I walk besides Natalie as we enter the church, I don't take her hand or anything since...I don't know.
Natalie's mom invited Tatum too. I don't think she really knows Maria, Natalie said that some of her old friends were invited too, ones she doesn't talk to but her mom doesn't know that.
Natalie decided to wear a suit pants with a long sleeved black turtleneck shirt and black heels.
I just decided to wear a longish black dress which is long sleeved and my black converse...I don't really know what to wear to a funeral for someone I don't exactly know...
There's a lot of people here, it's almost silent only quiet chattering can be heard since the funeral hasn't begun yet.
I hear loud crying behind me, Natalie looks back and I do too.
"Go sit down, both of you." Natalie tells me and Tatum as she walks toward the woman crying..she looks a lot like Natalie from here, a tall thin woman, brown hair, grey too, a nice tan. Very pretty when she cries...which maybe I shouldn't say.
I turn around as I keep walking.
"In there." Tatum says, I stop at one of the long benches, I struggle to walk over the prayer bench that is in front of every wooden bench. I look up doing a double take.
I stop and Tatum bumps into me.
"What are you doing—oh shit." Tatum says before blocking her mouth.
"Can you both sit down?" Olivia asks me and I sit down where I am, away from her.
"Why is she here?" I look to Tatum.
"I'm with Zack, what are you?" Olivia interrupts and I look at her.
"What am I?" I ask.
"Yeah, what's your reason to be here?"
"I'm with Natalie, I'm her girlfriend." I say and Tatum elbows me.
"Don't say that in a church, dude." Tatum hisses and I huff rolling my eyes.
"Oh...That's blondie? Almost didn't recognise you, you finally grew up." Olivia says looking to Tatum. I look to Tatum too. I look the same..the exact same just my hair has gotten longer, it's down to about my elbows now. I need to cut it again soon.
"Blondie? Seriously?" I ask and Tatum shrugs.
"What do you want me to call you? I was gonna go with pillow princess..." she says and I roll my eyes again... I am far from a pillow princess.
"Is that Elisabeth?" Olivia asks Tatum, Tatum turns around quickly. I look back to see a dirty blonde woman...that's definitely not funeral appropriate or church appropriate in general.
"No way...Her lips are bigger than mercury." Tatum whispers loudly. I look to her to see if she's serious. What the—
"Mercury is the smallest planet..." I tell her and she looks to me, the woman—who is Elisabeth stops at our bench. We're around the middle of the church, we're not sitting with Natalie's family obviously.
"What's the biggest?"
"Jupiter." I state.
"Oh my goodness, Tatum?" Elisabeth says, her voice being very high pitched. That's Natalie's friend?? She kind of looks like one of the white chicks from that movie—which I shouldn't say because that's so rude but Charlie would laugh if I said it.
"And who might you be, beautiful?" Tatum turns towards her.
Me and Olivia both scoff, I look to her and she looks me up and down.
"Elisabeth? from high school? It's been too long, Loca." She says and I cringe...I cringe—I don't cringe but what on earth is going on.
"Damn, I didn't even recognise you." Probably because her boobs are almost covering her face. I mean im weak for boobs—which I probably shouldn't be thinking about but those are not real...She looks like she has balloons under her dress which is something me and Charlie used to do when we were seven.
"Same goes. Isabelle invited me, where's Nat? I must check in on her." She says. 'Nat', she doesn't even talk to this woman anymore why is she calling her a nickname..Gosh.
"Yeah...you two had quite the history in high school." Tatum says and I look to Tatum. Another woman sits down catching Tatum's attention. How many of these women are going to show up and what history does Natalie have with them...
"Looks like the old groups getting back together." That woman speaks up, she has black hair, tanned skin, from what I saw, she's not too tall, brown eyes. She looks nice at least.
"Georgie?" Tatum says. I huff sitting back...when does the funeral start? Who are these people?
