In My Dreams It's Me And You

Nathalie's POV

Luke certainly didn’t disappoint.

I’m not sure what time I eventually stumbled home but the sun was already shining and it was obvious that it was now morning. Luckily everyone must have been out since there wasn’t a car in the driveway as I walked up to the house, quietly opening the front door and slipping inside, just in case I was wrong.

No one was around from what I could see so I just decided to catch a few hours of sleep on the couch before Chloe gave me a lecture for last night, but when I went to collapse onto it I found that the house wasn’t as empty as I originally thought.

I shrieked and fell backwards over the table as the couch moved under my touch, ending up with my ass on the floor and my legs above my head. The thing from the couch moved to look at me over the table, looking both confused and entertained at the same time.

“For someone trying to sneak in, you aren’t really good at it,” Brian mused, helping me back up onto my feet. “Most people try to remain quiet, and not fall into things.”

I scowled. “I don’t need to be quiet. It’s my house.”

“Oh, I didn’t say that you can’t be noisy,” Brian began, a smile beginning to grow, “just that at this time, it probably would have been wise to.”

Just then, the door was wrenched open and a very angry Chloe roared, “WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?”

Instinctively I cringed, trying to hide behind Brian who swiftly moved out of the way and sat on the couch. I glared at him as he shook his head, muttering, “Traitor.”

“Don’t try and avoid the question,” Chloe said darkly, her glare certainly reigning over mine. “Where have you been?”

My gaze fell to the floor. There was no denying she was Alex’s sister- they both shared the unique ability to make me feel like a naughty child again. “Out.”

“Out where?”

“Just out.”

Sensing I wasn’t going to say where, she decided to change to a different question. “Who were you with?”

“Luke.”

Her eye twitched; a sign that she was getting annoyed. “Luke said he hadn’t seen you.”

“Well I only met up with him later.”

Before her next question could arise Zacky appeared behind Chloe, yawning loudly as he sleepily peered into the room, greeting me with a short wave. “Hey Nat. Had a fun night?”

I smiled. “I did thanks.”
“That’s all that matters,” he replied, walking into the room and slumping on the couch beside Brian. He casually reached for the remote and flicked the television on, blissfully changing channel despite the death glare that Chloe had centred upon him.

“Zacky.”

He answered without moving. “Chloe.”

“Zachary,” she repeated, this time using his full name.

This time he turned, but only slightly. “What?”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” she responded, annoyance seeping into her tone. “I wasn’t doing anything important.”

“Okay then.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, which just set her back onto me. “Oh, don’t you laugh Taylor, I haven’t finished yet.”

“Just chill out Chloe,” Zacky said, attempting to reach out to her and receiving a slap in reply. “She’s home, and she’s safe. What else do you want?”

She huffed. “An explanation would be nice.”

Zacky turned to me. “Did you go anywhere that we wouldn’t go?”

“No.”

“Did you do anything that we wouldn’t do?”

I shook my head.

“See?” Zacky replied triumphantly, turning up the volume on the program he was watching. “Everything is fine.”

If there was one thing Chloe hated more than anything it was having one of her tantrums interrupted, especially when she is handed defeat backed by logic that couldn’t be disputed. She tried to find something to say in response but merely ended up opening and closing her mouth several times before ending up sinking next to the victor of their brief verbal spar. His arm slowly winded around her and the pout on her face soon disappeared, replaced with a forgiving smile.

I chose this time to make my escape, forgetting that Brian was still in the room, and rather unkindly announced it.

“Where are you going Nat?”

Almost immediately Chloe’s gaze snapped to me, and I turned back with a sigh. “Thanks Brian.”

He grinned. “Just helping.”

“I’m going upstairs to change, if that’s alright with all of you,” I said coldly, hanging behind long enough just to get nods from the three of them before I walked out the room and up the stairs.

I can’t believe I have to get permission to get changed in my own house.

--

After a long shower to get the grime and smell of alcohol off me I changed into a short dress, the periwinkle coloured fabric just floating above my knees. I had almost forgot about the scratches that were on my cheek from last night, so after a quick touch of foundation to hide them along with my usual mascara and eyeliner I walked back downstairs to join the others.

“Someone looks ni-” Brian cut himself off, his eyes having trailed from my head to my legs. “Shit Nat, how the hell can you even walk on that?”

“Walk on what, my feet? Oh, I don’t know...” I teased. However Brian’s shock was mirrored by the other two so I frowned in response, following their gaze to the point of the joke. “How the fuck did I miss that?”

Blooming across my left ankle was a violent bruise, indicating a sprained ankle at the least. When it happened I couldn’t say, since last night is pretty much a blank slate in my memory. Plus I reasoned that I would have noticed since it looks painful, despite the fact a few hours on I couldn’t feel anything at all.

Brian instantly rose from the sofa and gently eased me onto the recliner behind me, taking care to keep pressure from my ankle. He knelt down and looked over the injury before grabbing the pillow by Zacky’s side and placing it on the floor for my ankle to rest against as he straightened up again.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” he said, walking for the door. He paused for a few moments to add in a stern voice, “and don’t you dare move.”

After Zacky, Chloe and I exchanged confused looks and shrugs he came back with a couple rolls of bandages which he immediately began to wind around my ankle. He was very careful as he did so and after fixing it so it wouldn’t come off he pressed his lips lightly against the bandage.

“All better?”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it didn’t hurt in the first place so I motioned him towards me, pressing his body closer to mine as I kissed him on the lips. “Much better, thank you. Although I do have a dilemma now.”

He propped himself up by an elbow on each arm of the chair. “What might that be?”

“How am I supposed to get some orange juice now that I can’t walk?”