Lucas woke up startled. He didn't expect that he would dream about the past again. Looking at the clock on the wall, it was already past two in the morning. Miri is still like a beautiful young woman, wrapping her arms around his waist and sleeping soundly. But Lucas couldn't sleep. The room next door didn't make any noise at all, perhaps the owner of that room hadn't come home yet.
A feeling of insecurity and discomfort made Lucas unable to breathe. He gently placed his girlfriend's hand aside and carefully left the room. Standing in front of the still-closed door, he really didn't know what to do. Memories circled in his head like flashlights, leaving Lucas with no way to calm himself down. He placed his hand on the wooden door and knocked twice softly.
There was no sound in response. Sure enough, Natasha hasn't returned yet. Lucas put his head on the door and couldn't help but sigh. He hasn't seen her in so many years, has she changed that much?
"You don't need to wait anymore. Natt won't be coming home this early."
Mrs. Hence walked up the stairs and spoke softly to him. Lucas was a bit confused. It's already two o'clock in the morning and is it still early? Could it be that Natasha always comes home so late?
Mrs. Hence wrapped the scarf around Lucas's shoulders. The warm feeling still lingered on the scarf, making him shiver a bit. As a mother, Mrs. Hence knew she should not let her only daughter neglect life like that. The only thing is, she really can't tell her. Since Lucas went abroad, Natasha has lived a carefree life like that. That was the only way she could escape the loneliness that surrounded her.
"About what happened that year, your father also told me."
Lucas was startled. He bowed his head low, not daring to say a word. His palms were sweaty, fear made his heart seem to stop beating, his chest felt like someone was squeezing it tightly, and there was no way to breathe normally.
"Since I left, has Natt always been like that? Didn't father advise her?"
With what Lucas knows about his adoptive father, it will never happen that Mr. Hence will leave this matter alone. But until now, the fact that Natasha goes out until late at night seems to have become so obvious that perhaps his adoptive father is already helpless.
"Your father is still downstairs. It's been a while since you two talked to each other. Do you want to go down and talk to him for a bit?"
Since that happened, Lucas has never spoken a word to his adoptive father. Now suddenly talking to each other in private, he feels a bit shy. What should we talk about with our foster father now? That all these years, he had gone abroad alone, living so lonely that he wanted to die? Or is it said that Natt became this loose and careless appearance because of his foster father's indirect creation? It's impossible to say at all.
"It's already late. You should go to sleep…"
Before the sentence could be finished, a quarrel could be heard downstairs. Lucas quickly ran downstairs. Sure enough, Natasha has returned. Her small face was red from being drunk, her clothes were disheveled. Just look at it and they'll know what she did outside last night.
"Look at your appearance. Is there any girl who lives as carelessly as you?"
Mr. Hence was so angry that he wished he could strangle this unfilial daughter to death with his own hands. If Natasha wasn't his daughter, he would have kicked her out of the house a long time ago.
In response to Mr. Hence's anger, there was only Natasha's indifferent attitude. She took off her high heels, left them haphazardly on the doorstep, and then walked inside. Every time she comes home, she has to hear scoldings like this, and she soon gets used to it. Whatever her father wants to say, let him say it. After speaking, he will be silent again.
As soon as Natasha reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes met Lucas' dissatisfied gaze. She snorted in disgust, then sidled up to her room.
"Natt, we need to talk."
Lucas held her wrist. Natasha can disobey her adoptive parents, but at least she will not be silent towards him. Maybe she won't obediently listen to him like when they were kids, as long as she's willing to talk to him, it'll be fine. As expected, Natasha did not keep silent with him. But, her voice was so cold and distant, it made him feel strange.
"We have nothing to talk about."
She pushed his hand away and walked up to the room. Between her and him, is there anything to talk about? A person like him who abandoned her and left for six years, without a phone call, without a text message, has what right to talk to her? Lucas did not give up. This is the only chance he has. If not now, then he wouldn't have a chance to talk to her anymore.
Once again, he grabbed Natasha's wrist and pulled her into her bedroom. The dark room was now brightly lit. The familiar pale yellow electric light made Lucas a bit confused. After all, it had been six years since he stepped into this room again.
Natasha looked at her long-lost brother, a feeling of self-pity welling up in her chest. She sat down on the bed, silent. In that girl's eyes, there was pain that was hard to describe. Disappeared six times without saying goodbye, and now, he still thinks he can continue to control her life like before. He let that opportunity slip away. And there won't be that chance a second time.
"Where did you go?"
"That's none of your business. You don't have to care about me."
Lucas frowned angrily. How dare his little sister speak to him? But in the end, he could only sigh. Lucas knelt down on one knee in front of Natasha, capturing her image in the depths of his eyes. After six years of not seeing her, she has really changed a lot. It wasn't until now that he had the chance to look at her a little more. Natasha grew up and still had the appearance of the girl who made many boys fall in love with her before—still looking innocent like a little elf without a care in the world. Still a girl, making others want to protect her tightly in their hearts.
"You went drinking, right? With William. Is he still your boyfriend?"
"Not."
"Not? So what is William to you?"
Natasha looked at Lucas' strange yet familiar face, suddenly making her feel like she wanted to provoke him. She leaned back, her attitude extremely calm.
"Just one of my partners. What's up? Are you sure you care about me?"