Coming Back Home

Chapter 39

The next morning, I was assuming that Natalie would be back to normal and we could go back to how things were. Unfortunately I assumed wrong.

She seemed to be getting to work earlier just to avoid me. I found her sitting in her office again and thought I'd try to talk and see if I had any luck.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked as I stood in her doorway.

"Morning," she said unenthusiastically.

"So," I said as I shut the door behind me.

She looked up from her desk with a pained look in her eyes.

"Can we talk today, or are you still going to keep me guessing as to what's going on with you?" I continued.

Natalie sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hand. Whatever this was it was obviously taking a toll on her.

"Mads I just - I um, I need a few days, okay? I can't really explain right now," she said as she looked down at her desk.

It was like she couldn't even look at me.

"Right," I said as I turned and opened the door, "got it."

I slowly walked back to my office feeling completely confused. The only explanation I could possibly think of was Kyle.

I had to respect her saying she needed a few days, but damn it this was weird. It was going to drive me crazy not knowing what was going through her mind.

"Still having Natalie problems?" Ella asked as I walked by her office.

I stopped and went back to her doorway, putting my finger up to my mouth and motioning for her to be quiet.

"You're still the only one here that knows...but yes," I admitted.

"Damn, I'm sorry," Ella said, "just do me a favor and don't go back to making it super awkward, okay?"

She gave me a teasing grin and I shook my head at her.

"Uh huh, I'll do my best," I responded.

***

The next couple of weeks went by and I did my best to give Natalie the space that she needed. Luckily I hadn't seen Kyle during our little break, or I would've felt much more alone than I already had been.

Natalie had told me she needed a few days, but after this time had passed, I still couldn't get anything out of her.

Work wasn't terrible, but it was pretty obvious to everyone that we weren't on great terms anymore. Natalie was still polite enough to acknowledge me and casually say hi, but that was about it.

It was basically the same pattern day in and day out. We'd say hi to each other, I'd try to give her the chance to talk to me, and she wouldn't take it. It was killing me.

It had been just over two weeks since Natalie said she needed "a few days," and I finally decided I couldn't do it anymore.

I went over to her apartment on a Saturday afternoon and felt my palms sweating as I knocked on the door.

I nervously rubbed my hands against my pants as I waited. I stood there for a minute and was about to give up when I heard footsteps coming.

"Just a second," I heard Natalie say from inside.

I could feel my heart beating quickly against my chest and took a breath to try and calm down. I shouldn't have been this nervous, but I was very worried about how this was going to go.

Natalie opened the door, and when her eyes met mine, it looked like she had been hoping for anyone but me to be standing there.

"I've given you more than a few days, I have to know what's going on," I said.

"Mads you shouldn't be here," she said as she shook her head and glanced both ways down the hallway.

"What? Natalie you have to tell me what the hell is going on. I - I don't understand what happened," I pleaded with her.

"Madison listen," she said, "I just can't do this, I need you to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere until you explain this to me," I said, "you wanted space for a few days, fine, I gave that to you, but I'm not accepting that you supposedly just can't do this and that's that."

I felt a lump forming in my throat and tried to steady my voice as my anger grew.

"Madison..." Natalie said as she gave me a pitying look.

"I know it hasn't been all that long but - but after all of the shit we've been through already, at least have the respect to tell me why you can barely look me in the eye all of a sudden," I said to her desperately.

"I can't..." Natalie started, "I can't handle all of this shit with Kyle, okay? I can't deal with you and your psychotic ex."

I felt my heart sink as I looked down at the ground, she was confirming what I'd been fearing.

"You'd been helping me get through this so much I guess I thought you were um - I didn't know it was taking that much of a toll on you," I said.

"Yeah well it has," Natalie said as she began to sound irritated.

"Then why didn't you tell me anything before it got to this?" I asked.

"Madison, I explained what you wanted me to explain. I'm done," Natalie said as she put her hand on the door.

"But I - " I started before Natalie put her hand up and cut me off.

"You need to leave," she said firmly.

I was getting ready to protest, but Natalie quickly shut the door in my face. I stood there for a second, still not able to comprehend what had just happened. It didn't seem like it was possible.

It felt like my heart had shattered as I gave in and walked away down the hallway.

Not only had I began to fall for Natalie, but she had helped me get through everything that had been going on with Kyle. I didn't know how I was going to make it without her.

It seemed like a switch had flipped so fast for her, it had left me feeling stunned.

I drove back home on auto pilot, hoping that I had just imagined that whole conversation. When I got upstairs, instead of going to my apartment I went over and knocked on Trevor's door.

He came and opened it quickly and took one look at me before he became concerned.

"Madison? What happened?" He asked.

"She broke up with me."

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