Just Good Friends?

Chapter 52 - Loss

Nate.

The weeks go by, and nothing gets any better between Joe and Ems. They just seem to be drifting apart.

"OK, enough!" We are all sitting around the table eating lunch. It's been silent. Bex suddenly stands up, and I can see she is really trying her hardest to hold in a lot of anger. "You two need to sort this s**t out! So Ems is pregnant. Deal with it! Yes, it's not what you wanted right now in life, but hey! You both f*****g got yourself here! This is down to you both! Why the f**k haven't you spoken about these things?!?! Jesus! Me and Nate have spoken about contraception, pregnancy, f*****g STD's, marriage, everything! And we haven't been together for very long! I'm beginning to wonder if you're even f*****g mature enough to be having s*x, nevermind bring a child in to the world! And Joe... what the f**k is this s**t you're projecting on to everyone?? Where is the man that I have grown up with by my side, never letting anything or anyone, harm me, always there, standing by everyone's side in their hours of need?? Where are you for Ems right now?? And Ems, no, you don't get away with this either. It's your body girl! Where are you in telling Joe what you would like to happen?? This s**t needs dealing with, and deal with it fast! There is a baby growing, one that never asked for s**t parents. So f*****g grow up!" She picks her plate up, storms in to the kitchen and slams it down on the side and walks out.

We all sit in silence for 5 minutes, then Harry speaks.

"Well f**k me" He pushes his chair back and stands up, taking his plate to the kitchen too. "She's got a f*****g good point though dudes. You need to sort this s**t out" he leaves too. One by one, we all leave, and only Joe and Ems are left at the table. Ems is quietly crying, and Joe is starring at nothing. I need to find Bex.

......

"That was some speech back there" I snake my arms around her from behind. She melts in to me.

"Too much?" She asks.

"No, they needed to hear that. They're acting like a couple of school kids. They're almost 20, and they f****d up, they need to deal with it" she turns around.

"To be honest Nate, I wish it was us in that position instead of them. Not that I want a child yet, but I know we'd cope far better than they are" she looks tired.

"I know we would Bex, but this is something that they have got themselves in to, they need to work out how they go forward. We can't do that for them" I hold her tight, and think about us if we were jn their position. It would be hard, but not a shock. We've always known there would be that possibility of getting pregnant, but we'd cope.

"Come on, let's go home" I move her back down the hill.

......

The house seems much calmer, no tense atmosphere. We find everyone out by the pool, and Joe is even smiling, and has his hand resting on Ems thigh.

"Sorry Bex" Ems comes running over and hugs Bex. "You are so right. We have been a nightmare, but we have had a good chat, and we are going to talk to our parents tomorrow, and go from there. We have a kind of plan, but we need to talk to people that will know if it will work, or if we're kidding ourselves. But we also need to know if we have all of our friends support?" She says sheepishly.

"You've never not had my support Ems. I'll support you and Joe in whatever decisions you make. I'm always here"

"So am I" I say from her side.

"So Nate, you have really spoke about everything with Bex? Like, everything?" Joe asks incredulously.

"Everything dude. Even down to the point that she won't be losing her name when we get married. Bex Holden-Bowers it will be" I wink at Bex, who laughs at Joe's face.

"Oh now hang on a minute! Marriage?! Who said anything about marriage?? Are you guys getting married?!?!" Joe shouts looking between us both.

"Yeah dude!.... although not anytime soon" I laugh and Joe just sits there looking at us both.

"How the fhck did I not realise you were both so good at this adulting s**t?" Cal laughs then.

"Who the f**k do you think has been getting you out of s**t your whole life dickhead? Nate, that's who! The silent but f*****g deadly one in the background!" Everyone laughs then.

"f**k sake Cal, I'm not that f*****g deadly" I mumble.

"Tell that to that f*****g Zach mother fucker, dickhead" he laughs.

......

Bex.

It's Mike's birthday this week, and now Joe and Ems have lost their baby.

I went home the other day, to see Mike's mum. She is doing well, and it was really good to see her.

Joe and Ems are not doing so well. I feel so guilty for forcing them to accept the pregnancy, and now there isn't one.

"Bex, I'm not sure what to do to help and support you this week, apart from just be here when you need me" Nate looks broken too.

"Nate, you are being amazing, and I know this is really hard for you too. Mike was your friend, but you also feel guilt, and I get that, but you are what I want. You are my future, my everything. We need to pull it together now and support Joe and Ems. They are the ones that need us" I hug him tightly. We are so strong together.

......

Nate.

"Bex, are you OK? Everything that is going on right now, doesn't mean we're not here for you too ok" Ems and Joe say as we walk in to the kitchen.

"Guys, I'm good. We all know how much Mike meant to me, and all of you come to that, but I've come to terms with what happened. Now we need to support you both, and help you through everything" she is so f*****g unbelievably strong.

"We are OK. We've had a long chat, quite a few long chats actually, and it just wasn't meant to be right now. We accept that. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, but Charlie will always be a part of our lives, she was our little girl, and we will never forget her, even though she was still so tiny inside me, she was our daughter. I'm so glad we have you lot around though. But we need to get back to living life as we were ok" Ems seems settled now that she has come to terms with what's happened. Joe does too, and they seem far more secure in their relationship.

......

Bex.

"Bex, can I have a word?" Jess asks later as we sit by the pool.

"Sure, what's up?" I ask.

"It's me and Cal, we kind of, kissed the other night. We've got so close over the last few weeks with everything that's been going on, and we've decided we should give it a go between us. We are going out tonight" Jess looks so excited, jm really happy.

"Thats great Jess, I'm happy for you. Don't hide it, Joe and Ems will be happy too" she runs off to tell them, and Nate comes out of the gym looking f*****g hot. He strides over to me, leans down and kisses me hard, like he wants to take me right here.

"f**k me beautiful, I want you right here" I laugh, I already knew that.

"You already know about Cal and Jess don't you?" I ask as he sits down next to me.

"Yep, he told me last night, but you'd fallen asleep. Forgot to say this morning" He leans in and kisses me again. I can feel how aroused he is.

......

Cal.

"Do you think we'll be as happy as them?" Harry asks me as he looks out at Bex and Nate. They just belong together. There is this powerful energy from them, they can withstand anything thrown at them.

"Maybe dude, maybe. But they just know that this is it for them, nobody else will come close. Their future is solid" I'm looking forward to taking Jess out later, she's a really nice girl and we've been getting on so well. We'll just see how things turn out.