We pulled up at Wollemi National Park and parked the car. As we stepped out the car stretching from the 2hr drive. The smell of pine filled my senses.
'This place is beautiful' Michael smiled
'It is..' I smiled looking around
'Not as beautiful as you..' Michael smiled wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my cheek. I shook my head and smiled.
'Let's get the tents up!' My father said
Within the hour both tents were set up and had sleeping stuff in. We all flopped into our camping chairs and let out a breath.
'I'm hungry now!' Michael said
'Let's get the BBQ on son' My father said patting Michael's back. In other words, let's leave Emma to have a word with Natalia about her life. My father and Michael walked off into the wood to gather wood for the bonfire. I sat beside the tents and looked around. The trees were bright as the sun shone through the leaves. It was such a beautiful place to go. To be free and walk. There wasn't places like this in Los Angeles.
'Your father is worried about you..' Emma admits breaking the silence.
'I'm fine' I smile slightly
'We don't believe that.. Your not you.. Your quiet..' She sighs. 'Is it to do with your mother?' She asks
I sigh 'I just don't know what to feel about her having a baby.. I mean.. I'm going to have a brother or sister.. I'm almost18.. that's a huge gap between me and them..'
'I have a younger sister.. There is a huge gap between us, but we are really close' She smiles
'It's not the same..' I sigh
'Is there something you aren't telling us?' She frowns.
I can't tell her. I can't tell anyone. He told I couldn't. He told me it would be much worse if I said anything. I can't tell anyone about the pictures that flick through my head night after night. The nightmares. I can't. I won't.
'No..' I shake my head. I know that wasn't at all convincing but she had to believe it.
'You can tell me.. It's just me and you.. Your father won't have to know.. You can trust me..' I continue shaking my head.
'Has he said something?' I shake my head in reply
'Did he do something to hurt your mother in any way?' I shake my head again
'Did he do anything to hurt you in any way?' I could see her face fill up with more worry. I nodded slowly without realising what I was doing.
'Did he hurt you physically?' I nodded again. I couldn't believe I was telling her all this.
'Did he force himself onto you Natalia?' I stayed quiet.
'I need to know if he did anything at all in that way.. I won't tell anyone..' She said resting her hand on mine. She looked at me with great worry. I couldn't reply to her. I had told her too much already. I couldn't risk telling her anything else. Thankfully the men were almost beside us with the wood. Emma shook her head. I was so close to admitting everything to her, if I had another 10 seconds.. Everything would have been out in the open. I couldn't risk telling anyone what had happened. It was safer keeping it to myself.
'I'm going to go to the toliet..' I said getting up and walking away
'Want some company?' Michael smiled
'No.. It's okay.. I'll um, be back in a minute' I said walking away.
Michael P.O.V
She wasn't herself. She was too quiet. She hadn't told me anything was up. All I thought was wrong was this whole baby thing. I didn't think she'd be like this because of it. Was there something she wasn't telling me? I could hear Emma and her father whispering to each other. What was I not being told? I was her best friend and her boyfriend, surely I should know.
'Listen.. Something has happened..' Emma said quietly
'What's happened?' Her father frowned
'It's Natalia..' She sighed 'To do with the baby her mums having..'
'What about the baby?' Her father said confused
'Not the baby as such.. But Jamie.. Something has happened..' She sighed
'What's happened? Emma what aren't you telling me?' His voice started to raise with worry
'I don't know the full story.. But something, sometime has happened.. Jamie has done something physically to hurt Natalia..' Emma worried
From there, I began to panic. I didn't hear the rest of the conversation. My thoughts took over. What had he done? Why hadn't she told any of us? If he's done something to physically hurt her, I'll kill him. She doesn't deserve to get hurt. Her mother. If her mother knows all about this, why the fuck is she having a baby with him?!. Worse yet, why is she even with him?!. I needed to find Natalia. I needed to know what happend. I needed to know if she was safe. I needed to hold her in my arms and tell her everything is okay. I needed her. She needed me.
