----- Chapter Fifteen -----

"Are you coming tomorrow?" Abs asks me over the phone later.

"Dunno…who else is? I was thinking about going out somewhere with Marie…" I lie. I wanna see what he says, I can't be bothered to go if he's not bothered. Plus, I'm not going if Danielle is.

"I'm going…J, Rich, Sean…and Scott…" he says, putting emphasis on Scott's name. I decide to ignore his subtle implications.

"Well - it IS a group photos shoot. I mean, who else is going 'cept for you guys?"

"Oh…" he says very unconvincingly. He prolly only said the names to get a reaction from me when he said Scott, "Well, I think Dani's coming."

I sigh, "It's ok. I'll think I'll do something with Marie after all."

"Don’t you like her?"

"Who?" I ask innocently, "Marie?"

"No, Danielle."

I pause, "I don’t like the way she treated u. Scott was right earlier, about you taking her back after what she did…"

"That's what my mum said…" Abs replies, "She's not happy."

"Mmm…"

He clears his throat and casually says, "Me and Dan were…thinking about getting a flat together."

"What?" I splutter. This is the end. The end of any chance I might have slightly possibly had with Abs.

"Getting a flat together…" he repeats quietly, "Me and Danielle…"

"As in moving in together?" I ask cautiously. I really don’t wanna know.

"Yeah…I mean, I've been thinking about moving out for a while - and this makes sense," he explains, "Or we might get one, like, up north," Danielle's in a TV show which is filmed in Liverpool, "And one down here…"

"So you'd spend more time up there?" I ask. Please. Don’t.

"I spose so…" he trails off.

"Well," I start flatly, "If it makes you happy - go ahead."

"So you're ok with it?" he wants to know.

I sigh, "Oh yeah. Why wouldn’t I be alright with my best friend moving four hours away with his girlfriend who can't be faithful…I'm fine with that!"

"That was mean…" he says quietly.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just…I mean, what you just told me was unexpected, that’s all," and I love you and don’t want you to go. Least of all with Danielle, I add silently.

"Are you coming tomorrow then?" Abs changes the subject quickly.

"Depends on what Marie wants to do…"

"Hang on…" he pauses; "Didn’t Scott ask her to come?"

"Did he?" I feign ignorance, "Well in that case I spose I will come then."