Give Me Back Whats Mine ➳ David Dobrik

Chapter Eighteen ➳ The Space, The Distance And The Ocean

NATALIE

'You're a hard girl to pin down.' Fletcher said, smiling at me from across the table we were sat at.

We were having a quick brunch on the terrace of my favorite cafe, absolutely bathed in the LA sunshine.

'I know, I'm so sorry.' I started, pushing my sunglasses up onto the top of my head. 'This last week has just been insane, I haven't really had a moment to myself.'

'Don't apologise.' He laughed. 'I really dig how dedicated to your job you are.'

I couldn't help but blush at the small compliment.

And not that I was counting, but it was the fourth sweet thing he'd said to me since we'd met outside the cafe twenty minutes earlier.

There was just something about the way Fletcher said things. There was a confidence there, but it wasn't smug. It was just genuine and kind of guiltless. There was an ease to it. And I think that was the part that made my cheeks go rosy anytime he said anything about me.

'I just consider myself lucky that we get to catch up now.' He smiled at me.

Again with the red cheeks. I thought.

'Me too.'

'So, fill me in on this crazy time you guys have been having. I know Todd said it's been non-stop since we all got back from New York.'

A small shiver ran through me at the thought of New York. The trip seemed like it had happened both five minutes ago and one whole life time ago. My whole body ached thinking about the time spent leading up to David's late night show debut. And then it ached in a whole different way thinking about everything that had come after.

Snap out of it! My mind all but screamed at me.

'Yeah, it's definitely been crazy ...'

I'd slept for no longer than three hours at a time, sporadically over the last seven days, making sure to be at David's disposable at all times. I'd wanted to make sure he knew that nothing had changed for me, that our life together and this job was still my number one priority.

So it had been one of those times again. A long haul. A marathon stint. Days and days of organised chaos. Just the way we liked it.

But there was something different about this time. Usually it was just David and I, thinking up bits and planning them out, rallying the troops when we needed them. But David had gone ahead and prepared and planned with Taylor, and kept everyone involved every step of the way.

And there was no denying that it was still fun as all get out.

But in the same breath it felt as though David was trying to keep an ocean between us. And I didn't care for the distance or space. I didn't like the subtle arm's length he was keeping me at.

But I'd come to terms with. If that's what he needed to feel safe and if that's what he needed in order to reel himself back from the edge, than I was going to let him have it.

Fletcher and I spent the next hour lounging about in the sun, drinking coffee and talking animatedly at one another.

What I was coming to realise about him was that he was easy. That every time he and I were together, it all sort of just came naturally. I'd never really had that with a boy I was seeing before.

There'd been guys through high school, but looking back at it, it all just felt very immature. There'd been Riley. My boyfriend through college. But everything with him was more about our physical connection than anything real.