The three keep talking while me and Olivia stay quiet. Tatum's flirting with the both of them...this whole bench should be thrown out of here.
"Sorry." I hear Natalie's voice looking up, she's trying to get past...Georgie...Maybe it's Georgina?
"Goodness, you look different." Elisabeth says to Natalie, Natalie does a double take of her.
"Elisabeth...how are you?" Natalie asks and Elisabeth smiles before going very serious, she takes Natalie's hand and I fight the urge to say something...I may be a weak bitch put I might be able to pop her fake lips.
"I'm good, how are you? I'm so sorry about your dad, you don't deserve this pain and I'm here if you need me." Elisabeth looks up at Natalie, I watch cringing...again, Natalie pulls her hand away moving past.
"Thanks, Elisabeth." Natalie says before looking to me then Olivia, she looks at the space between us. She goes to walk.
"I'll move down." I say moving down a little so Natalie doesn't have to sit beside Olivia. Natalie nods before sitting between Tatum and I.
Just a sudden thought....Has Natalie slept with this whole bench? I mean, Olivia yeah...ew. Elisabeth, she has history with...Tatum, maybe? And Georgina maybe...great.
She puts her hand on my knee as she puts her bag on the floor. I feel the eyes go to me. Oh go...gosh
"How come you're not sitting with your family?" I whisper to her ignoring the other people.
"I wanted to sit with you." She says crossing her leg over the other before taking her hand away from my leg. I hear Olivia scoff besides me.
"You look so different, Nat." Elisabeth leans forward to talk to Natalie, I roll my eyes...I can't help it because she's almost all over Natalie...grabbing her hand and everything.
"Yes, well, I haven't seen you in a few years so I'm bound to change, you look very different too." Natalie responds, her eyes widening slightly.
I cross my arms annoyed...only because this Elisabeth woman is trying to get in bed with Natalie and it's obvious—and it's in a church. Ridiculous.
✺
Everyone begins walking out as Natalie's brothers and a few other men carry out her dads coffin, a sad song plays and I look to Natalie. She hasn't cried but she keeps staring away from everything for a few seconds before looking to me...she's caught me at least five times staring at her.
I look at the muscle in her jaw tightening. I don't hold it back, I take her hand and she jumps a little since she was zoned out.
"It's okay, baby." I whisper kissing her shoulder and she looks to me.
"I'm alright." She tells me pulling her hand out of mine. She doesn't like being comforted when somethings bothering her, when she's upset that's when she shuts people out because she doesn't like those type of feelings and people seeing her sad.
I hear her mom crying again. Natalie lets out a breath. Natalie moves past Tatum, Elisabeth and Georgie. She walks down the church to her mom.
"She will be fine tomorrow." Olivia whispers to me and I glance to her.
"What?"
"She hates being touched when she's upset—"
"I know that, Olivia. I don't pay attention to her brothers instead of her." I huff and Olivia rolls her eyes shrugging.
"Bitch." She mumbles.
"Whore." I say—it slips out before I can think and Tatum snorts beside me. Olivia doesn't say anything back as she pushes me slightly walking past.
I...unintentionally slip my foot in front of her causing her to fall....A few people look over. Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit.
No. She deserved that...
"Oh my, I'm so sorry, better watch where you're going next time." I offer her my hand. She slaps my hand away as she gets up, she goes to step forward before I get a whiff of Natalie perfume. She puts her hand out in front of me.
"Go find Zack or leave." Natalie tells her, Olivia's face is red...she glances to me and I shrug smiling a little.
Olivia walks away and Natalie hums. I glance to her and she glares at me...she's mad. She steps back from me whispering something to Tatum before she quickly walks down the church again.
"You're driving with me, Blondie." Tatum says and I huff.
✺
I drive to Natalie's moms house with Tatum, we get inside and everyone's already there. I scrunch the fabric of my dress in my hand as I see how many people are actually here.
It's a big house. Very big...definitely a lot different to my childhood home for the time I was in it. I didn't know Natalie had rich parents. I remember she mentioned her dad working at a big company or something but I didn't realise how big.
