Good Enough

“Easy, easy, easy,” Dr. Martinez, the young doctor, said as he helped Nathalie sit up. “There you go. Do you feel better?”

“A little,” she said. It was five days since the accident and she was going to go home in a few hours. Isabel was going to pick her up after work. “I just want to go home and enjoy real food.”

He chuckled. “The food here isn’t so bad.”

“Have you eaten the food here?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Well no,” he smiled. “I always bring my lunch.”

“A smart thing, Dr. Martinez,” she nodded her head.

He looked uneasy as he asked. “So, is… Isabel seeing anyone?”

Nathalie smirked. “Are you interested?”

“Yes, I am. She’s beautiful, and… a great friend. She comes here every day and keeps you company. I’ve seen her on billboards too,” he explained. “I didn’t want to say anything in case I sounded like a stalker.”

Nathalie smiled wider. She knew Dr. Martinez was the ideal man for Isabel, but there was only one man who made her truly happy, and that was Brian. Isabel was in a fragile state. Her mind and body went through a traumatizing event. Nathalie was impressed by how well Isabel continued to carry herself.

“In time I think it would be great if you asked her out,” she said. “But right now, Isabel is going through something very hard, and I believe it’s best if you give her time.”

Dr. Martinez smiled. “Thank you for the advise.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed lightly. “I’m going to miss my favorite patient.”

She smiled. “I’ll miss you too.”

“Ahem” someone cleared their throat.

Nathalie averted her eyes from her doctor to the doorway and saw Matt standing there with a bouquet of flowers. Her hand squeezed Dr. Martinez’s by accident. She didn’t notice until he patted her hand and she blinked. She looked away from Matt and released Dr. Martinez’s hand.

She had not heard a single word from him since the accident. She didn’t even want to ask Isabel.

“Hello,” Dr. Martinez said walking over to Matt and shook hands with him like they were old friends. “You’re back. I was wondering when you would be back.”

Nathalie looked at the doctor confused. “He’s been here before?” she asked. How come she didn’t know?

“When you were unconscious,” Dr. Martinez said, “he was here with you when you brought by ambulance. He never left your side, until you woke up.”

“Would you give us a minute?” Matt asked.

She almost cringed at the sound of his voice. She missed it. She shouldn’t, but seeing him made her realize just how much she missed him. Dr. Martinez nodded and waved at Nathalie before he stepped outside. Matt closed the door after the doctor left. He turned his hazel eyes at her, and she almost wanted to say something, but she bit her tongue and stayed quiet.

“I came to tell you something,” he said cautiously.

“What is it?” she asked avoiding looking at him.

She felt the end of the bed dip. She looked up and saw him sitting down facing the wall to her right. She took a long, hard look at him. He looked exhausted, like he had not slept in days. He also looked pale, and his muscles less defined, which meant he stopped working out.

“I’m so sorry for what happened,” he said. “You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”

“You think these wounds hurt more than your words, Matt?” she spat. “I was already broken before I got run over.”

“I had to push you away,” he nearly snarled. “I thought I was protecting you.”

“You were wrong,” she said simply. “You were wrong, and it nearly killed me.”

He closed his eyes, like what she had said he already knew and hearing it from her was just making it worse.

“What I do is dangerous, Nat. I thought if I did something to make you hate me, then you would leave and you’d be safe,” he said and then chuckled. “I handled it the wrong way though.”

“You should have told me the truth, Matt. I can handle the truth,” she said.

He turned to look at her, and she almost forgave him because the hurt and torment in his eyes were real. She looked down to her hands.

“I’m an undercover agent working on a case that will bring down an entire cartel in Los Angeles. It’s a case I’ve been working on for three years, and I’m so close to closing it. But, your life was in danger. What happened to Isabel is the result of Brian and I letting our guard down.”

“Your job had to do with what happened to Isabel?” Nathalie’s eyes widened.

Matt nodded his head. “Which is why I had to push you away. I had to make you hate me.”

“You’re a fool, Matthew,” she scoffed. “There was a better way. You could have told me. You could have told me what you just told me and asked me to wait for you. I would have waited for you until the case was over. But you went about this the wrong way,” she sniffled feeling the tears ready to come. “You could’ve thought of a better way than to hurt me like you did. You slept with someone else! You used my past against me!”

“I didn’t sleep with that woman. I just… I asked her to do it. It’s one of Jimmy’s girl. She slept with Jimmy, not me.”

“It really doesn’t matter, Matt. Your words hurt more,” she wiped away the tears. “I..” did she gave the courage to tell him what she was thinking over the past five days? “I don’t want to see you again.”

