the table. If you continue like this, you will knock the glass bottle to the floor." He gives me a sideway glance. "Why are you so nervous again? I thought they are friends of yours."

I look at my hands that contrite in regret. Regret for how I've ghosted Emily. "They are... were." I sigh, "It's complicated..."

George looks around the crowded restaurant. "Well, they are late. Maybe they've ghosted you." He smirks proudly. 

I look up at him and make a face. "Thanks for the unwavering support, as always."

George leans back and pats me on the back. "Anytime," he smirks.

"Natalie!" Emily's unmistakable voice calls out for me.

I look up and see the green-haired girl now sports pink hair but the same open smile. Gunther, who also sports a wide grin, follows her. For the first time, I relax as I see both of them. I get up and greet them with a small wave. Emily lunges forward and embraces me tightly.

"It's so good to see you!" she says.

"It's good to see you too, Ems..." I smile at the tight embrace. "Hi Gunther." I say, looking at the German that gives me a polite nod in response. Eventually, Emily releases me from the embrace. "This is George." I turn around to introduce George, that munches on a breadstick, leaving crumbs all over the table.

"What's up?" He says with a mouthful.

"Hi..." Emily says to him and looks at me uncertainly.

"He's my flatmate. I asked him to come tonight."

Emily nods, but her happy expression fades. We all sit down and stare at each other awkwardly.

"So, how long are you guys here for?" I ask.

"We're leaving tomorrow. Brief visit." Gunther responds.

"Have you seen a lot of touristic attractions?"

"Some. London eye and Buckingham palace but it was just a quick trip. We will come next time with more time." Gunther eyes Emily, who avoids looking at me. "Right, Liebling?"

Emily nods and smiles politely at me but steals another glance at George that returns the same quizzical look at her.

We remain in silence for another bout of awkward silence. Finally, the waiter approaches our table to take our order. This breaks the awkwardness that has settled in. 

"So you guys are from Germany?" George asks once the waiter has walked away with all our requests. 

"I'm from New Zealand, but now I live in Germany." Emily responds and steals another glance at me. "I met Natalie when she came to live in Dusseldorf last year."

"You lived in Germany?" George turns his neck to look at me, his mouth wide open. 

I hum and take a sip of my water avoiding any eye contact with anyone at the table, choosing instead to focus on a distant painting of a water lily across the room.

"And, I'm only hearing this now?" he huffs. 

"You never told him you were living in Germany?" Emily raises her voice angrily.

Gunther takes her hand and gives her a squeeze. I look at the intimate gesture and remember how Daniel used to squeeze my hand.

I lower my eyes to the table. "Never came up." I decide to shift my attention on the fork and pray that it's a magical fork that can speed time. 

"Yes, in the millions of hours we spent together in the last year, there was definitely a shortage of time to tell me this..."

I glare at George. Not the time, dude... I turn and twist the utensil in my hand. 

Emily huffs, revealing her aggravation with me. Her mood has shifted faster than I expected and her demeanour has taken a 180-degree turn. Her gaze jumps from her plate to angry glares towards George. 

"I mean I've told you everywhere I've been..." George continues to grumble.

I roll my eyes. "You've been in two places your whole life!" I snap.

"I would expect the same courtesy from you! I mean I know where Cruella lived before moving in with us and she's not really someone I like talking to..." he rebuts. Lord, give me patience! George, read the freaking room! 

I notice Emily's puzzled look at the both of us arguing. I can't even imagine what she must be thinking. 

"I lived there for a year. I met Emily and Gunther when I was staying in Dusseldorf. Happy, you know all the places I've ever lived in my life. London and for a short period of time, Germany. Now can you let this go?" 

George sulks and takes a big bite from the cheese stick on his plate. 

Thankfully, our meal arrives faster than I was expecting. We eat in an uncomfortable silence with interspersed polite remarks since George's outburst. He has been still as a rock since I snapped at him. Same goes for Emily that now barely lifts her eyes off the plate of food. 

Gunther clears his throat and looks at me first, before stealing a glance at Emily. It's his second attempt at resuming conversation at the table and so fat he has failed miserably only getting some polite nods from the other three people at the party. 

"We have some news..." he announces and glares at Emily, that sulks in her seat while still staring intently at her food plate. Gunther shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "In fact, that's the reason we have travelled to London. Emily wanted to tell you in person..." he coughs awkwardly, trying to prompt Emily to continue, but Emily stubbornly avoids his gaze. Gunther takes Emily's hand and smiles at her encouragingly.

Emily takes a deep breath and looks at me for the first time in a long time. "We're getting married late summer," she says somberly, as if she's planning a funeral.

"Oh wow, that's amazing. Congratulations guys," I respond timidly. "You're going to have the wedding in New Zealand or Germany?"

"In Germany. Em's family will travel to attend the wedding and then we will travel back with them and have our honeymoon there." Gunther responds with a broad smile, showing his infatuation for Emily.

"That's really amazing, guys. You fitted perfectly with one another from day one... I still remember..."

"What did I do to you?" Emily cuts me off and raises her voice.

I feel small. I know exactly what she means and I can feel the hurt in her voice. "You did nothing to me, Emily." I mutter in response, lowering my head in shame.

