The Loneliest Stars

Chapter 27

"Babe, I'm sorry I really need to get a run in this morning. I promise, you can join me on an evening run."

Natalia had been offended for hours by Gabe's insinuation that she would slow him down. It was true, he was capable of amazing physical feats and she in comparison had the athleticism of a newborn colt.

He also told her that her body was perfect but if she still wanted to take up a more intense exercise routine he would make time for her. Natalia had glowed at his compliment and his promise; so she couldn't hold her grudge for too long.

She would never admit it out loud but she only asked to join him on his run because the thought of separation; even if brief made her palms sweat. Lima was right, she did have it bad.

Natalia groaned out loud at her thoughts, in the coffee shop queue that she was in, causing the other patrons to turn around and look at her.

"Sorry, as you were," she dithered like the Brit she was, and got even more peculiar looks. That's right people didn't apologise for no reason in Texas. She was just making herself stand out even more.

She still couldn't believe that she had admitted her love for him. It was as terrifying as it was freeing. It felt like a boulder had been lifted from her shoulders and there was a splint second where she feared that she had messed up, she had interpreted everything wrong and that he didn't feel the same.

But he had. She could never forget the emotion in his eyes. The love had been there for a while, how could she have read it to be anything else? Her brain was starting to accept that it wasn't such a bad thing, not when he'd be there to catch her. He made it so easy to be in love.

It was also surprisingly easy to get a day off to run errands, Natalia found, when your boss makes you her bitch. Ella, really negotiated like a mob boss.

For the most part Ella had everything under control for the upcoming party, how she had managed to do that and run a school at the same time was beyond Natalia's pay grade. She had hired a venue, and all Natalia had to do was pick up some supplies and pretend to be taking Gabe out for a birthday dinner instead of a party.

He had been very nonchalant about his birthday, claiming that he didn't really celebrate it. Neither did she, in that respect they were very similar but she loved spoiling other people on theirs. She was excited for his reaction.

She had already completed the tasks Ella had given her to do and was now going to pick up Lima from the airport and on the way back she was going to collect an order from the specialist military supply store. When she had stalked Gabe some more, including rifling through his house for clues she had discovered that he loved gadgets of all sorts especially military grade tactical ones.

With plenty of YouTube videos to guide her, she had updated some of the equipment she had found in his garage and hoped for the best. The real present, in her opinion, was waiting under her bed, in a lux white box from a brand she never had the guts to buy things from before.

"Aaaaaaaaah!" She knew that exuberant scream anywhere.

Lima was running toward her with full speed, having dropped her bags on the airport floor. They hugged like long lost relatives, Lima crying dramatically, actual tears were dripping down her cheeks.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, you slag," she complained which made Natalia's body shake with even more laughter.

"What kind of man are you dating?" Lima asked, eyeing the packages Natalia had picked up from the military supply store. She had waited in the car so didn't know what kind of shop Natalia had entered.