Everything is fine... (Negovanman)

It's going to be fine...

Back in the hotel room her mind started to wonder off again to the interview. Replaying that part of the interview over and over again, trying to make sense of what happened. Wondering if she could have handled it differently, if she was too obvious, if Elise noticed her panic? Because she is here, right now, waiting for her to say something, anything that could explain her behavior.

Natasha took a deep breath as she went to sit up and speak but was stopped by Elise. "I'm sorry..." She let's out a sigh while looking down to her feet but continued on, causing Natasha to look up with a surprised look on her face. "I know there is something wrong and I feel like I'm the one responsible for it, for leaving you alone to deal with all of this by yourself these last couple of months. I didn't know things would blow up like this, if I did than I would never have gone to LA."
She didn't dare to make eye contact with Natasha, afraid that if she did she herself would start to cry.

Natasha looked at Elise feeling all kinds of sadness run through her. 'She thinks this is her fault? I have to tell her that this is not her fault, that it is because of me, that I have feelings for her, that I want more than just this friendship, but I don't know how. I don't want to lose her. I can't lose my best friend over this even if it means I have to keep lying to myself... and to her.'

Natasha stood up and pulled a surprised Elise in for a hug, letting her arms wrap around Elise's shoulders and the back of her neck while Elise wrapped her arms around Natasha's waist placing her head on the front of her shoulder.
"Stop, this is not your fault okay? Yes, I have been taking on a lot of projects lately and flying from one time zone into the next is probably a big no-no right now 'cause it's not exactly helping with the bags that are currently under my eyes. Maybe I should take things easy right now because there are times when I'm just so tired. But that's all this is."
She pulls back from hugging Elise and cups her face gently with her hands, looking right in those beautiful eyes of her. "But all that, I brought onto myself, it definitely does not mean that this is your fault so please stop thinking like that, okay?"
Elise was fighting to keep her tears at bay but failed when a few rolled down her cheeks which Natasha gently wiped away with her thumbs.
"It's going to be fine, I just need some time to get everything back on track. That's all." She pulled Elise back into a hug when she felt like she was about to cry, taking a deep breath in the process trying to push her tears down because she didn't want to make things worse. "I'm just going through some things, things that I don't want to bother you with."

Elise then pulled out of the hug with confused, red, puffy eyes. "Nat, if there is something bothering you, whatever it is, I want you to know that you can talk to me. It doesn't matter if I'm in TO or LA or even Timbuktu for all I care! It hurts me seeing you like this, knowing there is something I could do. That's what friends are for!"
She was trying to make eye contact with the taller girl but she wouldn't have it. Slowly she could feel Natasha's hold losing grip and before she knew it she was left standing there by herself.

Natasha walked away without saying a word. Still not making any eye contact she sat back down on the bed looking at the ground.
"Listen, I'm very tired and seeing how we are supposed to be flying back this afternoon I just really would like to get a few hours of sleep."

Taken aback by the sudden change in Natasha's attitude Elise looked away frowning, looking towards the door and then back to Natasha, shaking her head. "If you think that I'm just going to walk away without you even looking at me, after what just happened, you don't know me very well."

"Well, maybe I don't know you anymore." Natasha answered, looking up at Elise and immediately regretted what she said as a wide-eyed Elise looked back at her, scoffed and shook her head lightly.

"I'm just.. I don't even know what to say anymore."

"I'm sorry.. Elise, I didn't mean that!" Natasha said with fear in her eyes.