Datalie - if the world was ending

Chapter Thirty Eight

'Nat?' David tried knocking again, and was once more met with silence. He tried the door knob and slowly opened the door to Natalie's dark room.

'Nat?' He said again as he entered the room and saw her sitting on her bed with her knees to her chest and head resting on them.

'What's going on? Are you okay?' He said and got closer to Natalie. He reached out for her but she flinched away from his touch. David gave a surprised, sad look at Natalie when she mumbled out.

'Just leave me alone David,' she said quietly into her lap, not looking up at him.

'No, something is wrong. What's going on?' David said from his spot on Natalie's bed, not trying to touch her again.

'JUST GO HAVE DINNER WITH LIZA AND LEAVE ME ALONE!' Natalie finally lifted her head as she screamed at David and his mouth opened in shock.

'Is that what this is about? Nat, it's just dinner,' David spoke quietly and Natalie let out a little sob as she continued to cry.

'You guys are getting back together right? That's what this dinner is for?' Natalie sobbed as she asked the question. She placed her head back into her knees and was shaking from crying.

'Are you on crack? Of course not! Natalie she asked me to go to dinner and I forgot about it! That's it!' David's voice grew as he spoke and Natalie jumped up and started to pace around her room.

'Liza is the love of you life. I mean why wouldn't you want to get back together with her? Part of me always knew you guys would get back together eventually, I just thought you and I would be together longer than a couple months!' Natalie was talking loudly and walking around the room. David kept trying to interject but she wouldn't let him. Continuing to speak over him and recoil every time he made an attempt to come near her.

'And like I love you. So so so so much. So I'm just really sad and hurt right now. I think I'm going to have to quit. I can't be around when you're with her. Oh my god I'm going to have to see you with her! I have to get out of here,' Natalie sobbed while she ranted and made a move to walk out the door.

David was quick to follow her, and chased her into the living room when he finally managed to grab a hold of her hand and stop her. All their friends stopped and stared in shock at the couple.

'Natalie calm the fuck down!' He said it a low, soothing voice but Natalie didn't seem to hear him.

'I need to leave! I have to get out of here! I can't stay here!' She kept repeated those three sentences over and over while David spoke over her.

'I'm not getting back together with Liza! I love you! GOD DAMMIT NATALIE STOP!' He finally yelled loud enough for Natalie to stop talking.

'What's our rule?' He asked her in a quieter voice.

'What?' Natalie asked him back and she crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible, but didn't try to leave.

'What is our rule? We finish...' David started to say the rule and Natalie let out a sob before finishing it.

'We finish the fight,' she said in a quiet voice. She looked around the room at all their friends. She tried to shrink into herself, so embarrassed that people were watching the worst fight her and David had ever had.

David seemed to take notice of all their friends at that moment for the first time. He reached out for Natalie and guided her into his room so they could talk more privately.

'Okay, can you please explain what the fuck is going on?' David said once the door to his room was closed and it was just him and Natalie again.

'I saw the text Liza sent you. You hid the fact that you're going to dinner with her. I thought you guys are getting back together,' Natalie spoke to the ground. Not lifting her head, or looking David in his eyes.

'Nat,' David reached out for her and Natalie didn't flinch or shy away, instead allowing him to wrap her in a hug. She started crying again into his chest and David lightly stroked her head and back.

'You realize this is silly right? I don't want to get back together with Liza. She reached out and asked to have dinner. I honestly forgot about it until I saw the text when I woke up from my nap. Look at me,' David pulled away from Natalie a little so she had enough room to make eye contact with him. Natalie slowly lifted her head and looked into David's eyes.

'Natalie, you are literally my dream girl. You are the love of my life in any and every way possible. Why didn't you just talk to me?' He asked her and Natalie shrugged.

'I don't know. I'm just so tired and I saw the text and then my mind just started thinking of all these different scenarios that you were leaving me and I just got crazy. I can't lose you.'

'I'm not going anywhere,' David told her and Natalie moved a hand up to her cheek to wipe some of her tears away.

'Expect to dinner with Liza,' she said. It was a cheap shot. She knew it was a cheap shot, and regretted it the moment the words left her mouth. David let out a little sigh and rolled his eyes. He turned and walked to the door. Natalie let out a panicked no, and reached for him.

'I'm sorry, I didn't,' she was cut off by David sticking his head out of the door and speaking into the living room.

'Zane, can you go meet Liza? I'm busy right now,' he called out and Natalie heard a muffled yeah of course from the living room. David turned back around and closed the door again.

'See, you don't want me to see Liza, I won't see Liza. I won't do something if it makes you upset Nat,' David told her and Natalie started shaking her head.

'I don't want to be the girlfriend who tells you who you can and can't see. I've been on the other end of that, I won't be that girl!' She said and David waited silently for her to start talking again.

'I think I was just caught off guard. We've been busy, and I haven't slept much, and you never told me about it so I thought that meant you were hiding it from me,' Natalie took a tentative step toward David but didn't go to him completely.

'I didn't even think anything of it, I'm sorry I didn't tell you,' David closed the rest of the distance between them and engulfed Natalie in a hug again.

'I'm sorry,' Natalie started to apologize but began crying again.

'Hey, hey, hey. It's okay,' David lead Natalie to the bed and she sat on it. David placed a kiss into her hair.

'Lay down, I'm just going to tell the guys to leave, you and I can hang out in here and you can sleep okay?' He asked Natalie and she quickly reached for his hand and held it.

'No, don't leave, please,' the please was added in a quiet, broken voice. David nodded his head, and climbed under the covers. He laid down and softly patted the spot next to him and Natalie was quick to lay down beside him and curl into his body.

David sent a text to Jason, saying that they could stay if they wanted, but to be quiet so Natalie could sleep, and that they should let themselves out when they're done. Natalie's breathing started to even out as David slowly rubbed her back from their cuddled up position.

'Dave?' Natalie spoke softly, as she slipped a hand under David's shirt, trying to get as close to him as possible.

'Yeah?' He answered and gave out a little hum at Natalie rubbing her nails along his stomach.

'I'm so sorry, I can't believe I freaked out like that,' Natalie sheepishly apologized.

'It's okay. The more I think about it, I think I would freak out if I knew you were going to dinner with your ex and didn't tell me about it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it. I forgot,' Natalie tangled her legs with David's as he spoke, she didn't think it was possible to be closer to him.

'I love you, so much,' Natalie said and nuzzled her head into his chest more.

'I love you too, get some sleep okay?' David said and laid there listening to Natalie's breaths even out and deepen.