Lucas looked at the outfit Natasha was wearing, his eyes darkening. Is his sister dating a guy and wearing a sexy halter top like this? As a man, Lucas could completely understand the dark things that teenage boys had in their minds.
"Will? Is it the guy who used to date you? Didn't you and him break up?"
Natasha could hear the displeasure in Lucas's words. She felt ridiculous. Since when had he given himself such control over her? Lucas thinks that he is her brother, so he can control her every move like that. She was no longer the little girl who was always nestled in his arms like before.
"Parents don't even have a say in this, so why should you worry? Besides, I'm an adult. I can decide on my own actions. What right do you have to stop me?"
She frowned, her voice carrying an anger that was hard to hide. He was the one who left her alone. Does he have any right to prevent her from having outside relationships? The Natasha of today is no longer the Natasha of six years ago. She didn't need his permission to do what she wanted.
Lucas was stunned by Natasha's anger. He stood there, like a statue. Natasha is right, does he have the right to forbid her from doing what she wants to do? In the end, he and her are just adopted brothers. He didn't even have a blood relationship with her.
His silence annoyed Natasha. She grabbed her bag and slipped out of the room. Thinking about what happened in the past, she didn't want to face this man even more.
William was already waiting at the front door. He saw Natasha's crying face, his gaze back to the man watching them from her window. So, the man has returned already? It was because of that man's appearance that Natasha had such a painful expression?
"Let's go. Today, I don't want to go home."
Natasha took the helmet. She climbed into William's car, grabbed his shirt, and disappeared under the dim streetlights.
Lucas watched the two of them leave, fists clenched, blue veins visible. He struggled to breathe, suppressing the anger in his heart. The person who pushed things to this end was him, so what right does he have to be angry?
"Lucas, our parents are waiting for us."
Miri's voice echoed outside, pulling Lucas back to reality. That's right, he didn't come back here alone. When he returned to this country, he wanted to introduce Miri to his adoptive parents, as his fiancée. Lucas adjusted his mood and quickly went downstairs.
The dining room is cozy, the happy scene makes others feel that this is a happy family. Mrs. Hence constantly picks up food for Lucas. Six years without seeing each other, Lucas has changed a lot from before. In fact, if it weren't for the incident that year, she would probably have been with this adopted son more.
"Mom, does Natt normally go out like this?"
Lucas took a piece of meat into Miri's bowl, then asked slowly. Mrs. Hence, a bit startled by his question, her eyes averted her gaze towards her husband sitting next to her.
Mr. Hence understand. He sighed, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.
"For six years now, Natt has always been like that. Always making excuses to go out, and not coming home until early morning. Studying at school is also neglected a lot. Lucas, this time you're back, help parents give her a little advice. From childhood to adulthood, Natt only listened to you."
The words of his adoptive father made Lucas not know what to do. He lowered his head very low, silent, and said nothing. Can he advise Natasha? When it was he who created all this? Natasha changed like that, it was because he left that day without saying a word to her, wasn't it? Now, even looking into each other's eyes, the two of them couldn't do it. How could he talk to her?
***
"Little girl, you've had too much to drink."
In the bustling bar, Natasha raised her wine glass and drained it. Her mood is not good today, she wants to drink a little more. Rosaria sighed as she looked at her friend, unable to hold back any longer, and snatched the wine glass from Natasha's hand.
"Give back to me. I'm still drinking."
Natasha pouted. She reached out her hand towards Rosaria, trying to retrieve the wine glass. Natasha's lovely face was dyed a mesmerizing pink. She was so drunk that she could no longer stay awake. She just knew she wanted to drink. Because only the pungent taste of alcohol could help her forget the painful image she had seen.
"Your brother is back, isn't he? Why don't you stay at home and come here to drink?"
Rosaria couldn't help but ask. She remembered six years ago, also at this bar, she met Natasha for the first time. At that time, Natasha ordered the strongest alcohol served here, crying and drinking to the point of drunkenness, no longer aware of anything. Now, Rosaria was able to see that scene again. Her gaze drifted to William sitting next to Natasha, seemingly asking what the hell happened to her friend. But, in response to Rosaria, there was only a helpless shrug of William's shoulders. He didn't know what happened between the two of them.
"Stay at home for what? He brought his girlfriend home to meet our parents. I'm at home, just a rock in the way."
Natasha couldn't hold it anymore. She rested her head on Rosaria's shoulder, crying like a child who had lost a favorite toy. Meeting again after six years apart, how could Natasha expect that the reason Lucas returned this time, was to bring his girlfriend back to meet their family? Maybe, what happened six years ago, he forgot all about? Maybe she's the only one who remembers what happened. The love that year, only she kept.