Chapter 3 Chapitre 3

Gabrielle hated feeling in a position of weakness.

And yet, sitting in front of Nathan in this restaurant where everything seemed meticulously chosen - the dim light, the discreet murmur of the surrounding conversations, the shadow of the server which was erased after having served their wine -, it had the unpleasant impression of walking on an invisible thread.

Nathan was comfortable. Too much. He played with the foot of his glass, observing Gabrielle with this intensity which she had learned to fear.

- You seem tense.

She forced herself to smile.

- I find it hard to believe it is a simple dinner.

He raised an eyebrow.

- What do you think should be?

- A test.

A slight grin stretched his lips.

- You have a very strategic vision of things.

- This is what you expect, right?

She supported her gaze. There was no arrogance in his voice, just a fact. An observation that he did not deny.

Nathan slowly restored his glass, scrutinizing him with feigned attention.

- Let's say that I like to understand people.

- And do you think you can understand me?

Her smile widens slightly.

- Not yet. But you are more transparent than you believe.

Indefinable heat rose in it.

She straightened up, crossing her arms under the table like an invisible barrier.

- I rather believe that you like to manipulate.

- You use strong words.

- Because they are true.

A silence settled between them, charged with a tension that she no longer knew if she should repel or encourage.

Then he leaned slightly forward.

- You are intrigued.

- Certainly not.

- So why did you come?

His breath suspected for a moment.

He was waiting for an answer. A real one.

Gabrielle opened her mouth, closed it, then took a sip of wine to hide her hesitation.

- Curiosity, she ends up saying.

- Ah.

His smile intensified, but this time there was something deeper behind. A shadow of approval.

- You could have refused.

- And miss this psychological game?

Nathan laughs slowly.

- I knew you would understand.

He brought his glass to his lips, without taking her eyes.

She felt a shiver browse her spine.

She should have left. Find an excuse and go away before being taken in this invisible trap.

But she stayed.

And maybe that was that, the real problem. Gabrielle did not expect the conversation to take this turn.

She had prepared for an intellectual duel, these subtle games where each word weighed heavy, but not that. Not to this sketch of sincerity that floated in the air between them, threatening and disturbing.

- Have you ever wanted to leave everything?

Nathan had just asked the question in a calm, almost detached tone. However, something in his gaze betrayed a deeper weight.

Gabrielle felt her breath block for a moment.

- Why this question ?

- Because you give the impression of being elsewhere, half of the time.

She discreetly hugged her fingers on her lap.

- Is it an analysis or a supposition?

- Obvious.

She forced herself to support her gaze, not to let the impact of her words see. But he had pierced it up to date.

She looked away, in distracting the dance of the Enlightenment on the surface of her glass.

- Leaving everything, she repeated gently.

The idea was not new. She had thought there too many times to count them. But admitting him out loud, in front of him, was quite another thing.

- Do you think it would be different elsewhere?

She looked up, surprised.

He didn't seem to judge her. He just wanted to know.

And it may have been the most dangerous.

- Maybe.

Silence settled, heavier than the previous ones.

Gabrielle felt the words jostle in her, this uncontrollable desire to say something true.

It was insane. She couldn't afford to be honest with him.

She sneaked her lips, looking for a way to divert the conversation.

- And you ?

Nathan sketched a smile.

- Me ?

- Have you ever wanted to leave everything?

- All the time.

She frowned slightly. He had not hesitated.

- And why didn't you do it?

Her gaze darkens slightly, and for a second, she felt like he was elsewhere, far from here.

Then he slightly haussed his shoulders.

- Because basically, no matter where we are going, we always take what you flee with you.

Gabrielle felt a strange tension settled in her.

It was a brutal truth. One that she was not sure to want to hear.

She looked again, too aware of the fact that she was on a dangerous slope.

She should have broken this nascent connection, finding a reason to go away.

But instead, she stayed.

And that was that, the start of the problem. Gabrielle felt Nathan's gaze before he even dares to meet hers.

She should have stayed focused on something else - her half -empty glass, the broadcasting glow of the restaurant, the conversation of customers at the neighboring table. Anything. But he was there, motionless, and observed him as if he was waiting for her to give in.

She finally looked up.

It was a shock.

He did not look away. On the contrary, he would almost anchor it in his chair by this silent intensity, as if he read in it with disconcerting ease.

A thrill flowed along its spine.

She forced herself to keep a neutral expression, not to let anything show from the agitation that grew up in her.

- Do you still analyze people like that?

Her voice was drier than she wanted.

Nathan had a slight smile, but he didn't answer right away. He took his time, touching the foot of his glass with his fingertips before finally whispering:

- Only when they intrigue me.

Deaf heat stretched in his chest.

She would have liked to look for her eyes, but it was impossible. Something in this simple declaration held her, maintained her prisoner of this silent exchange.

She knew this game. She had seen him take place too many times. But never directed against her.

And that was the problem.

She sneaked her lips and finally looked at her gaze, fixing her plate with a feigned determination.

- You don't know me, she whispered.

- Not yet.

His insurance destabilized her more than she would have liked.

She discreetly inspired her thoughts before risking a new look.

Error.

Nathan had not turned away. He still stared at her, as if what he saw amused him as much as it was captivated.

She hated that.

This impression of being pierced up to date when she spent her life hiding.

- It's not a game, she said in a more sharp tone than it had planned.

- I know.

He finally laid his glass, breaking their visual exchange just long enough for her to breathe again.

But Gabrielle already knew that something had just changed.

And that, despite all her efforts, she could no longer pretend to ignore what was born between them.