I stand against the counter, biting my bottom lip, arms crossed, and staring down at the floor. I take a breath before looking up at her doughy eyes. The ones that started it all. Her dainty hands are intertwined across her slender legs, and she is patiently waiting for me to say something after I just had an earful. I drop my arms and shove my hands into my pockets and sigh as I slowly step towards her.
"Okay," I finally say after contemplating this situation, "I trust you, and I don't want to dictate everything you do, like her."
"I'm not," Natalie rubs her head as if she's annoyed, "Look, I don't like it either, I'm just telling you because I didn't realize what I'd done until much later. She still hasn't called me, so maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all." As much as I want to get her number changed immediately, I can't just go around controlling everything she does, especially since she agreed to marry me to get away from that. I push my hair back and feel my eyes wandering, not making eye contact. I hope she also did it because she loves me.
"That's why I said 'okay', I'm not worried. Are you?" I ask a little too passive aggressively. She looks down and crosses her arms, staying quiet for what feels like an entire minute.
"That's what scares me.... I'm not sure, she tried to have you killed," Natalie turns towards the kitchen and sits on one of the bar stools, "Jacque, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, and I don't even want to think about it." I take a seat next to her, hearing the seat squeak as I place my bottom on the cushion; I rest my hand atop hers.
"If anything happens to me, don't end your life, please," I begin to remember how she attempted suicide after her mother made her do so many things, "I want you to live, and I swear if reincarnation is real," Natalie begins to softly giggle, "I'll find you again." Tears begin to form in her large, beautiful eyes, and she reaches in to kiss me. I kiss her back, and we start to make out, like two teenagers in a car. I hear shuffling behind us and open my eyes to find my smirking brother standing there.
God damn it.
"Thanks for lettin' me shower here, bro," Laurence finally says as he proceeds to put his coat on.
"I didn't but, sure, no problem," I reply sarcastically, "Thanks for overstaying your welcome as usual."
"Yeah, I got you, wanna be alone with the Missus, I get it!" Laurence begins to leave, and Natalie calls out a sweet goodbye. I rub the bridge of my nose and Natalie rubs my back softly.
"You should take it easy on him, at least he did that favor for you today," Natalie says, almost sounding like my mother.
"Yeah, I guess, but he's still a pain in the ass, that's why I don't keep cash anywhere anymore," I say, remembering how he would always steal money from my safe and somehow always manage to never pay me back. Natalie rests her head on my shoulder and sighs softly. We sat quietly for a while, and all I can think about now is her mother. I wasn't lying to her when I said I'm not worried, solely for the fact that we still have that recording of her plotting my death. Should anything happen, God forbid, we have proof. I'm sure Elizabeth isn't stupid enough to come after me or Natalie.
I'm so lost in thought that I almost get startled when Natalie begins to kiss my neck. The sensation drives me wild, and she starts unbuttoning my shirt. I hold her hand to stop her. "What?" she pouts. I turn my head to face her and give a sly smirk.
"Not here," I answer, then look up to the bedroom. She smiles and hops off the stool, pulling me in for a kiss as she slowly drags me towards the bedroom. We fall onto the bed and continue to kiss passionately. She unbuttons my shirt as I unzip her pants, and she moans softly. Quickly turning into an unsatisfied groan as her cell phone goes off. I'm certain it's her default ringtone, likely making it an unknown caller. Natalie is very meticulous about having a ringtone for all her contacts.
"I don't know who it is," Natalie looks up at me very sensually and sends the caller to voicemail, "If it's important, they'll leave a message." I lightly chuckle at this; her playfulness is so attractive. We carry on with our kissing, each taking off one article of clothing after another. As Natalie is on top of me, I begin to think about how lucky I am to have found her. About how I started to lose hope before meeting her. And how close I came to losing my own life because I want to keep her in it. I don't want to lose this moment. I regret nothing, and I would do it all over again. But we're going to have to eventually face her mother, and deal with her properly.
As Natalie tilts her head back and slides her hand up my chest, I grab the small of her back, afraid that she may be about to have another seizure, she looks back at me, almost out of breath.
"What's wrong?" she whispers.
"I just, I thought maybe-" I try to answer softly.
"Relax, I'm just enjoying myself," Natalie says with a slight smirk, and I roll her over on the bed, making her moan. As I look at her beautiful, bare body, I almost start to cry, as if this is the last time I'll ever see her again. I don't know where this feeling is coming from, but I'm sure it has something to do with her visit to her mother's today, and it's rattling me.
She sleeps soundly next to me, and as I stroke her head and watch her sleep, I think about this situation more critically. After everything that has transpired with her mother, I can't just brush this off.
I must do something; I'm not letting her tear us apart.