| Isabella |

After my encounter with Nathan, I spent the rest of the day a mess. Unable to concentrate and therefore unable to get any work done. The number of times I caught myself staring off into space, completely absorbed in my own world, was getting to be too high. And what was worse, seeing him today made me realized I had missed him. I didn't want to miss him, definitely not when I knew nothing was ever going to happen between us. And, it had only been a week since we ended things, so seeing him so soon was bound to be painful, I just wished it wasn't.

So finally, when 5 o'clock rolled around, I nearly sprinted out of there. I felt like the office itself was toxic, restricting my mind and my breathing but I knew it wasn't, no it was the man who consumed my thoughts that's was truly toxic.

I just wanted to go home and relax, I wanted to get into a hot bath and then sleep for days. I could feel how tired I was in my eyes.

But as soon as I walked in the front door, the sight in front of me was almost too much to bear.

A glass vase, filled with brilliant red roses, so big I wasn't sure I could lift it without struggling, sat on my kitchen counter. The lights were on, allowing the roses to gleam as brightly as they could, and I instantly knew who they were from.

I stepped forward, my voice gone and my mind asking how he could do this to me.

"Izzy?" I hear Rachael call. I want to answer her but I can't, I just stare, slowly stepping towards the daunting flowers. I pluck the white card from its stand between the roses and open it.

I frowned, reading the card three times over before I set it down, still trying to process. It was over, anything I had had with Nathan was over and he still sends me these? With this fucking note? Who the hell did he think he was?

"Hey, are you okay?" Asks Rachael and I look over my shoulder. She's in her pajamas, curlers in her hair and a worried expression on her face.

"What the fuck is this?" I mutter, more to myself than to her. She frowns deeply.

"Are they from Nathan?"

"Yes." I say slowly. "And you know what, its strange because I don't understand why."

"Well, get rid of them then." She says and I glance back to her, confusion etched in my face. "He can't just send you flowers like that and expect it to be all better."

I shake my head.

"You know what, no, I'm done." I feel something spark inside me. Anger. I was angry. Rachael opens her mouth to speak but in one swift motion I have grabbed the card off the counter, along with my purse and I have stormed out the door.

_

Martha stands as soon as she sees me come storming into the lobby outside Nathan's office from the elevator. Her face alarmed.

"He's not available right now Ms. Smith." She says strongly.

"Shut up." I snap, pushing right past her as she rushes to block me. I shove hard against the giant wooden doors and they swing open with a bang.

Inside, Nathan is sitting with his brother Jackson at the conference table, looking over some charts. Jackson nearly falls out of his chair when the crash echoes around the room, even Nathan looked startled, even more so when he saw me.

"Isabella what-" but I'm not listening to him, I storm right in.

"Who the hell do you think you are you fucking asshole?" I snap, cutting him off and his eyes widen. I march right up to where he's sitting and slam the card down on the table in front of him. "What the fuck is this?"

"I sent that-" but I cut him off again.

"I know you sent it you idiot, what I don't understand is why. Why the hell would you be that stupid? It's over, why can't you leave it?" I demand and he sighs a little, his eyes looking tired.

"I wanted to apologize." He starts his tone surprisingly soft. I laugh, and throw my hands up in the air.

"Apologize?" I shout. "Dear Isabella, I'm sorry I just wanted to fuck you and not have a real relationship with you." I start, my tone venomous. "Why apologize? Why fucking apologize when you don't even mean it."

I'm shouting now, having completely lost it. Nathan is starting to look irritated.

"Jackson, can you give us a minute?" He asks his brother, who has already dashed to the doors and is in the process of leaving.

"On it! Good luck!" He calls before the doors close and we're alone. He stands, eyes narrowed.

"I don't know why you did that, I'm leaving right now." I say shaking my head and pursing my lips.

"No, no, you are not leaving." He snaps. "I was trying to do the right thing by sending you those flowers because I am sorry, even if you don't believe me."

