Hanging By a Moment

“So are you having a good birthday, Nick?” My Mom asked as we drove towards the restaurant. He smiled at through the mirror; she and I were in the back seat with my Nan, whilst my Grandad was in the front seat.

“It’s been great so far,” He replied, and I swore I saw a sparkle in his eyes as his gaze swept over me. Then he said, “Thanks for letting me stay with you, Mr and Mrs Wood.”

“Its Alice and Bernie to you, Nick! Come on lad, you’ve known us long enough,” My Grandad clicked his tongue and I laughed. “You’re a very good driver,” He carried on, and the car fell into a length of mindless chatter until we reached the hotel.

Once he’d parked, Nick rushed out of the car and pulled open the door for me, and took my hand to help me out. I smiled and planted a kiss on his lips, and then followed my family into the restaurant. We crowded around the little entrance area, waiting for the waiter to show us to our table.

As soon as we stepped through the main doors, I heard my name being called and I spun around just in time to see Joe hurtling towards me, before my feet left the floor and I was being spun around. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tight as he spun me. When he placed me back on the floor, he still didn’t let go on me and I squeezed him around the waist.

“What are you doing here?!” I demanded, grinning against his chest.

“I wasn’t exactly lying when I told you that little story on the phone!” Julia’s voice floated over and my grin stretch bigger as I pulled away from Joe and jumped on her. She giggled and hugged me back. “My Dad is opening a new bar up here; he bought it a few weeks ago and has been up here decorating, and it’s opening night on Friday.”

“This is amazing,” I said, gulping back tears as I turned to hug Danielle and then Kevin, “Kevin, are you sure it’s Nick’s birthday and not mine?” I asked and he chuckled.

“Pretty sure, darling,” He replied, running a hand through my hair as I held him tight, not wanting to let him go. I was afraid that if I did, they’d be gone, all of them, and I couldn’t handle losing them again, not so soon.

I finally managed to pry myself away from Kevin, and scooped Frankie up in a cuddle, before also turning to Denise and Paul. Finally the greetings were out of the way and we returned to our table. The waiters had had to push three tables together to fit us all in, but they didn’t seem annoyed by it.

Once we were all settled, we ordered drinks and picked up our menus. I opened mine and looked down at it, and soon felt a breath on my shoulder sending a shiver down my spine. Nick was leaning closer to me, looking down at the menu too (although a part of me suspected he wasn’t all too interested in the menu, per se). I felt my entire body freeze as his hand run over my leg under the table, but soon relaxed under his touch. It wasn’t the same as when Nathan, Joe, or another boy had touched me. When Nick and I touched it was as I had shoved a plug into a socket too fast and sparks were flying. When we kissed...oh when we kissed...it was like a mini fourth of July in my mind.

“If your Dad is in New York Julia, how come is didn’t come out with us?” My Mom enquired after about half an hour of being in the restaurant.

Julia finished taking a drink of her coke, and then placed the glass back on the table, wiping her mouth, “He’s working flat out to try and get the bar sorted for the launch,” She explained, “So he didn’t really have time, but he did tell me to wish you happy birthday Nick, and he gave me some money for a round of drinks as a thank-you to you guys for agreeing to play on Friday night,” She smiled and Nick grinned.

“He’s more than welcome, really,” Just as Nick replied, two waiters arrived carrying our food and the talking ground to almost a stand still as we all stuffed our faces, only the adults tending to keep up much of a conversation. Nick and I ordered a mega sundae to share for dessert, as did Joe and Julia, whilst Kevin and Danielle decided to be more mature like the adults and ordered a chocolate cake each. It finally hit me then that my Mom was surrounded by couples so soon after my Dad left, and I glanced around to look at her, a frown covering my lips.

She smiled at me, a genuine smile as she looked at the way Nick held on to me. If she was upset, she didn’t show it. But then, she never would. I let myself relax as Nick whispered ‘are you okay’ into my ear, sending another shiver down my spine at the close proximity between us. I nodded and picked up my spoon, before sticking some ice-cream into my mouth.

I glanced around as Joe and Julia burst into a fit of giggles, and I joined in their laughter as I noticed Joe with a mound of whipped cream around his mouth. Julia wiped her finger over his lip, and then licked the cream off of it, before kissing him and ending up with her own cream lipstick. I couldn’t help but smile when I watched them, before just like Kevin had done with Danielle, I knew Joe had found someone he was going to be with for a very long time, and he deserved that. He deserved to be happy because he was always the one trying to make other people happy when they were down; he’d done it for me so many times over the years when Nick and I had had fights, and it was nice to see someone that there to do that for him, to make him see that he was worth something, because I knew Joe didn’t realise just how special he was.

“So Nicholas,” Denise said once all of the plates and bowls had been cleared away. She fixed her son with an intense stare as she rested her chin on her clenched hands. Nick raised his eyebrows and stared back. A hint of a smile twinkled in her eyes and her gaze occasionally spun to me, making heat rise in my cheeks.

When she didn’t respond Nick spoke, “What Mother?”

She smiled then, “When were you going to tell me that you had another girlfriend?”

I froze; Nick had a girlfriend? Was he cheating on her with me? Was he cheating on me?

“Mom,” Nick said, his hand gripping my leg in a way to reassure me; I hadn’t actually said anything, but he’d known me long enough to recognise my different facial expressions, “I have a girlfriend.”

