We Could Be Something

Quirking a small smile, Adriana studied the text on the screen of her phone, slightly amused by the words that Iker had written. It had been a couple of weeks, after their first dinner, they’d been out another 3 times and whilst he had been reluctant to begin with, Adriana was pleased to see that he was warming to her, even if they’d yet to discuss the topics that they’d both ruled off limits, she was pleased that they were getting along as we as they were. It had been a little awkward, the first couple of times they’d headed out, they’d lapsed into awkward silences more than once, but things were getting better and Adriana was happy. She had grown to like having Iker around.

“What’s got you grinning?” Ella quipped as she plopped into the seat beside her friend, placing the plate of food she had prepared down on the coffee table.

Adriana, who’d been composing her response to Iker’s message, shook her head. “It’s nothing” she noted “I was just replying to a few texts” she added as she stowed her phone in her pocket.

“You smile like that at all your texts?” Ella teased. It wasn’t the first time, for the past couple of weeks, Adriana had seemed brighter and more cheerful, and whilst Ella was pleased to see her moping less, she was a little curious as to why her friend suddenly seemed happier.

“I was smiling, Ella” Adriana countered with a teasing grin “If you’d prefer it, I can stop” she added, stealing a piece of food off of Ella’s plate and popping it into her mouth.

Ella rolled her eyes. “It’s just a change is all” she noted, moving to change the television channel “You’ve been more smiley recently and I am curious” she added.

“Isn’t it a good thing?” Adriana noted.

“Of course it is” Ella noted “I was just wondering what bought it on. After the last time you visited your midwife, you were still struggling and now…now you seem a lot better, Ana” she insisted gently. She was pleased, for a while after Jonathan had left, Adriana hadn’t quite been herself, and whilst Ella was pleased to see her slowly getting back to herself, she was curious about what had caused the change.

Adriana offered her a small nonchalant shrug before the sound of her phone buzzing in her pocket echoed, causing Ella to tilt her head, watching as she pulled it into her hand. “Who’s that?” she teased amusedly.

Adriana, who’d been reading the text that Iker had sent to her, startled slightly. “No one” she noted, a small hint of pink playing on her cheeks.

“Are you blushing?” Ella teased, poking her friend’s cheek gently.

Adriana shook her head and opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by Ella who’d moved to take the phone out of her hand. “Iker?” she posed amusedly.

“Ella…”

“That’s what’s changed, isn’t it?” Ella teased “You’re dating someone new” she added.

Adriana shook her head. “I am not dating anyone” she noted gently.

“The way you’re blushing says something different” Ella quipped, a teasing grin on her face.

Adriana rolled her eyes. “I am not dating him, Ella” she insisted “He and I…we’ve been spending a little time together in the last couple of weeks, but it isn’t anything more than just two people spending time together. I am nowhere near being in a position where I would feel comfortable dating someone” she added, her tone firm.

She could see that Ella was excited by the prospect of her dating, as soon as the idea had entered her head, her face had lit up, but Adriana wanted to be clear. She was hurting, even if it had been a while since Jonathan had left, and she wasn’t anywhere near ready to consider finding herself another boyfriend, regardless of how well she and Iker got along. She merely wasn’t ready to move on.

“Does Iker know that?” Ella posed gently.

Adriana shrugged slightly. “We’ve not exactly talked about the breakup or my pregnancy yet” she admitted softly.

Ella tilted her head. “He’s not noticed that you’ve got a bump?” she posed, her eyes glancing towards the small bump which was noticeable beneath the t-shirt that Adriana wore.

Adriana glanced down at her bump for a second before she shook her head. “If he has, he’s not asked about it. We don’t really talk about relationships or his move here. We just talk about other things” she explained gently.

Ella offered her a slightly dubious look before she shook her head. “Ana, I don’t want to put a dampener on things” she noted carefully “I mean, since he got here, you’ve been a lot better, but I think you ought to be careful” she added.

“Ella…”

“I know you’re not dating him” Ella interjected, not missing the look on Adriana’s face “But you need to be sure that he knows it too. You’re just out of something pretty big, Ana, and from the way you talk, you’re nowhere near getting over it, not to mention the fact that, in a few months, you’re going to have a baby. I just think it would be best if you talked to Iker about it. He doesn’t deserve to be led on, Ana” she added gently.

Adriana offered her a friend a slight frown before she sighed, nodding her head. “You’re probably right” she noted gently.

“I normally am” Ella quipped with a half-smile.

Adriana shook her head a little before she moved to collect her phone out of Ella’s hand, replying to the text that Iker had sent to her. She knew that Ella had a point, whilst Adriana was sure that what she and Iker were doing wasn’t dating, she didn’t know that he was, but the idea of having a conversation about it unsettled her a little. She knew that she couldn’t avoid the topic of her relationship forever, eventually, she and Iker would discuss her breakup and her pregnancy, but still the idea of doing it made her stomach turn a little. She had grown to like spending time with Iker, even if they had only done it a few times, and a small part of her worried that, as soon as she admitted that she was pregnant, things would change between them, something she already knew she didn’t want to happen.