I'm Sorry I Still Love You (Gabenath)

Chapter Eleven

The lights were dim, nearly half of the guests were gone for the night, but Gabriel wasn't in the mood to wait much longer. He finally excused himself, taking Nathalie by the wrist so subtly, she barely felt his touch. It wasn't until she looked down that she saw his hand was wrapped around her pale wrist and he was pulling her in his direction that she reacted.

Nathalie moved her feet, following his path until they disappeared from the elegant venue and into the hallway of the hotel where the event had just taken place. He was overly serious, almost too quiet. Strange given the fact that the show had been a success. The reviews were going to be preeminent in every way. However, she didn't need to wait long to figure out what was wrong with him. His eyes glowed with that sight of anxiousness she knew well.

"Where's Adrien?"

"Placide has taken him home already."

"Let's go, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Gabriel guided her through the long hallways of the hotel until they reached the entrance to the largest suite on that floor. She watched him dig into the pockets of his blazer until he found the key card to then open the door and let her in.

There was a little pressure on her chest as she observed him pull a chair out to then let himself fall on it rather abruptly. He seemed trapped, upset, or perhaps just tired. Gabriel motioned for her to take a seat, and slowly Nathalie sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for him to speak, but he didn't. There was an eerie silence to the room as neither of them dared to utter a single word.

"What's wrong, Gabriel?" It was she who finally spoke, breaking that uncomfortable silence.

He glanced up to the sound of her voice. The voice that always brought him comfort and peace, and having her in front of him almost made him want to tell her the truth. He wanted to say a lot of things, Gabriel wanted to say that he loved her. But his lips were glued shut, and he could only stare at her with a certain look of sadness.

"What did you want to tell me?"

A couple of nights ago, Gabriel had decided he'd try again. It'd be his biggest step forward since starting his pursuit for the miraculous. It was a plan he'd been considering for weeks, and he'd finally tell her, but as Nathalie sat in front of him waiting for him to speak, Gabriel wasn't sure he wanted to move forward with this new plan. He should probably let it all go was his immediate thought. He should have told her that he loves her, yet he didn't. He simply began delivering his plan in a slow but deliberate manner.

"I've decided I'll corner the heroes at the Eiffel Tower." He finally let it out.

Nathalie looked at him in confusion. "How are you planning to do that?"

He handed her a sheet of paper, the steps were lined up, and as she read it, Nathalie realized he'd been planning this for a long time. Her heart tightened, Gabriel wasn't willing to stop. And she wasn't willing to ask him to do so either, so with a firm nod she agreed.

She handed him the paper again. "If this is what you want." Blue eyes couldn't hide the feeling of sadness creeping up inside her. A million things crossed her mind all at once, and a strange flutter invaded the pit of her stomach. It was as if a little voice begged for her to speak up, begging her to not let him do this. Like something was telling her they were making a terrible mistake. Not brave enough to say anything, Nathalie only asked, "shall I create the sentimonster?"

Gabriel nodded. "That's what I need you to do, Nathalie. The sentimonster will be the key to my success."

"I will do that then."

He smiled at her, slowly moving towards the bed to take a seat beside her.

"What would I do without you?" He caressed her cheek with such gentleness. That constant feeling of guiltiness quickly grew as he examined the sweet glow of her blue gaze. "I shouldn't be asking for your help. Do you want me to do this, do you want me to continue my pursuit for the miraculous?"