The Loneliest Stars || EDITING

Chapter 25

What did you get a man that seemingly had no earthly wants apart from his basic needs? Natalia struggled to answer that question about Gabe. He lived a simple life. That's why she was stalking her own boyfriend on social media. Boyfriend. She liked the sound of that but calling him a boyfriend felt juvenile. He needed a new category just for him.

He made everything feel shiny and brand new. This morning, with his jaw tight and righteously wound up he informed her of all the security changes he was going to make in her life. She couldn't leave her door unlocked, leave her keys on a hook, couldn't sleep with her bedroom window open, and a slew of other rules that she had forgotten as soon as she had agreed to them.

She liked Angry Gabe. The Angry Gabe that had spanked her arse last night and then given her a multitude of orgasms, as if that was a punishment, was her favourite (that went without saying). She also liked Broody Gabe, he liked to sit silently and look hot. The radical feminist in her positively preened when she caught him doing that. Men were better when they said nothing and looked pretty.

There was also Silly Gabe who was so much fun, despite her being the butt of his jokes. If she'd ever met Marine Gabe, Natalia wasn't sure she would make it as a fully functional human.

She perused his Instagram, he seldom posted but they were of nature and hiking shots. Sometimes there were photos with other bearded men again doing outdoorsy things. Natalia cringed, she hated the outdoors.

There were some throwbacks that he posted, in dusty environments that she instinctively knew was the Middle East. There was one where he was dressed in combat gear with a full beard, long hair and an assault weapon strapped to his chest. The way he stared into the camera told her he was dangerous and that he knew it. Her mouth went dry. Yep, she definitely couldn't handle meeting Marine Gabe.

She avoided scrolling down too far, she had no desire to know at this point what his dead wife looked like, but saved a picture, where he was much younger and clean shaven, wearing his dress blues and looking like an advert for the armed forces. Pride and steely determination radiating off him. Join us. We have hot men. It would say. 16 year old Natalia would definitely sign on the dotted line.

She still didn't know what to get him for his birthday. She had just less than a week to get it together. She sighed and put her phone away. The game was coming to an end. Their team had won a game and the crowd was streaming into the field to celebrate.

"What did I say about you being my good luck charm?" His apple bright eyes danced with happiness and Natalia decided right there and then she wanted to see that look in his eyes every day for the foreseeable future.

She grinned back, mirroring his excitement. He paused and pulled her in for a hug. She breathed in the now familiar masculine scent of him, relaxing into the hug and letting his strong frame hold her up. Evidently, he didn't care who saw. They were going public and Natalia didn't mind one bit.

"First round on you, Mercier!" someone yelled and that was Natalia's cue to leave the bubble of his arms.

"Do you wa—"

"Babes, no." She patted his chest, shaking her head firmly. Tagging along to go drinking with a group of PE teachers high on victory and adrenaline wasn't her idea of fun. She'd leave the boys to it.

"Okay, I'll see you at home."

She didn't answer. She flashed him a smile. They both knew he'd see her at home. It wasn't even a question.

Natalia felt the eyes on her as soon as she got off the field and walked towards the car park. She knew it was self-doubt and self-consciousness fuelling her paranoia and she worked to push those thoughts down. What her and Gabe did was purely their business. She still felt the other teachers' eyes on her, particularly her science department colleagues, who she only interacted with in a professional capacity.