The only way forward was never to be alone with Laura, Nathan decided the next morning as a new day helped to wash away the desperation of the night before. Of course he couldn't cut his best friends out of his life. If he were to do that he would actually have to move away from the city which would be ridiculous. This was a crucial time in his career- he was doing really well with the firm and the last thing he wanted to do was start again with someone else. And there was his mother ...But if he stayed, he couldn't avoid Jake and Ryan. He guessed he could be evasive, he was the world's expert at that after all, but he would soon run out of excuses. And he would miss them. It was miserable enough to be pining for Laura without seeing Jake and Ryan either. No, he would just have to cope with the situation as it was. After all, hadn't he already spent years covering up his feelings? He'd just have to keep it up. Surely, with time, he would get over her? Surely there was someone else out there he could fall in love with?

She actually thought he didn't like her. He laughed to himself. He really should have gone into acting because he obviously had a talent for it. He really thought he had given the game away that night, but maybe his barriers were so firmly built that they hadn't come crashing down as much as he had feared. He thought when he had spent half the night kissing her that she might have had some idea of how he felt, but clearly not. She seemed as confused as ever. Jesus, was he really that cut off from his emotions? Had he treated her like any of his conquests? He really thought he hadn't but maybe he knew no other way. What did Jake like to call him ? A heartless man whore? Well that was what he must be from now on. He had had a moment of weakness in Ryan's kitchen when he told Laura he couldn't stop thinking about her and again in the car last night when he had been so tempted to kiss her, but never again. He had to convince Laura he didn't care, to protect them both.

Ryan turned up unannounced at his apartment that night, hands thrust into his pockets and a scowl on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Nathan asked, as Ryan pushed past him and sat down heavily on the couch.

He mumbled something incomprehensible.

"Want a beer?" Nathan asked and fetching two bottles, sat down next to his friend and waited it out, apprehension knotting his stomach. What the hell was up?

"What happened with Jenny?" Ryan eventually asked.

It was the last thing Nathan had expected him to say, and he wasn't proud of himself, but for a moment he thought, who the hell is Jenny? Then he remembered and he twisted the bottle in his hand wary of saying anything at all when he had no idea what the point of this interrogation was going to be. "Jenny?" he eventually asked because Ryan was just staring at the floor.

"Yeh, Jenny. Remember her? The one you fucked and then dumped by text?"

What was he supposed to say? And how the hell did Ryan know about the text?

"She told you?" he asked.

"Yeh, she told me. I won't repeat what she said about you."

"I guess I deserve it," he shrugged.

"You're a fucking loser, Cross," Ryan said, shaking his head and sounding as if he they were back in high school. "You get a woman like Jenny throwing herself at you and what do you do? You dump her."

"At least I slept with her first," Nathan said, before he could stop himself. "She was damned good, as a matter of fact."

Ryan just stared at him, open mouthed. "Sometimes you deserve a good kicking," he said. "I am hoping that one of these days, someone does just that."

Nathan laughed. "Come on, man! What was I supposed to do when she was offering it on a plate?"

"You were supposed to treat her well," Ryan said incredulously. "A woman like that doesn't come along very often."

"You sound like fucking Jake."

"And what's so bad about that? Jake knows how to make a woman happy. Jake isn't a sad loser like you!"

Nathan kept his mouth shut. This conversation was fast approaching dangerous ground. He decided to use risky tactics. "Wanted Jenny for yourself did you?"

"Fuck off Nathan," Ryan said getting up and throwing his empty bottle in the recycling bin. Nathan couldn't help noticing that even in the midst of an argument he was tidy. "Why do you always pretend to be such a dick?"

Nathan stared at him. What did he mean? Pretend?

Ryan laughed. "You heard me. I know you, man and I've had enough of the act. It's time you stopped pulling the wool over all our eyes."

Nathan felt cold all over. What the hell was he talking about?

"This apartment may have a revolving door but I reckon Jake's right, you're a lonely son of a bitch."

Nathan felt weird. His head had gone all foggy. Maybe it was drinking beer on an empty stomach?

"You are, don't try to deny it. Fuck knows why you keep pushing all these perfectly fine women away but it's got to stop. And for partly selfish reasons I am appointing myself as you saviour."

It was Nathan who was gaping open mouthed at Ryan, now. "Selfish reasons?"

"Yeh. If I manage to find you a girlfriend and persuade you to stick with her then I get all the chicks. 'Cos you'll be unavailable and they won't be throwing themselves at you. If I get you a loud mouthed stroppy girlfriend, then even better."

Nathan continued to stare at him.

"Jake said you need to let down some of your barriers. I'm going to help you."

"Jesus Christ," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Jake's one insightful guy, but I wouldn't go that far." Then pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, he said, "We've made a list."

Welcome to hell, thought Nathan, as Ryan began to read out the names.