Give Me Back Whats Mine ➳ David Dobrik

Chapter Nineteen ➳ The Two Of You Are Usually Attached At The Hip

DAVID

I missed her like she was going away forever.

Which was dumb, as I knew I'd see her in exactly three days.

The entire time Natalie was gone, my mind had run laps around the thought of her and I in bed the night before she left.

I would be lying if I said that the idea of me going in there had been completely innocent.

My bed had been free and clear. Carly and Erin had gone home hours earlier.

But I'd been keeping Natalie at an arms length for a week. And I was exhausted.

Just one moment. I'd told myself. I just need one moment with her.

My brain kept coming back to her hands on my chest and the feeling of her lips brushing over mine as she spoke. The moment had gotten out of hand so damn quickly.

I'd watched her fuss about her room, knowing that she was worried about getting in beside me.

Nat. Come to bed.

And so she had. She'd changed into her pajamas and slid in next to me. It was in that moment that my body registered just how much of a bad idea the whole thing was.

I think you need to go sleep in the living room. And I think I need to go away for a couple of days.

Her words had been crushing.

They were probably also the very thing that I had been running laps around the most. Around and around and around. Like a hamster stuck in its own wheel.

The next morning, when she told me where she was going and what she was doing and who she was going with, I felt a surge of relief.

And panic.

I was relieved that I'd get a few days to myself, a few days where I wouldn't have to actively be thinking about the way in which I conducted myself around her. I wouldn't have to think about not touching her, or the things I wanted to say to her but couldn't. I could just let my mind relax.

But at the same time the idea of her going to Santa Monica with Fletcher caused me a horrific amount of panic.

What if she came back with a boyfriend?

The idea of her and Fletcher sent me reeling.

I'd obviously known that they'd been seeing each other, but my saving grace throughout the entire thing had been the fact that they weren't exclusive.

What if when I saw her up in the mountains, that had changed.

It was almost enough to keep me at home.

'Why are you being so difficult this morning?' Taylor asked as she packed our stuff into the Tesla.

'I just ...' How was I supposed to tell her I was kind of scared to see Natalie? Scared about what she might tell me when we got there. 'I just get the feeling that I'm forgetting something.'

'We've double checked everything, Dave. We really need to get going, we're already going to be the last ones to arrive.'

'I just need to ...'

'Get you're ass in the car. Like now.'

I couldn't help but laugh.

Taylors true personality had definitely made an appearance in the last few days.

Without Natalie here, Taylor had stepped into both roles. And she'd done really well. She'd almost kept up to me, pace for pace. And she'd definitely dealt with my up-at-all-hours bullshit that I usually reserved for Natalie.