One Heart

Nathalie’s POV

“How could you not tell me?” His face contorted into a mixture of rage and anguish; distrust lining the chocolate film in his eyes. “Did you think you needed to trick me? Pretend to be someone else?”

“Brian I-”

“Don't even bother trying to explain Nathalie,” Brian replied, turning his back to me. “I don't want to hear it. Just go.”

“But-”

“JUST GO!”

–

Waking up suddenly, I felt my heart hammering in my chest as I jolted upright, the covers that had been gently placed over me falling onto my lap. There were tears in my eyes as a reminder of the dream, my mind only slowly clearing of the thought as I blinked away the darkness and realised it wasn't real.

I turned to the clock beside me and groaned as I read the time; 4:00am. While I probably should have tried to get some more sleep the dream I had woken up from prevented me from doing so, so instead I quietly slipped out from under the covers and begun to creep across the room to the door to get a glass of water. No sooner had I left the bed did I trip on something; crashing to the floor in a big heap.

“What the hell?” I muttered to myself, crawling over to the nearest wall and feeling up it for the light switch. At first my eyes reeled from the sudden brightness, but after they adjusted I realised what I had fallen over. “Brian?”

Much like I had expected from anyone who had just been fallen over, he was sitting upright looking completely and utterly confused at what was going on. “Did you just fall over me?”

“Sorry,” I apologised, my head dropping slightly from embarrassment. “What are you doing on the floor anyway?”

“You were in my bed,” he pointed out, pushing himself onto his feet and stretching. “Jimmy made me promise to keep an eye on you.”

“Oh.” I avoided his gaze as soon as he began to stare at me, glancing down at myself and realising that I was no longer in the dress I had been wearing a few hours earlier. “Where are my clothes?”

“I thought you would be more comfortable in something else- don't worry though, Leana dressed you.”

As I examined what I was wearing I couldn't help but laugh quietly to myself; the very thing that Leana had chosen to dress me in happened to be what Brian always used to complain about during our time together, since basically I had stolen it from him and wore it all the time. I pulled on the bottom of the chequered hoodie with a smile, not realising that Brian had spoken until he repeated it again.

“It looks good on you.” I could see that even though there was a smile on his lips it was not one he truly felt. Someone else probably couldn't tell the difference, but I guess that is what comes from loving someone so much, that you don't need them to tell you their feelings. “It's strange to think the last person to wear that was called Nathalie as well.”

“If you just give me a minute to change, you can-”

“No.” He cut me off. “Leave it on. Please?”

His hand rested on my shoulder, stopping the one I had brought up to unzip it. There was definitely something there when his fingers touched mine, sort of like one of those moments you see in a disgustingly soppy romantic film, after the couple breaks up only to meet again. We both looked from where our hands touched to each other, the English language we both shared seeming foreign to us both at that time; at least until I quickly broke away, moving to pick up my dress which I noticed was hanging at the end of the bed.

“I'm sorry about tonight,” I quickly gabbled, grabbing my dress from the side and the troublesome heels placed underneath. “I won't overstay my welcome-”

I couldn't finish as he suddenly pulled me over to him, crashing his lips against mine. At first I was surprised but that feeling soon went; the things in my hands falling back to the floor as I curled my arms around his neck and ran my fingers through his hair. He pulled away a short while later, trailing the back of his hand across my cheek. “I've only been with you for half a day, but already I feel like I’ve known you a lot longer.”

“I know.” I mimicked his hand and placed my own on his cheek, looking directly into his eyes. It was now or never. “Brian... look at me.”

“I already am,” he chuckled.

“Brian. What do you see?”

His brow furrowed as he grew confused, looking me over with no apparent epiphany. “Nathalie-”

“Just look!”

For the next minute or so I allowed him to stare at me, hoping that he would realise who I was on his own. However as the next minute passed, followed shortly by a succession of others I decided that I would need to go a different way about it. I crouched down and reached for the dress that had slipped out of my grasp earlier, ripping at the inside lining near the top and producing an object on a chain which I kept with me for luck, holding it out for him to see.

“That's...” His voice shook as he gently touched the silver chain, running down the links until he reached the one-of-a-kind engagement ring he once had in his possession. “How did you-?”

I shot him a weak smile. “You know me better than you think.”

“Nat?” He backed away, looking at me with fearful eyes as he realised that even though my appearance had changed from the person he once knew, I was still the same underneath. But he didn't want to admit it. “No, you can't be. You're lying. She left over four years ago; no one knew where she went...”

“I told you I moved back from Phoenix two months ago. I've never lied to you-”

“No.” He stopped me, his hands clamped on his head as if it physically hurt. “You're lying.”

“Brian-”

“No! Don't say my name!” He shouted, his voice strained from everything. “Just... Just get out!”

“But-”

“Just GO!”

There was no hesitation this time, just his voice raging through my head as I dropped everything I had and fled from sight. I could tell I was already crying before I felt it because suddenly everything in front of blurred, causing me to stumble and fall as I ran blindly across the sidewalk. I didn't even notice the large cut that formed on my left knee as I got back onto my feet and ran off again, I just kept thinking about one thing.

I knew it was a mistake to come back here.