"Oh my god stop lying." I snarl and he takes a deep breath.

"Stop interrupting me." He says, and I can tell he's trying to stay calm, but it won't last. I wait for him to keep going but instead he just stands there, fighting something on the inside and I'm sick of waiting.

"Well, this was a nice talk." I say, turning on my heal and making to walk out of the office, but his hand on my arm stops me as he catches up to me.

"Wait Isabella." He says. "I am sorry okay? I didn't want to hurt you, I was- I just got so overwhelmed with everything going on between us."

I spin around, glaring.

"You could have told me that instead of being such a huge asshole about it." I say and he shakes his head slightly.

"I don't know how to handle this kind of thing." He starts and I sigh.

"Nathan you have to say what you mean, I am so sick of you not talking, not communicating, you need to just tell me what your thinking or feeling or not feeling." He looks pained.

"You have to understand I'm bad at this kind of thing, okay? I've spent my whole life just hooking up with different women, no strings attached." He pauses, taking a breath. "But you were different, right from the beginning. You were so . . . alive and carefree at that party. I don't know, I just, I've never wanted something more and with you I did. And that . . . fucked with me."

"But, that night, you told me you just wanted to sleep with me. Which I guess, I should have seen coming, like you said, but . . . I still don't understand." I say, quiet now, his words still not fully sunken in. I almost couldn't believe how open he was suddenly being with me.

"I did- I didn't mean it when I told you all I wanted from you was sex. I, there was always something more - and, like I said, it scared me." He says, his voice sounding a bit strange. I feel all the anger from before go out, like the flame on a candle, and suddenly it hits me. I had been right.

"You do like me. You like me so much it scares you." I say softly and he flinches slightly at those words. I want to reach out to him but I stand my ground.

"I don't know." He mutters. "I mean, I felt- something, I mean I feel something when I'm with you, it's not like this with any other girl, it's so . . . strong and I got freaked out."

"So you ended it?"

"If I became your boyfriend, I realized then you would want more, a future, marriage, I don't know. When I thought that, it fucked with me because I can't commit to a future like that." He says, looking down. "But when I saw you with Shawn, I couldn't handle thinking that you might have a future with someone else, someone whose not me. And you were never a nuisance, I know I acted like it sometimes, but that's because you didn't give a shit that I was so cold towards you. You so easily just brushed it off and kept after me. I- I liked that you did that I think." He pauses again, like the last thing he has to say is almost too much. "I guess, I liked that you didn't give up on me so easily."He finishes, looking back up at me. I smile softly, and it occurs to me that maybe I am seeing the real Nathan. He's not cold and calculated, he's . . . vulnerable. A word I never thought I'd use to describe him.

"But we've kind of already been through this, and I like that you're opening up, but, what does this mean for us?" I ask quietly, trying to show him I appreciated what he was saying but that I needed him to define things. I take a few steps toward him and he walks swiftly to meet me taking my hands in his. His gaze is so endearing, and my breathe is caught in my throat because he is so close now. He's strong but he's trying to tell me how he feels, it's almost overwhelming.

"Do you want to date me?" He starts slowly, but then he shakes his head. "No, I know that's what you want, and if you'll give me another chance . . ." He pauses and I hold my breath wondering if he was actually going to say it. "Then I want to be your boyfriend."

"Really?" I gasp. And he nods slowly, looking into my eyes so deeply it almost frightens me. "I know, Nathan trust me, I know you didn't want that before and I don't want to force you into anything."

"You aren't." He says imploringly. "I want this because I can't handle not being with you or seeing you with someone else. Why do you think I showed up at your office today? Or sent you those roses?" I smile, and then hug him, unable to keep myself from touching him. And he hugs me back, a deep sigh blowing past his lips as he brings me as close as he can to him. He holds me so tightly I think he'll never let go.