"Is that so? So what is the reason that my only friend in Germany..." she wavers with tears in her eyes. "My best friend..." she corrects herself, forcing me to look up at her. "Why did you ghost me? I tried so many times to contact you. To be there for you. And you just disappeared. After the damn wedding incident, it was as if I was nothing. Was this because we encouraged him? I'm sorry if that was the case, but you could have allowed me to explain!" Tears stream down her face and Gunther puts an arm around her.

I look once more down at my plate, ashamed at my own actions.

"Are you going to say something or are you just going to pretend I'm not here? You've been superb at it so far!"

"Hey now. That's not fair." George, to my surprise, intervenes. "I don't know what exactly has happened, but Natalie is here, isn't she?"

"And so are you! Whoever you are!" Emily shouts, raising the attention of tables nearby.

"Liebling..." Gunther attempts to calm her down.

"She's not saying anything. She's been silent for months and she's keeping her silence now..."

She is right. I have words swirling in my brain, but my mouth seems unable to articulate them.

I know that if I don't say something soon, I will regret it forever. I look up at Emily that stares at me with tears marks down her cheeks and a fury of a burning thousand suns in her eyes.

I gulp, "You did nothing. You were... are one of the greatest people I've ever met. I regret not talking to you. I regret many things. I..." I look away for a moment, trying to regain composure and not allowing tears to flood my eyes. "You remind me so much of a time I want to forget. And, I thought if I put you and everyone else out of sight, then I could move on... It was wrong of me. I regret it every day. And I've asked George here because I didn't know how to face you alone."

Emily's eyes have softened as I look back at her. "I shouldn't have encouraged him. I'm sorry," she says.

I shake my head. "It's not your fault. I've never blamed you for that. For anything." I look up at Gunther. "It's just..."

"I'm his friend." Gunther finishes my thought, and I nod in response. "Em, I've told you. It's an awkward position to be in..." he gives me a weak smile, attempting to comfort me.

"And I'm her friend," Emily rebuts. She looks up at me. "I've always been your friend first and until you tell me you want me out of your life, I will always be your friend." She looks down at her hands where I notice for the first time the engagement ring on her finger. "And I miss my friend."

I reach for her hand. "I miss my friend, too."

Emily squeezes my hand hard and in a space of minutes, we erase everything and go back to being the two unexpected friends in a foreign land.

"Thank god!" George exhales. "I was thinking we had to cut this dinner short and I'm eyeing the dessert. FYI Natalie, you are paying for this."

I roll my eyes and laugh. "Meet George. My roommate and a pain in my royal arse."

Emily giggles and we go back to our meal. We finish our meal and we decide to walk down Oxford Street towards Piccadilly Circus, where Emily and Gunther can take a direct train back to their hotel. Gunther and George allow Emily and me to walk slower while they discuss menial affairs and give us the space to reconnect.

"Have you started planning the wedding?" I ask.

"Kind of. I'm not sure what I want. I never even considered in my life getting married and now I'm doing it! I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed..." Emily responds.

I take her arm and interlace it with mine. "I can help."

Emily's eyes open. "Would you?"

I nod enthusiastically. "Whatever you need."

Emily clears her throat. "Would you consider also being my maid of honour?" she asks timidly.

"How is everyone back in Dusseldorf?" I ask, avoiding the question.

"Everyone is okay, I guess. We see Jonas often, and I see Marie once in a while. We have kept in touch... by the way, she's quite upset with you too, so you might want to un-ghost her too. Maybe bribe her with some baked goods or wait until my bachelorette and let's get her really drunk first!" Emily smirks.

I chuckle. I can only imagine being the recipient once again of frosty Marie when I reconnect with her. "You'll need to tell me what you want to do if I'm going to be your Maid of Honour..." I smile.

Emily squeals in delight and gives me a tight hug that makes both Gunther and George turn back around to look at us before continuing with their conversation. "I need to tell you something..." Emily's voice turns somber and immediately I know this relates to him. She looks at me expectantly.

"He's the best man." I say deadpan. I know how close Daniel is to Gunther. It's not unexpected.

Emily nods and looks down at the floor. "There's more... He's back with Ava."

My feet stop. My heart stops. Although shouldn't be unexpected given how long they were together, it still cracks open my already wounded heart.

Emily hugs me tightly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know how to break the news..."

I pat her on the back softly. "I should have guessed, really. They were together forever and we..." I gulp, "We were fleeting."

Emily disentangles herself from the embrace and stares at me. "You were not fleeting. I understand your choice. I also understand his. But I look at you and see how much he means to you, and I can tell you right now you're not fleeting in his mind either. He might be with her. But his heart isn't."

I smile at my friend and resume our walk down the street filled with fashion clothes. Gunther and George stare at us. I can see George wondering why I've stopped walking while Gunther sympathetic look means he has figured out Emily gave me the bad news.

"I might need to bring a date to your wedding." I chuckle, trying to distract myself while window shopping the unaffordable Hugo Boss store we walk by.

"Bring George. He is weird, but handsome enough to show that idiot what he's missing." Emily chirps.

It is so good to have her back.