Nathalie's lovers

3

As Gabriel made his way back to his room he found Nathalie lying on the floor whilst uncontrollably sobbing. She must've tried to get up and run after Martin but since she still didn't have enough strength she collapsed.
"Oh Nathalie, why do you always push yourself to your limits." He carefully picked up the crying woman who couldn't even respond. "It hurts me to see you like this." Gabriel mumbled as he walked back to his room and slowly laid her down in bed but once Nathalie's back touched the pillow she exclaimed in pain.
"I-I think I fell on my back."
She looked up to Gabriel who seemed so heartbroken and as he pulled her shirt up to see a very blue bruise tears began forming in his eyes.
"Sir? Are you-"
"Nathalie why do you do this?! Why do you always hurt yourself for others who don't even deserve the slightest bit of affection from you."
"I-...what do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean!! Martin left you sobbing on the floor, and yet you care so much about him, it pains me!"
Gabriel was almost shouting but as he glanced over to Nathalie who was already shaking in fear he stopped speaking for a second and as he got real close to her he wiped away that single lonely tear that rested just below her eye.
Nathalie's breathing became uneasy as she could feel his warm breath near her which for some reason made her want to lean closer and taste those lips but she had to resist.
"Let me take care of you." Gabriel looked back down at her bruises.
"There's no need to-sir!!"
"Nathalie please, you're covered in them."
He throughly examined her back which was all blue and bruised up to the point where it just hurt to look at it.
"I'm fine, trust me." She pulled her shirt down and tried to lay back onto the pillow but as much as she tried it didn't work.
Eventually the assistant fell into tears as all she could feel was burning pain in her back as soon as it touched the cushions.
"I know you're not fine. Just please let me help you. I promise I don't have a weird fetish of looking at bruised backs."
"I-...I didn't think you'd have a fetish-...I just-"
"Do you not trust me?"
Now a long awkward silence filled the room which made Nathalie break the eye contact causing Gabriel to realize that she did indeed have no trust in him.
"What is it? What did I do wrong? Please tell me Nathalie, I want to know why you don't trust me."
Gabriel got closer which only made the assistant shift further away from him until she found herself on the edge of the bed, and now there was no escape.
"Sir-I'm-trying-to-forget-you-...please don't get any closer."
She quickly mumbled all in one which made Gabriel look at her with a surprise expression.
"Forget me?"
"I-...I used to have a...a 'crush', they call it? Well yeah...you were my 'crush'...but I knew you had no interest in such a wreck like me, so I had to find someone who would love me instead of you..."
"Nathalie..." Gabriel completely forgot about her request for him to stay away and before poor Nathalie could move he held her face in his palm, slowly caressing her blushing cheeks. "Do you still have this...'crush' on me?"
"No sir." She immediately replied causing Gabriel's heart to shatter into a million pieces within seconds.
Her expression remained so honest and pure it pained him.
"I understand." The designer sighed as he pulled his hand away and before Nathalie had the chance to apologize he turned off the lamp causing instant darkness to fill the room, and as Nathalie saw him go sleep she did the same.
But once again when the assistant laid back she could feel a sharp pain evolve from her back.
She immediately placed her hand over her mouth to quiet her silent sobbing, and as the day couldn't already get worse she closed her eyes wishing for all of this to be over.

*the next day*

As Nathalie slowly opened her eyes she saw that Gabriel had already left but once the dripping sound of water was heard she realized that he was probably just showering.
Not knowing what to do the assistant pretended to go back to sleep but little did she know this was not going to work out well for her.
As the bathroom door opened Gabriel walked out in a robe and opened his closet to take a close look at all of the different clothing options.
As he pulled out his usual work attire he laid it down onto the bed and when he looked to see Nathalie he saw her eyes were closed, but what surprised him was when she began to speak.
"Sir I'm awake! Please don't get changed here."
"Oh-...I didn't know-...apologies."
"It's alright I just wanted to warn you before-"
"Thank you Nathalie." Gabriel walked back to the bathroom with the outfit in hand and this way Nathalie was left relieved.