He snapped his head towards her so fast it gave him a whiplash. He could tell she was serious by the look in her eyes. He did hurt her so bad.

“Matt, you hurt me like no one else has, and I can’t have you in my life when you have such a dangerous job. Isabel and I have been thinking and… we’re moving.”

His eyes narrowed. “You don’t--”

“It’s best if we move,” she said. “It’s either that, or I go back to my country, and I don’t want to leave Isabel, so we’re moving.”

Matt’s eyes moved away from her.

“I think it would be best,” he said with a strained voice. His hands clenched into fists on his lap. “You’d be out of danger and I can focus on my work.” He stood up and looked at her.

“Don’t try to contact me once you’ve finished your job, Matt. I would have waited for you, but not anymore,” she stared into his eyes.

“I hope you change your mind because there’s no rock I won’t look under to find you,” he said seriously and walked out of her room.

Nathalie finally broke down once the door closed. She covered her face to try to make herself stop, but all of the tears that have been building up for the past five days, finally came down. She felt her heart break. She felt it beat so hard against her chest, that she thought she was going to pass out.

Half an hour later, Isabel arrived with clothes for her.

“What’s wrong?” Isabel asked.

“Matt stopped by, and I told him I didn’t want to see him again,” she sniffled and hugged her friend.

Isabel stroke her hair. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry.”

“I still love him, Isa,” Nathalie sobbed. “I still do after what he did.”

“I know… it sucks,” Isabel muttered. “But once we live, we’ll find hotter guys.” They both knew it would be impossible to replace the men who had their hearts and souls. But it had to be done, they couldn’t continue living across them after everything that happened.

--

One Year and a half Later

“Have you seen my umbrella?” Isabel asked Nathalie.

Living in San Francisco meant that the girls had to be prepared for rain any time.

“Wasn’t it next to the door?” Nathalie asked as she grabbed her books for school.

“Ah! Found it! Okay, see you after work,” Isabel pecked Nathalie’s cheek.

“Ok then. It’s my turn to cook.”

“Right,” Isabel called out and stepped out.

Nathalie went back to her room to get her notebook for her English class.

Her life on the right track. Moving out of Orange County was the best decision she ever made. It took some time to heal, but Nathalie was physically in great shape. Emotionally, she was still scarred, but she was taking it day by day, and not looking so much into the future like she used to. She doesn’t have a big plan. She takes things slow.

She almost died.

She wants to cherish life.

Isabel was on her way to recovery soon. There were nights when Nathalie was woken up by Isabel’s screams, but Nathalie would be there for her best friend. Little by little the girls found a place that was comfortable for the both of them.

Nathalie got her keys and started to head for the front door. She turned off all the lights and opened her door. She gasped when she saw none other than Matt Sanders at her door, his fist raised as if to knock on her door.

She stepped back noticing she was standing a little too close.

“Matt,” his name escaped her lips softly and barely audible.

He licked his lips. “Hi, Nat.”

“How did you find me?” she asked.

“I said I was an agent, Nathalie. I can find you anywhere you go,” he meant it as a joke, but she knew he was serious too.

His smile made his dimples visible. She had to try really hard not to give in.

“I said I didn’t want to see you again,” she said steadily, thankful she didn’t break.

“I was hoping you’d changed your mind. Nat, I can’t even explain how sorry I am. What I did was--”

“Stupid, idiotic, foolish, unwise… I can go on,” she narrowed her eyes.

“It was wrong, and… I love you. This past year has been… horrible. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“But you closed the case, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

“Yes, the guys and I were able to close the case, and now… we can what we want, and I want you, Nat. I want you back in my life, in my arms.”

“I’m not going to forgive you over night,” she crossed her arms across her chest. It was a way to keep her from throwing herself at him.

“I don’t expect forgiveness so easily. Which is why Brian and I got the apartment just three doors down from yours,” he smirked.

“Brian is here?”

“To get back Isabel.”

“She’s dating someone else,” Nathalie said.

“Not for long. What about you? Are you seeing someone?”

Nathalie thought of lying, but she didn’t want to.

“I’m not,” she replied.

“Good cause I’d have to beat his ass,” he smiled.

She couldn’t stop the smile, but then she caught herself and stopped.

“You’re gonna have to work hard,” she told him. “You’re gonna have to bring every trick in the book.”

“I’m willing to do everything to get you back.”

“You think it’ll be good enough to make me forgive you?” she asked.

“I can only hope.”

The End