CHAPTER NINE
THE SAME OLD NATHAN
By the third day of their honeymoon, Mia had reached a conclusion.
She and Nathan should never have been sent on a honeymoon together.
They were simply too different.
Or perhaps they were too much alike.
Either way, they argued about almost everything.
That morning, Mia walked out of the hotel room and found Nathan already waiting for her.
"Finally," he said.
Mia frowned.
"Finally what?"
"I've been waiting for you."
"And?"
"And we're supposed to go for breakfast."
"I never said I wanted breakfast."
Nathan stared at her.
"You woke up thirty minutes ago."
"How do you know?"
"Because you kept opening and closing the bathroom door."
Mia's mouth dropped open.
"You were listening to me?"
"I was trying to sleep."
"You're so annoying."
"And you're so loud."
"I'm not loud!"
"You just shouted that you're not loud."
Mia glared at him.
Nathan smiled.
"Exactly."
Mia grabbed her handbag.
"Let's just go."
---
At breakfast, they sat opposite each other.
For almost five minutes, everything was peaceful.
Then Nathan looked at Mia's plate.
"You're eating that?"
Mia looked down.
"Yes."
"That's too much."
She stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"You won't finish it."
"I will."
"You won't."
"I will."
Nathan leaned back.
"Ten minutes."
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"Fine."
Ten minutes later, Mia pushed her empty plate forward.
She looked at Nathan triumphantly.
"I finished it."
Nathan stared at the plate.
Then at her.
"Congratulations."
Mia smiled.
"I told you."
"You ate like you hadn't seen food in years."
"At least I know how to enjoy my food."
Nathan shook his head.
"You haven't changed."
Mia paused.
"What do you mean?"
"You've always been like this."
"Like what?"
"Stubborn."
Mia laughed.
"You were worse."
"I was not."
"You absolutely were."
Nathan leaned forward.
"Remember when we were twelve?"
Mia immediately smiled.
"When you stole my notebook?"
"I didn't steal it."
"You took it without asking."
"I wanted to see what you had written."
"You had no right!"
"You wrote my name in it."
Mia's eyes widened.
"You read that?"
Nathan grinned.
"You wrote an entire page about how annoying I was."
"Because you were annoying!"
"I still am."
"Exactly."
They both laughed.
For a few seconds, the argument disappeared.
Then Nathan suddenly said, "You remember our secret place?"
Mia's smile softened.
"Of course I remember."
"The place near the lake?"
"Where we used to hide whenever we were angry?"
Nathan nodded.
"You used to go there every time your brothers annoyed you."
"And you used to follow me."
"Because you weren't supposed to be there alone."
"You were a child too."
"I was more responsible."
Mia burst out laughing.
"Responsible? Nathan, you once climbed a tree and got stuck."
Nathan pointed at her.
"Don't remind me."
"You cried."
"I did not cry."
"You absolutely cried."
"I had something in my eye."
"Both eyes?"
Nathan shook his head.
"You're never letting that go, are you?"
"Never."
---
Later that afternoon, they decided to visit a nearby market.
It started peacefully.
Until Mia stopped at a shop.
Nathan continued walking.
Mia called after him.
"Nathan!"
He stopped.
"What?"
"Wait."
"We've been standing here for twenty minutes."
"I like this."
"You don't need it."
"I didn't ask whether I needed it."
Nathan sighed.
"Fine."
Mia picked up another item.
"What about this?"
"No."
She looked at him.
"You don't even know what it is."
"I know you don't need it."
"You're not my father."
"And you're not listening."
"I'm not supposed to listen to you!"
Nathan folded his arms.
"Then why did you ask me?"
Mia opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
"I hate you."
Nathan smiled.
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"You used to say that when we were children too."
"And I meant it then."
"You were lying."
"I wasn't."
"You cried when I left for three days."
Mia's face changed.
"I was a child."
"You were my best friend."
She became quiet.
Nathan smiled slightly.
"And you missed me."
Mia looked away.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"Don't push it."
He laughed.
---
That evening, they returned to the hotel exhausted.
Mia walked into the room and immediately threw herself onto the bed.
"I am never going anywhere with you again."
Nathan placed his jacket on the chair.
"You say that every day."
"Because every day with you is exhausting."
"You started half of the arguments."
"Half?"
"Fine. Most."
Mia sat up.
"Most?"
Nathan nodded.
"You argue about everything."
"You argue too!"
"I don't."
"You do!"
"I don't."
"You do!"
They stared at each other.
Neither wanted to back down.
The room became completely silent.
Mia finally pointed at him.
"You know what your problem is?"
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You think you're always right."
Nathan smiled.
"And your problem is that you think you're always right."
Mia scoffed.
"You're impossible."
"And you're stubborn."
"Annoying."
"Princess."
"Idiot."
"Drama queen."
Mia grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
Nathan caught it.
He laughed.
"Still the same Mia."
Mia stared at him.
"Still the same Nathan."
And somehow, despite all the arguing, neither of them could deny one thing.
Their honeymoon was a complete disaster.
But being together again felt strangely familiar.
Not romantic.
Not yet.
Just two former best friends discovering that, after all these years, they still knew exactly how to get under each other's skin.