I look around, only recognising a few of Natalie's siblings that I met when we were first seeing each other. Most of the people, I don't recognise.
I keep looking around for Natalie.
"She's probably in the kitchen." Tatum says nodding down the big hall, it's a very open house, lots of space.
I follow Tatum, wiping my sweaty hands off my dress. I spot Natalie's mom with some other women, one of them rubbing her back, she's not crying, she's just clearly upset.
She looks over to me...catching me staring, I freeze. I should introduce myself—or walk away—I can't walk away because she spotted me staring.
She's walking towards me.
What do I do!! I need to relax—I can't relax this is Natalie's mom...oh dear.
"I don't think we've met." She says, her eyes all red, her voice sounds very blocked as if she had a lump in her throat—in this moment I think I may have a lump in my throat...or maybe I'm imagining things..does she know I'm Natalie's girlfriend—she does because—
"I'm sorry." I blurt out and Tatum looks back at me, I frown looking at her before back to Natalie's mom.
"Sorry?"
"For...your loss....I—um, I hope you're okay..." I need to leave...Natalie needs to dump me right now...Oh gosh, let me sink into the floor, everyone's watching me but they're not—it's all in my head but it doesn't feel like it.
"She just lost her husband, I doubt she's okay." Olivia comes up behind me...making things a thousands times worse as my heart starts racing, maybe I should leave...where is Natalie. Natalie, please save me.
"That's alright, Olivia. Are you not a fan of a large amount of people?" Natalie's mom asks me and I stare at her for a few seconds before looking to Olivia...is she talking to—
"I'm talking to you, yes." Natalie's mom says...what is going on. My heart is about to explode.
"I—no—yes...yeah, sorry, I'm not good with people—new people." I say...I'm way too nervous for this...she has really intense energy. She nods. I look around and I do notice a few people staring, I'm going to cry. I shut my hands, digging my nails into my palms as hard as I can.
"You're Diana?" She questions and my mouth drops open but I basically glitch as I look back to her....I want to disappear.
"Uh.....Yeah." I say. I take a deep breath as she nods.
"You're as beautiful as she described you to be." She says nodding before walking away. I don't move.
I feel my cheeks heating up....is all her family like that...because wow.
"Hm." I hear Olivia hum before walking away.
"You're gone red...are you okay?" Tatum asks and I look at her.
"No....She's intense." I say and Tatum nods.
"You should see Camila." Tatum tells me. I met her before, she and Natalie look alike...she's really pretty.
Tatum nods towards where, I'm guessing is the kitchen, I follow her down the hall more as I open my hands looking down at them.
Tatum walks in and I follow spotting Natalie pouring a glass of alcohol as Elisabeth talks to her...right beside her. I wipe my hands off my dress again.
"Hi." I say and Natalie looks up, she's upset but she's not crying. Natalie fills her glass as Elisabeth keeps talking to her about parties in high school.
"The guys were all over you, I bet they still are." Elisabeth says and Tatum looks back to me and I roll my eyes.
"Little did they know it was their girlfriends and sisters that I wanted." Natalie lifts her glass to her lips, taking a long sip as Elisabeth starts laughing...this isn't the place to be laughing...like seriously.
Elisabeth steps closer to Natalie, Natalie ignores her as she keeps drinking her drink, maybe too quickly.
"Hi, I'm Diana." I step forward introducing myself over the counter, just trying to interrupt before she does something and I end up slapping her, Natalie puts her hands on the counter as she looks at me.
"...Nice to meet you, Diane. Is she yours?" Elisabeth looks to Tatum. Ew.
"No, Elisabeth. She's mine and her name is Diana." Natalie says and Elisabeth looks me up and down. I'm not anybody's but I guess it's okay when Natalie says it.
"She doesn't seem your type." Elisabeth leans against the counter.
"Snow likes the innocent ones now." Tatum says walking over to the counter.
