chapter eighteen

Nataly

It's another night in my apartment where I feel everything is fucked up.

Like really fucked up. It's all messed up. Revisiting everything again.

How's Ivan caught up in all of this? How's he involved in all of this?

My thought was that someone had captured me and dumped me in his home. Turns out I was wrong. 

I was right all along not to put my one hundred percent trust in him.

Could he be the mysterious guy that called me or could it be that he's working with him? 

He must have known about my kidnapping and was definitely pretending all along.

Before all this happened, before I was captured, before all this story about the hard drive came along, I had everything under control.

I had planned all my moves correctly and cautiously.

No one would suspect anything.

But all these other stuff happening, got me all messed up. 

To add salt to insult, my gun is still missing. My car too. With Ivan still in the hands of Antonio I don't know what could go wrong. If my mysterious guy doesn't contact me, then I'll conclude that Ivan is that guy.

I could go back to that place myself but it's definitely heavily guarded. 

Now all my plans depend on him. 

If it's what I think it is, then he knows things about me that no one should.

If that's the case, then he knows I'm a Delavega hater and he wouldn't think of putting me in trouble.. How the hell he knows all that, I don't know.

I'm having a very bad night. I wish I could end it all. I wish I could end all the confusion, the unanswered questions feeling like a roller-coaster in my brain. 

My mind is killing me. My head weighs a ton from all the thoughts I have. I could literally have a panic attack from all this. I don't think a drink would do. So the best I can do is talk to my best friend, Liz. 

She's a six hour drive away, living in my hometown where we moved to, years ago after the tragedy that changed my life forever. And then I joined law school. Liz knows I got an internship that would only last for months and then I would be back. 

As I hold my phone looking at her name before I dial the call button, I heave a long sigh.

Everything is just so different now. 

Before the tragic incident, everything was simple. They say life could never be perfect, but my life was so close to perfection. I was happy.

Those were the days I also believed in love. 

But now each day that I live, is a risk. I have to endure working for the people I dread the most as I execute my plans slowly.. Well, that's before all this mess happened. 

I finally press call and put the phone in my ear. It rings for a while before I hear her precious voice. 

"Nataly, finally you called." Says the soft voice on the other side. It takes a while to actually embrace my real name.I Had missed it. I can't deny I miss her - Nataly. Especially because Nataly Andrews' life is not as complicated. 

"How are you doing honey," she asks concernedly, "I miss you."

"I miss you too," I answer. 

"You said we can't come visit. And I understood your explanation. But why haven't you visited? Allan has been asking for you."

I close my eyes as I take it in. She's right. I've been so caught up in my own issues that I almost forgot my best friend and her son. 

" I know I said I'll visit regularly. I'm so sorry, love. It's just that there has been so much work here that I lost count of time.

There's alot going on.." Before I can complete my explanation, I hear a small boy's voice. "Is that aunt Nataly? I want to talk to her, mummy." 

I hadn't even realized how much I missed that little boy. He's five years old now. Turning six, early next year.

"Heeeey my dragon prince," I call out as soon as Liz hands over the phone to him after he insists.

"Heeeey aunt Nataly. When are you coming back? I miss you." 

I hate to lie to him but I really should have visited sooner. 

"Auntie has really been busy taking care of things that will make us have a Castle. Do you want to be a prince in a real castle?" I ask softly. But the excitement on the other side tells me how I need to fulfill my promise. 

"Yeeees. So will you build us a castle. So we can live with mummy too?" "Yes darling." 

"Does mummy read you dragon stories before you go to bed?" I probe 

"Yes, she tells me stories about the good dragons." 

"That's great sweetheart. So I'll visit during the Christmas weekend and I'll come with a very special dragon story. Just for you. Okay?" 

"Yaay. Is it going to be a good one?" 

"Of course darling. Aunt Nataly has only good things in store for you. But you need to go to bed now and let mummy talk to me okay?" 

"Okay," he chuckles. 

"Aren't you going to tell auntie Goodnight?" 

"Goodnight Aunt Nataly. I love you."

"I love you too, my handsome dragon prince."

It takes a while before Liz and I are back to our original conversation. 

"So, what's keeping my best friend busy that she even forgets about her dragon prince?" Ah wait, do you have a boyfriend?please tell me you finally decide to let someone in. "

Same old Liz, still pestering me about relationships. 

" Why do I need a boyfriend again? " I ask. 

" Nataly Andrews, when was the last time you got laid? There must be cobwebs down there." 

"Liz!" I almost shout her name. 

"I don't need a man. You of all people know why." I know she's not going to give up on this. 

"Natalyyy, how many times so I have to remind you that not every man is Mason Forbes. You should give your heart a chance to love again." She goes on with her normal lectures..

"Oh, Liz, can't you just give up already. I'm not desperate to get laid. I'm a very busy woman and you know that." I defend myself as usual. "I'm a…" 

"Don't say it Nataly. If you say it I'm going to slam this phone on the wall and fly to your apartment. And I'd ignore every explanation you gave me." 

"Okay, I won't say it. But I'm still a career woman, you know." I say It anyway despite every warning she gives. Of course she can't fly. It sounds ridiculous come to think of it.Though I really need to visit sooner. Or else this woman I have for a best friend could literally surprise me despite the fact that I made her promise me she won't. 

"So tell me, who's the hottest guy in the company you're working for. I know, I know, you refused to give me the details about your work but come ooon." 

"Liz, I called to check on you and because I miss you. Not for you to question me with things I have no answers to." I mutter. 

"Okay when are you coming to visit?" 

"Christmas weekend, at least I would be free by then." I answer. 

"Okay but that's not soon enough," she complains,"You clearly don't miss us" 

"I know, but I could squeeze something and then I'll let you know. It's not that I don't miss you. I really do. Most especially my dragon prince."

"If you say so. Don't forget to come with your boyfriend. I want to introduce an uncle to Allan. So if you don't have one, I'll find you a date. I could hook you up with a blind date some day." 

"Liiiiz, I swear." 

"Goodnight love." She says before I can complain further or before I can kill her. 

"Goodnight, remember, no boyfriend." 

After I've hung up, I realize how rejuvenating that was. I surely needed it. Talking to my best friend again. Talking to my dragon prince.

My mind feels more relaxed compared to earlier.

Not that I've solved anything but it's easier to handle things when you're not overwhelmed. When you don't feel like the world is falling at you or the walls are caving in. 

I go into my private room with a clear mind trying to figure things out when my phone suddenly beeps with a message in it. And I read the message from a new number. 

[Wrong move!] 

What the hell is this? Yeah I know who it is but what does he mean wrong move.

I haven't made any move and he hasn't contacted me till now. And now he's saying, wrong move. What move? I sit down and hold my head. I'm going through a lot! WILL I MANAGE ALL THESE FIASCOS ALIGNING THEMSELVES?