“Oh cool,” Paul said, “Do we know her?” He smirked as he spoke; Joe and Kevin exchanged glances with each other, as Danielle’s heat shot round to look at Julia, who simply nodded.

“I think you may have heard of her,” He replied, and then draped a hand over my shoulders. I blushed about as red as the bottle of tomato sauce on the table. Joe and Kevin gasped and shouted ‘WHAT’ simultaneously.

“Oh come on Joseph, it’s totally obvious. Have you ever noticed them be so touchy feely in your whole life?” Julia snapped, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend, and then she pushed his chin up so that his gaping mouth closed.

“Well no,” He replied, “But I just put it down to them not seeing each other in so long,”

“I’m sure that’s the reason too,”

“When did this happen?” He demanded, ignoring Julia and staring at Nick and me; “How could all of this happen over night?”

Nick turned to look at me; I leaned my head back against him and glanced up into his eyes. He shrugged and I nodded, before he replied to his elder brother, “It didn’t. We started dating before Emma moved, literally the day before or something and we kept it quiet because we weren’t exactly sure what was going on ourselves. But I think that now we are, at least I hope we are,” He looked down at me and I smiled, before leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. It took all of my strength to actually pull my face away from his, but in the fight against PDA I managed it. “I’ll take that as a yes,” He whispered. As we looked at each other, the adults left the table and made their way out to the beer garden.

“I can’t believe this,” Kevin said and then looked at Julia, suspicion evident in his gaze, “Why don’t you seem surprised?!” He demanded, causing Joe to spin round in his seat to stare down his girlfriend until she cracked. She simply sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Because I am a girl and I can sense these things,” She said, and then caught my eye and we both giggled, “But mostly just because Emma told me before she left,” She grinned as Joe gawped at her.

He shook his head, “And you didn’t tell me? You’re the worst girlfriend in the world.” He pouted.

Nick sighed, “Joe, we didn’t want anyone to know and Julia respected that, you should be happy that you have a girlfriend that’s trustworthy!”

“And you!” Joe turned his annoyed glare onto me now.

I smirked, “What, Joseph?”

“Oh don’t you Joseph me!” He snapped, “I thought we were friends, and I thought we told each other everything,” I gulped at his words, my mind flitting back to my argument earlier with Toby. At that, I glanced at my phone but had no messages, and immediately a knot tied in my stomach. Before I could stop it, I felt tears spring to my eyes.

“Joe!” Julia and Nick snapped at the same time.

“You’ve made her cry, you jerk!” Julia added before hitting him hard in the stomach. He doubled over the table in pain, and then looked back at me; his eyes were no longer filled with anger or shock, but concern.

“Emma, I’m sorry!” He said quickly, reaching out across the table to take hold of my hand, “I was only kidding, I didn’t mean to upset you-” I shook my head and forced a laugh, squeezing his hand back.

“Don’t be silly,” I smiled weakly at him, “You didn’t upset me, it’s just I’ve heard those words once before today,” I explained. “I’m going to go for a walk around okay?” I said, and then pushed myself up from the table.

Kevin frowned, “Are you okay?” I nodded, and then pushed Nick down into his seat as he made to get up, telling him I wouldn’t be long, and then I walked out of the restaurant.

I walked around the building until I found a picnic table that wasn’t filled with people, and then I sat on top of me, resting my feet on the seating bit. I kept catching myself glancing at my phone, but I hadn’t even realised I was doing it most of the time.

I had all of two friends in New York, and I’d just pushed one of them away for the exact same thing that Joe had just said; I’d called him a friend, but I hadn’t treated him like one. I should have told him about Nick, and maybe things wouldn’t have blown up in my face like that.

Yet some part of me was saying that it wasn’t just that fact that had angered Toby so much. So I hadn’t told him about Nick, but would any friend get that angry about it?

I didn’t really have much time to think about it, as I felt a jacket drape over my shoulders and I glanced up to see Joe. I smiled gratefully and then pulled the jacket tighter around me, “You’re freezing,” He commented, sitting beside me and then draping his arm over my shoulder, pulling me into his warm body.

I sighed, “I hope they weren’t giving you a hard time in there, it’s not your fault.”

He shook his head, “Nick explained the situation, and in my humble opinion, if this Toby doesn’t call you pretty soon, he’s an idiot,” I smiled appreciatively, “But I’m sure he will, because no one can resist you for long, lets face it,”

I laughed, “I’m not entirely sure how to take that comment!”

He shrugged, “Well first me, now Nick? All you have to do is kiss Kevin and you’ve scored the hat trick!” He joked; I laughed, but blushed at the blunt way he put it all the same. “Are you ready to go back inside now?” He asked.

“Yeah,” I replied, and then lifted myself away from him. I stood up, adjusted my dress and then turned around. Julia stood near the corner of the building, staring. She was close enough to hear the conversation, I knew that, but any hopes of the fact that she hadn’t heard it disappeared as soon as I saw the look on her face. “Shit,”

Joe didn’t seem to notice the tension; he simply waved at her and called out, “Hey baby!” She turned on her heel and disappeared back around the corner of the building, “Julia!” Joe shouted, and then realisation dawned on him, “Shit!” He cursed, and then took off after her.