She opened her eyes and realized immediately it was morning but she didn’t feel like getting up. She had that feeling, the one that made her bring her knees to her chest and wrap her arms around her torso, just to keep herself together. But then something moved next to her. She had forgotten that she wasn’t in her apartment. Just another one night stand. She slowly and quietly climbed out of bed, grabbed her clothes and her purse and tried to sneak out. He moved again. She got scared, but managed to make it out of the room. She got dressed really quickly and stormed out of the nameless owner’s apartment.
The smell of morning New York would have helped, if she wasn’t so ashamed that once again she ended up in a stranger’s bed. She thought of him while walking up 6th Avenue, because she knew she was acting out to his behavior. It was over for her. Helena has had enough of him and his explosions. She had to move quickly because she was approaching his place and it was already time for him to go to work. She turned right on West 23rd Street to go though Madison Square Park, where she would otherwise be sitting with her morning coffee, but this wasn’t the time. She kept moving quickly, trying to forget about last night and more specific this morning. But thank god she was drunk last night and didn’t really remembered that much, and then it happened. Helena saw him and something inside her flickered, but she had to keep a straight face, not give any emotions away. He should let her go, leave her life, forget her.
When he saw her, his face light up. He seemed happy and excited. He walked straight at her while she kept going with her face looking down.
“Hey beautiful”, he said.
“Hey Nate”, she replied reluctantly.
“How are you? What are you doing out so early?” Nathan asked with that boyish grin she adored.
Helena tried to be nonchalant about it and hide her smile. “I spend the night at a friend’s; I was too wasted to go home. You know how I am.” She didn’t want him to know what she was doing to get over him. But unfortunately he knew all of her friends.
“None of your friends leave nearby”, he noticed and then looked at her from head to toe and realized she was lying. He knew how she was after a “sleepover”. Helena was looking at him, without being able to reply. Even though she wanted it to be over for her, she still had feelings for the guy. And then he surprised her by asking, “Who was it?”. She was embarrassed, not so much that she had done it, but he had found out and he was looking her with judgment in his eyes. Like he had forgotten his mistakes. The ones she had forgiven him about, but kept doing.
“It’s none of your business”, she answered in a cold quick motion, and started walking away. He caught up with her, clearly restraining himself from asking more questions and tried to lighten the mood and change the topic. He knew if he kept asking more questions it would backfire.
“You’re right. It’s none of my business. What is my business though, is having you over tonight. I have something to show you”, he said overexcited in a husky voice.
She wanted to, but she had to be firm, they had to get on with their lives. There was just too much drama in that relationship. So the only answer she had to give him was “No.”
“Oh, don’t say that. You don’t mean it and I can see it in your eyes. You know you can’t fool me. I know you”, he replied with certainty. “You’ll get to see Jake again. I know he misses you”, he added.
Helena knew she had lost. She couldn’t resist Jake, Nathan’s pure white Labrador. They had him since he was a puppy, unable to feed itself. She remembered how they spent every night for the first month they adopted Jake, waking up in the middle of the night to calm him because he was afraid of the storms. She loved him. She couldn’t abandon him.
“Ok, Nathan. See you tonight. Now go to work. Go on!” and she walked away without letting him say anything. At least she had a few hours to prepare herself. Build that defensive wall higher.
She came out of the elevator and immediately smelled the fresh coffee coming out of her apartment. Emma must be up, she thought. That was good; she could help her with the whole Nathan mess, that was about to happen.
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