three of us spent at the Original Pancake House."
He nodded as he laughed lightly. "And you would always challenge me to eat the Dutch Baby."
"And you always did."
"While Eric made snorting noises," he added. Falling quiet, he tilted his head to the side. "We had some really good times, the three of us."
Inhaling sharply, she continued to finger her locket. "Yeah."
He watched the way she held the locket, like it was a talisman of some kind; his curiosity was peaked. "What's in the locket?"
Her cheeks flushed, the first appearance of color since her arrival at the hospital. "Just...just something that makes me feel less alone."
Leaning forward, he brought his arms to rest on his knees. "You aren't alone," he told her. "You never were. I wish...I wish you had known that back then, maybe you would have made different choices."
"And not wrecked Eric's life, you mean" she finished for him, trying to keep the accusation from her voice and failing.
"Yeah. Or yours."
Uncomfortable, she let go of her locket. "So...uh...what about you? Have you finally found someone worthy?"
Scoffing, he shook his head. "Same question as always," he joked. "You know me Nat, I'm not good with relationships with women"
"You always used to joke that I was the best relationship with a woman you ever had."
"You were," he answered softly. "You were who I ran to when I needed someone to just listen. Eric is my best friend but you...you always just knew how to give me what I needed whether it was a kick in the ass or a hug." Pausing, his tongue darted out and swiped at his lips. "I missed having that in my life. I missed you." Nathalie dropped her eyes and said nothing. "I don't think I realized that until just now. I think I spent so much time being angry with you for reducing my friend to rubble that I didn't realize that I was angry with you for leaving me too."
Several tears trickled down her face. Swiping aimlessly at them, she met his gaze. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I know you are."
The idea of Eric being reduced to rubble was such a vivid image for her and it threatened the squeeze all the air from her body. She had known, even when she was leaving, that he would be hurt, but it never occurred to her that he would be so affected. It was not that she had doubted his feelings for her but she had never allowed herself to fully realize the impact of her choices.
"So really there isn't a single girl you've met that makes you want to settle down?" she teased trying to lighten the mood.
He shrugged lightly. "There is one-"
"A ha!"
He smiled. "There is one but she's dealing with some stuff and hides pretty far behind her walls. I'm not sure...I'm not sure I'm who she needs but she kind of makes me wish I was."
Nathalie chewed on her bottom lip. "Don't let a few walls scare you away," she offered. "Some of the best treasures can be found on the other side. If she's worth the effort, don't let her go."
"Was Eric not worth the effort, Nat?" he asked softly, his kind tone softening the blow of the question.
She swallowed thickly "I guess I deserved that." She responded as glanced at her hands. "I honestly thought he would be better without me, that I would hold him back from his dreams - the life he wanted."
"You need to understand something," he began, knowing his friend's heart still belonged to the woman in front of him.
"What?" she asked meekly, afraid of what would come next.
"The life he wanted - the dreams he had - all involved you. When you left, the life he envisioned for himself was no longer feasible because you were no longer there to share it with him."
The emptiness that never left Nathalie's heart seemed to intensify with the knowledge that all her choices had been for naught. In the end, neither one of them had ended up with what they wanted. "So he never went overseas?"
She could see Andrew was struggling with what to say next.
"Nat, he couldn't function. At first, he was scared out of his mind, fearful that something had happened to you, adamant that you wouldn't leave him." Andrew stood from the chair and began to pace as the tension of reliving those first days formed a rock in the pit of his stomach.
"Once Sarah confirmed that you were ok - and that was all