I'm uncomfortable.
I thought Tatum was beginning to like me finally.
"Innocent?" I ask scrunching my dress. Natalie rubs her head.
"She's not innocent." I hear Olivia again. I thought this was supposed to be everyone meeting at Natalie's moms house so they could talk about memories with her dad...not about my innocence. I'm not innocent...I've done..things.
I scrunch my dress harder getting uncomfortable at them all saying stuff about me. My heart hasn't stopped racing since I got here.
"And how would you know?" I ask her and she shrugs. She stands beside Tatum.
"You just look it." Elisabeth speaks up again.
"How does someone look innocent?" I ask.
"She probably doesn't even swear." Olivia smiles ignoring my question as Elisabeth laughs, Tatum smiles too. It's not even funny in the slightest, it's embarrassing that they're laughing at that.
Natalie says nothing at their unfunny comments towards me.
"Honestly." Elisabeth comments and I look at Natalie waiting for her to speak up, to stick up for me. She picks up her glass taking another sip.
"Someone's tearing up, we were only joking." Olivia says.
"What are you? Five, act your grown age, for god sake." I snap at her and they start laughing again. Natalie...again, says nothing.
"Go cry to your mom." Elisabeth laughs and I bite the inside of my cheek.
"She doesn't have—"
"Olivia, you better shut your god damn mouth." Natalie snaps, raising her voice as she looks at Olivia.
"We're only joking...." Olivia says and Natalie scoffs.
"You're joking, hm? How about I make jokes about you being a whore, how would you like that? Cheating on your wife and now your boyfriend, you're one pathetic girl, not a woman, a girl." Natalie says looking at her and Olivia's face turns to anger as Tatum blocks her mouth laughing. I press my lips together awkwardly.
"Stop acting all high and mighty because I could have you back if I really wanted to, Natalie." Olivia snaps.
"You begged for me back on your knees and told me you were better than Diana, my response to you then was to get out of my house....Don't lie, Olivia. At least with one of you I don't have to get off myself because someone can't do it right." Natalie snaps at her again before taking her glass and the rest of the bottle, walking out of the kitchen.
I turn following her quickly, a woman tries to talk to her but Natalie walks past her and upstairs.
I go to follow but I almost bump into Natalie's mom.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I say and she nods.
"That's alright, where are you off to?" She asks me and I look up the stairs.
"Natalie...went upstairs, I just want to make sure she's okay."
"Well, I do have the no girls in her room rule." She says and my lips twitch.
"You have your reasons to have that rule."
"I do."
"I'm Diana—I know you already know but it felt wrong to not introduce myself still." I hold out my hand, trying to breathe this time so I don't accidentally ask how's her husband or something....I wish Charlie was here right now.
"I'm Isabelle, Natalia's mother. It's nice to finally meet you, she talks very highly of you, Diana." She shakes my hand and I smile..she smiles back slightly. Natalia.
"That's....good to hear." I nod. I look to my hand...it's fine.
"I'll leave you go up to her room, I trust that you both will be on your best behaviour." She smiles and I smile back again.
"I promise, Mrs Snow." I nod before walking up the stairs quickly, of course I almost trip.
I get to the top, she went left...I walk down the hall, all the doors are shut..should I..I'll just look in each room..I won't go inside until I see her.
I open the first door and it's a bathroom.
Second door, I look in and it looks like a boys bedroom, the bed is stripped, expected.
I go to the third door. It's locked. Great...thank you, Natalie. I huff as I go to knock but stop.
I reach back into my hair, I pull out a Bobby pin, I pull the two tops of it, making it longer.
I look around the hall because I don't want anyone coming up who doesn't recognise me and think I'm a burglar...and pepper spray me or something.
I bend down pushing the Bobby pin into the key hole, I move it around.
I stop, applying pressure as I bend it, I keep it where it is before reaching back in my hair again grabbing my last bobby pin. I take one of the tops between my teeth as I stretch the bobby pin out again.
