her arm.
Lifting her eyes, she smiled sadly. "I'm scared Drew." She exhaled. "Really scared."
"Well despite you finishing ahead of me in school I really have become pretty good at this whole surgery thing," he teased.
Chuckling softly, she shook her head. "I'm sure you have."
"I'm going to take good care of you," he told her more seriously. "I promise."
Her fingers curled around her locket and she rhythmically rubbed the smooth gold. "I was thinking of you this morning," she laughed nervously. "They gave me pancakes for breakfast - they were awful
- but it reminded me of all those mornings the three of us spent at the Original Pancake House."
He nodded as he laughed lightly. "And you would always challenge me to eat the Dutch Baby."
"And you always did."
"While Eric made snorting noises," he added. Falling quiet, he tilted his head to the side. "We had some really good times, the three of us."
Inhaling sharply, she continued to finger her locket.
"Yeah."
He watched the way she held the locket, like it was a talisman of some kind; his curiosity was peaked. "What's in the locket?"
Her cheeks flushed, the first appearance of color since her
arrival at the hospital. "Just...just something that makes me feel less alone."
Leaning forward, he brought his arms to rest on his knees. "You aren't alone," he told her. "You never were. I wish...I
wish you had known that back then, maybe you would have made different choices."
"And not wrecked Eric's life, you mean" she finished for him, trying to keep the accusation from her voice and failing.
"Yeah. Or yours."
Uncomfortable, she let go of her locket. "So...uh...what about you? Have you finally found someone worthy?"
Scoffing, he shook his head. "Same question as
always," he joked. "You know me Nat, I'm not good with relationships with women"
"You always used to joke that I was the best relationship with a woman you ever had."
"You were," he answered softly. "You were who I ran to when I needed someone to just listen. Eric is my best friend but you...you always just knew how to give me what I needed whether it was a kick in the ass or a hug." Pausing, his tongue darted out and swiped at his
lips. "I missed having that in my life. I missed you." Nathalie dropped her eyes and said nothing. "I don't think I realized that until just now. I think I spent so much time being angry with you for reducing my
friend to rubble that I didn't realize that I was angry with you for leaving me too."
Several tears trickled down her face. Swiping aimlessly at them, she met his gaze. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I know you are."
The idea of Eric being reduced to rubble was such a vivid image for her and it threatened the squeeze all the air from her body. She had known, even when she was leaving, that he would be hurt, but it never occurred
to her that he would be so affected. It was not that she had doubted his feelings for her but she had never allowed herself to fully realize the impact of her choices.
"So really there isn't a single girl you've met that
makes you want to settle down?" she teased trying to lighten the mood.
He shrugged lightly. "There is one-"
"A ha!"
He smiled. "There is one but she's dealing with some
stuff and hides pretty far behind her walls. I'm not sure...I'm not sure I'm who she needs but she kind of makes me wish I was."
Nathalie chewed on her bottom lip. "Don't let a few
walls scare you away," she offered. "Some of the best treasures can be found on the other side. If she's worth the effort, don't let her go."
"Was Eric not worth the effort, Nat?" he asked
softly, his kind tone softening the blow of the question.
She swallowed thickly "I guess I deserved that." She responded as glanced at her hands. "I honestly thought he would be better without me, that I would hold him back from his dreams - the life he
wanted."
"You need to understand something," he began, knowing his friend's heart still belonged to the woman in front of
Lifting her eyes, she smiled sadly. "I'm scared Drew." She exhaled. "Really scared."
"Well despite you finishing ahead of me in school I really have become pretty good at this whole surgery thing," he teased.
Chuckling softly, she shook her head. "I'm sure you have."
"I'm going to take good care of you," he told her more seriously. "I promise."
Her fingers curled around her locket and she rhythmically rubbed the smooth gold. "I was thinking of you this morning," she laughed nervously. "They gave me pancakes for breakfast - they were awful
- but it reminded me of all those mornings the three of us spent at the Original Pancake House."
He nodded as he laughed lightly. "And you would always challenge me to eat the Dutch Baby."
"And you always did."
"While Eric made snorting noises," he added. Falling quiet, he tilted his head to the side. "We had some really good times, the three of us."
Inhaling sharply, she continued to finger her locket.
"Yeah."
He watched the way she held the locket, like it was a talisman of some kind; his curiosity was peaked. "What's in the locket?"
Her cheeks flushed, the first appearance of color since her
arrival at the hospital. "Just...just something that makes me feel less alone."
Leaning forward, he brought his arms to rest on his knees. "You aren't alone," he told her. "You never were. I wish...I
wish you had known that back then, maybe you would have made different choices."
"And not wrecked Eric's life, you mean" she finished for him, trying to keep the accusation from her voice and failing.
"Yeah. Or yours."
Uncomfortable, she let go of her locket. "So...uh...what about you? Have you finally found someone worthy?"
Scoffing, he shook his head. "Same question as
always," he joked. "You know me Nat, I'm not good with relationships with women"
"You always used to joke that I was the best relationship with a woman you ever had."
"You were," he answered softly. "You were who I ran to when I needed someone to just listen. Eric is my best friend but you...you always just knew how to give me what I needed whether it was a kick in the ass or a hug." Pausing, his tongue darted out and swiped at his
lips. "I missed having that in my life. I missed you." Nathalie dropped her eyes and said nothing. "I don't think I realized that until just now. I think I spent so much time being angry with you for reducing my
friend to rubble that I didn't realize that I was angry with you for leaving me too."
Several tears trickled down her face. Swiping aimlessly at them, she met his gaze. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I know you are."
The idea of Eric being reduced to rubble was such a vivid image for her and it threatened the squeeze all the air from her body. She had known, even when she was leaving, that he would be hurt, but it never occurred
to her that he would be so affected. It was not that she had doubted his feelings for her but she had never allowed herself to fully realize the impact of her choices.
"So really there isn't a single girl you've met that
makes you want to settle down?" she teased trying to lighten the mood.
He shrugged lightly. "There is one-"
"A ha!"
He smiled. "There is one but she's dealing with some
stuff and hides pretty far behind her walls. I'm not sure...I'm not sure I'm who she needs but she kind of makes me wish I was."
Nathalie chewed on her bottom lip. "Don't let a few
walls scare you away," she offered. "Some of the best treasures can be found on the other side. If she's worth the effort, don't let her go."
"Was Eric not worth the effort, Nat?" he asked
softly, his kind tone softening the blow of the question.
She swallowed thickly "I guess I deserved that." She responded as glanced at her hands. "I honestly thought he would be better without me, that I would hold him back from his dreams - the life he
wanted."
"You need to understand something," he began, knowing his friend's heart still belonged to the woman in front of
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