CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:He Always Show Up.

"I'll be out for a short while,take care"Natasha told Nancy, who was probably in her room watching movies,that she didn't hear what she said.

She waited a minute not hearing any reply from Nancy And turned to leave before her room door was forced open with Nancy in her Pjs with folded arms looking at her with keen interest.

"What?''Natasha asked, smiling at her usual behaviour,she has been overprotective of her since the incident with her stepmom and had been antsy whenever she heard she was going out.

"You didn't actually tell me you are already dating him"Nancy said leaning on her room door,with raised eyebrows staring at her.

"Dating who?"Natasha asked her, not quite getting what she meant.

"Oh drop with the pretense,I know you like Mr hot and handsome"Nancy said squealing happily,giving a dreamy look as if she was in love.

Natasha bursted out in laughter when she understood what she meant,Nancy and her exaggerations.

"Actually it's not a date with your Mr  hot and handsome"She said, still smiling at her cute expression.

It took a while for Nancy to believe what she said before her dreamy look went  back to normal,it was as if she hated the idea of her going out to meet someone who was not Mr hot and handsome.

"Then who is it?''Nancy asked, feigning anger at her going out, Natasha shook her head  at her questions turning to leave,she knew she wouldn't stop with the barrage of questions  if she were to stay longer.

"I will be back soon,"She said, heading for her car.

"Don't forget to gist me when you are back!"Nancy yelled all the way from her room,as if Natasha couldn't hear her.

"Silly"She mumbled while starting the car to turn on music to lighten the brooding silence in the car.

She took her phone to read the message from Henry,he sent her the avenue for their dinner date.

No it's not a dinner date!

Although it was a dinner date on Henry's part, it was not the same with her,he will always be her friend because she doesn't feel anything for  him unlike ….

Unlike who Natasha?

She asked herself,she suddenly became moody when she thought of him,the man who has been on her mind since, giving her sleepless nights,haunting her dreams that she would wake up at nights,feeling unable to sleep because she was worried about him.

She wondered what he might be up to,was he feeling remorseful for the way he acted towards her?

No,Luca can't be remorseful; he's such an arrogant piece of shit.

Was he with some other woman that he clearly forgot about her?

Snap out of it Tasha!

What's wrong with you?

Since her encounter with Luca,her life changed instantly,it felt as if he turned everything in her life upside down, making her weak to survive on her own,making her feel desperate to be with him.

What's this feeling?

Why does he affect me so much?

He came into her life crushing down walls she built around herself,making her vulnerable whenever she was with him which had never happened before.

She denied it countless times no matter how many times her inner bitch  told her that she had fallen for him.

No,that was definitely impossible!

Luca was toxic.

She couldn't and won't be with a possessive man who dictates her life.

She loves independence and the independent lady she was.

Fuck Luca!Fuck his possessive!

She finally came down from her car  in front of her destination,excited to see Henry after years,the hotel decor was amazing.

"Where are you?"She asked Henry over the phone while she stood outside looking right and left in search of him.

"Behind you"she heard but it wasn't coming from her phone,the voice seemed closer.

She gasped when someone engulfed her in a hug from behind.

"I said I was behind you lovely"Henry whispered to her before kissing her cheeks.

"Henry"Natasha called, releasing herself from  the hug instantly while turning to face him.

"Wow,you look more beautiful, baby girl,tell me what's the secret?"he teased while she pinched his cheeks,holding it quite hard for him to leave a grunt.

"Stop with the teasing already,I'm still angry at you"she snapped at him.

"I thought we were good since i apologized"

"If apologizing worked that way I wouldn't be pinching your cheeks Henry"Natasha said lastly before releasing his cheeks from her hold,he smiled at her adjusting his tie as he walked inside the hotel.

Natasha chuckled at his gentleness when he pulled out a seat for her,he winked at her when she looked at him before sitting in front of her.

The waiter came up with the menu and they had their order being prepared while Natasha drinked water only to catch Henry looking at her rather weirdly with his usual smile on his face.

"What?"She asked, dropping her phone after  she looked through its camera to check if there's something on her face for him to be looking at her that way.

But surprisingly,there was nothing on her that would make him look at her with such admiration on his face.

"You wouldn't believe how mom was excited when i told her i was heading for Canada to see you"

"Aww! I've missed her so much,so tell me what about you and Lily?"Natasha asked when she remembered the girl who was betroded to him to be his wife.

Although lily was such a pain in the ass to her whenever she saw her and Henry together,she couldn't deny the fact that she was curious about how they finally ended.

"Can we not just talk about her? ''Henry said, adjusting his glasses. He felt a little angry when she spoiled the good atmosphere they were enjoying with the talk of his betrothed.

"What?I was just curious,I'm sorry if it sounded touchy to you"She raised her hands up in defiance, deciding later to ask him later as probably now wasn't a good time to do that.

The waiter appeared to deliver what they ordered, cutting Henry short of what he wanted to ask. He smiled when he noticed the faint  smile on her face when she saw her favourite food in front of her.

"I'm sorry i wasn't there when you needed me"Henry apologized but the young lady wasn't interested in whatever he had to say at the moment,because she was busy eating her food.

"I'm not a fan of condolences Henry,so keep the pity to yourself"Natasha replied back to him cleaning her mouth with the wiper beside her before looking at him to find him staring at her with that look which she hated.

"You can say that to anyone but you know the truth Natasha,we can choose to hide our pain from the world but deeply within us we need a shoulder to lean on and let it all out"

"Are you offering one?"She asked sarcastically.

"Basically I am,"Henry offered.

"Look I'm okay Henry,I know it's hard to believe but I'm pretty good"Natasha insisted  trying  hard not to flare up at him for opening up old wounds she wanted to forget.

Yes she was hurt and needed to let it out of her system.

Yes, she knew what he was offering indirectly to her but she didn't need his help.

She will figure it out on her own.

 She's Natasha Esmeralda White,who always gets a plan b to everything,her Stepmother doesn't know this yet but she has a lot coming her way.

"We need to talk,"Henry said out of the blues, surprising her. She's not the least surprised because she knew what was expected when she decided to meet up with Henry after ages.

"Aren't we talking?"

"Don't twist my words Esme,we know you are practically avoiding me"Henry said looking at his watch then he felt a cold feeling  coming his way and noticed it was from her,then he remembered what he just did.

He called her name which prohibited people from calling her,only her parents had the right to do that.

"I'm sorry"he whispered, touching his temple,sighing deeply when he knew he messed up.

This wasn't the way he wanted things between them to be but Natasha wasn't helping at all.

He knew she was quite complicated and difficult to handle but after years of not seeing her,her blunt tongue and intimidating aura made it difficult for him to converse normally like the old times.

Having passed through those hard times alone made her a tough lady and an arduous one at that.

"I need to go"She said, taking her bag to leave Henry and his questions tonight but was held back by his hold on her hand.

"I think I apologized"

"And I think the young lady said she had to go!"the loud intimidating dark voice of a man thundered which made the duo Stunned  and turned to see who it was.

Natasha's eyes widened when she saw those eyes,those piercing grey eyes looking at her as if he wanted to see through her soul.

Luca!

He always shows up.

Why does he always have the wrong timing for everything?