"Then yes." I whisper. "Yes, I want to be your girlfriend and I want you to be my boyfriend. And we can take it one day at at time, nice and slow."

"Good." He says quietly, pulling me even closer, if that was possible. "Thank you for listening to me." He murmurs, so softly I almost don't hear him. I suddenly wonder who made him so closed off, who made him scared to tell people what he was feeling, and who had given up on him. I pull back, my arms still around his neck, and look at him. I bring one hand to hold his cheek.

"I will always be here to listen, okay? Whatever you need, I'll be here." I tell him and the expression on his face is new, it's different. He kisses me then, really kisses me, like he hasn't ever done before. I can feel some type of emotion, I can feel that he's willing to give me more. I kiss him back, as hard as I can, returning all his pressure. His lips break from mine and find their place on my cheeks, then my neck. I gasp, giggling a little.

"Hmm, I've missed kissing you." He murmurs and I smile.

"I've missed it too." I say and he chuckles. His hands run down my body, feeling every part of me he can. He brings his lips back to mine and lifts me suddenly, making me gasp in surprise. He takes me to the conference table, setting me down there and pushing my blazer off my shoulders so he can kiss them.

I grip his hair in my hands, sighing. And he presses himself into me, only making me want him more. I'd never been this way with anyone, no one had ever made me want them all the time.

"Nathan." I whisper and he brings his face back to eye level with me. "Are we really going to have sex in your office?"

"That's a little forward of you isn't it?" He asks, grinning at me as he leans in to me, making me bend all the way back until I'm lying flat on the glass table. His eyes are dark, mischievous. "Why? Afraid you'll be too loud?"

I laugh lightly. "No." I whisper, my voice caught in my throat at our proximity.

"Hmm good. Then I don't see a problem with it." He returns his lips to mine, kissing me deeply as his hands run up to the hem of my pencil skirt, teasing me. And just when I think I'll lose it, the doors to the office open.

"Nathan I was- holy shit I am so sorry."

Nathan stands instantly, and I sit up, my cheeks turning bright red as I desperately try to fix my skirt. Jackson stands there, smirking, I guess he hadn't really left.

"I see you two made up." He says, a devilish look on his face.

"Jackson." Says Nathan, his tone warning. And Jackson only laughs, walking and clapping him on the back. Nathan looks more uncomfortable by the second and gives me an apologetic look as I slowly get off the table.

"Well I'm just happy because then mom will finally get off my back about making sure you two get together." He says and Nathan groans.

"Are you serious?" Asks Nathan, looking irritated.

"Yes she's been calling me nonstop since you came to stay with us in Florida Isabella." He says to me and I smile awkwardly. Grabbing my blazer from the table and hugging it tightly to my chest. I felt so embarrassed. He grins at both of us.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." He pats Nathan on the back again. "Just promise me you two will keep it down, I don't want poor Martha to be too uncomfortable."

And with that, he's gone, closing the doors behind him, laughing to himself.

"Oh my god." I say, putting my head in my hands and Nathan bursts out laughing. I look up at him. "Why are you laughing?"

He shakes his head, still cracking up, his eyes crinkling at the edges and a smile bright on his face.

"It's funny." He insists, taking me in his arms and I rest my head on his chest, trying to hide from the situation we'd just been caught in.

"You have a sick sense of humor." I mumble and he only hugs me tighter.

"Come on, you have to admit that was at least a little funny." He pushes and I sigh, giggling a little.

"I guess." I mutter, pulling back to look up at him again, he looks down at me, and he looks happy.

"Maybe we should continue this back at my apartment." He suggests and I nod. But then I think of Racheal who is probably still very concerned.

"Okay, I just have to let Rachael know I'm okay." I say. "When I left our place to come over here I was really angry." I admit, laughing.

"Alright then, lets go back to yours." He says and I grin, looping my arms around his neck. And then I kiss him.

_

Hello Friends!

Another chapter update coming soon! Stay tuned!

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-Keara Rose