Falling in Love + other Conditions of Living

Chapter 28

© kelliekook

"Nathan." Rachel swallowed. "What-what is this?" She stepped in to the room and her vision blurred as she looked around.

Flowers, of all kinds and colours adorned every flat surface of the room – roses, geraniums, tulips, violets. She breathed deeply, their scents mixing. It was beautiful, and Rachel could do nothing but stare as she felt her composure crumbling to her feet.

Nathan smiled, standing right in the middle of them all. "You said your favourite book was The Great Gatsby." He moved forward, gesturing to the room and shrugging, "That's sort of what I was going for. Although, I know this is taken more from the latest movie adaption."

Rachel looked at him, studied his face, his eyes, and felt the dams break.

He rushed forward to embrace her, "Rachel," he whispered, lightly kissing the top of her head, "I'm so sorry Rachel. I shouldn't have reacted that way."

At a loss, Rachel simply laughed. "This is ridiculous!"

Nathan looked around and laughed lightly, "Yes, it is. But what do people always say? Something about how you do crazy things when you're in love..."

Rachel sighed and pulled away from him, "Nathan, what is this exactly?"

"It's my apology." He said, his eyes never leaving hers as he took her hands. "I overreacted, I should have been happy for you. It's a wonderful opportunity. I jumped to conclusions and pushed you away when I should have been congratulating you and telling you the truth – that I would follow you to the ends of the earth. I love y–"

"Don't." Rachel cut in, taking her hands from his and wrapping her arms around her as she stepped back. "Don't say it. You can't just say these things, I need to – I need to move on! I was moving on! You can't tell me you'll come with me, because your life and your career are here, and I love you too much to deny you those things!"

Nathan beamed from ear to ear and began to laugh. "You can't," he began between chuckles, "you can't honestly think I'd let you go after you tell me that?"

"Nathan," Rachel warned, her tone turning scornful as she regarded him, "be serious. There's a lot more to life than love."

He shook his head, smiling. "There isn't much meaning in it without it though, is it?" He stepped forward to pry her hands free. "Rachel, my 'career' has consumed me for too long. Right now, all I really want is to be with you, the rest is just minor details."

"You're being stubborn." Rachel protested, dodging his hand and moving quickly to the opposite side of the room. It was hard to think when he was close.

"I'm being stubborn?" Nathan laughed. "Do you see yourself? You're literally running away from me, refusing to see any of this from my angle!"

"Exactly! Don't you see? I'm not right for you Nathan. You deserve someone who's more on par with you, who can give you so much more than I can."

Nathan raised an eyebrow, "You mean more than brains, beauty and a heart of gold?" He smirked, "I don't think you can ask for anything more than that – no, you know what? I don't even want to. I don't want more than anything you can give me Rachel."

Fumbling for an escape or some sort of definitive excuse, Rachel retreated further and backed in to the wall. "But-but, I leave in three days! What about your job? Your family and friends? The dogs? You can't get ready to start a new life in that amount of time!"

Nathan stepped forward, grinning, "Yes I can. I quit my job yesterday, and as for the rest well, everyone understands. In fact," he chuckled, taking her hands, "they were actually pretty thrilled I was going with you. Including the dogs – even they could see I wasn't meant to be there anymore if you weren't with me."

Rachel bit her lip, as much to stop her shock from showing than anything. Logic, it was her one weakness and he was exploiting it like crazy. Desperate, she tried again, "How can you be so sure I want you with me?" Rachel raised her chin and straightened her shoulders.

He lifted a hand to caress her cheek, her confidence wavered. "Rachel, I love you – I'm in love with you. Tell me now you don't feel the same and I'll never bother you again."

She closed her eyes and sighed, opening them to fix him with a glare. "I hate you, you know that?" She jabbed a finger at his chest, "You know perfectly well I'm a terrible actress, and couldn't for the life of me pull off pretending that I wasn't head-over-heels, madly in love with you! So instead you feed me this ultimatum where I can't say no and you end up with all the fruit in your basket-"

He broke her off with a kiss, pulling away after a moment to laugh. "God I've missed you."

Rachel nodded. "Nathan?"

"Yes, Rachel?"

"Kiss me again, please – properly this time."

He smiled wide, pulled her close, and touched his lips to hers. To Rachel, it was like coming home and as she sunk deeper in to the kiss, in to his taste and his feel she felt everything click in to place.

"I've never loved anyone like this before," She murmured, cupping his face and pressing her forehead to his, "I've never loved anyone like I love you, Nathan Wyatt."

He grinned, wrapping his hands around her wrists. "Right back at you, Rachel West."

She laughed, "That was a terrible reply," but she kissed him lightly anyway, humming as she pulled away, "Please tell me my parents aren't home and have no intention of returning."

Nathan smirked, "They aren't here now but I'm sure they will be in..." Nathan glanced at his wrist, "twenty-four hours."

Rachel seemed to consider this, "Well," she smiled impishly and shifted so their lips were nearly touching, "that should be plenty of time."

With a laugh he lifted her in to his arms, "I don't think you'll ever stop surprising me."

She placed her arms around his neck, "Promise?"

Rachel smirked. Not for the first time since she had met him, she found herself wondering about her future. None of this had been in her lifetime plans, but as she looked in to the gorgeous brown eyes of the man she loved, she could not have cared less.

"For you, Rachel West," Nathan smiled, "I'd do just about anything."