I move it into the lock too, I fiddle it around until the door clicks quietly. Aha.
Another subtle win for Miss Cooper.
I push the door opening it and peaking inside to a white room. I look around and see and open window.
I step inside shutting the door behind me. The bed is stripped in here too, this bed is white wood. There's a big white bookshelf, there's still some books on it.
The window open is beside Natalie's bed..it's definitely Natalie's room. I look to the posters hung above her desk. I walk closer.
"What are you doing?" I hear a voice making me jump. I glance to the window and she's on a roof...
"I had to come check on my wife, she's very important to me." I smile a little, she glances away before she squishes the cigarette into the concrete before she makes her way back over to the window.
"Inspecting?" She questions, coming back in the window and onto her bed with a glass bottle and a glass.
"How long have you been a fan of scream?" I question looking to the scream poster on the wall along with some other ones.
"Since I was a teenager." She tells me, setting the bottle down on the desk before she kisses my cheek.
"I locked that door." She whispers nipping at my ear and I smile pushing her a little.
"I always find my way to you." I hold up the Bobby pins and she smiles.
"You're cute sometimes." She says and I look at her.
"Did Natalie snow just say the word 'cute'?"
"I did, shocker." Her eyes widen with a smile. I think she's tipsy since she's drinking too fast.
"Can I see what's in here?" I point the the drawer on her desk, she pulls out the chair, it has wheels. She sits down opening the drawer.
I stand beside her looking in there, it's organised.
"You grew up in this room?" I ask and she nods.
"Lost my virginity in it too."
"To Elisabeth?" I ask glancing to her and she raises her eyebrows.
"How did you know that, detective?" She questions and I shrug picking up a big green book titled 'junior year'.
"Tatum said something and I figured it out." I say opening the book, it's a photo book.
"You were blonde?" I ask with a laugh looking to her, she groans putting her glass down.
"I wasn't fully blonde, it was more dirty blonde." She says as I look at the photo of her and some guy.
"Who's this?" I show her the photo and she looks at it.
"Brandon."
"Brandon?"
"Yes, he was Tatum's boyfriend."
"Tatum had a boyfriend?!"
"Her bisexual era, you could say."
I smile looking at more photos, I stop at a photo of Natalie doing those duck lips as she closes her eyes.
"You really were always pretty." I say, she turns the chair pulling me down on her lap, facing her.
"Mhm."
I flip the page looking at all the photos, mostly photos of other people, the same people...I think I see Elisabeth and she does look like a completely different person just same skin tone and nose—obviously eyes too.
I look at a photo of Olivia and Natalie, Olivia has her arm wrapped around Natalie, Natalie's half smiling.
"That was after our first fight, that was the first time she cheated on me." Natalie says sitting back smiling as she bounces her knee with me on her lap.
"And you stayed with her?"
"I cheated on her too. In high school, we knew, we basically had an open relationship...I never liked it, but the girls I slept with brought me more pleasure than Olivia did. After our engagement we were supposed to stop."
"So I'm the one who can do it right?" I smile and she smiles back.
"You make my legs shake, darling, you do it amazingly." She kisses me and I smile.
"How come you're up here instead of with your family?" I ask and she shrugs.
"Had to get away before they all start asking me am I alright and start touching my shoulder and stuff." She sighs.
"And...is the roof like your comfort spot? Did it used to be?" I ask and she nods.
"I used to write out there, especially at night with my little camping light I bought at the store. I'd be out there for hours, writing in my diaries, writing little stories, reading and sometimes I'd just think." She says and I smile.
"You had a diary?" I laugh a little and she rolls her eyes.
"I still do."
"What?! How come I've never seen it?" I ask sitting up a little. She looks at me.
"Because it has my thoughts in it, my thoughts about you and life, secrets." She presses her finger to my lips...she's definitely a bit drunk...
"I thought I knew your deepest darkest secrets, Beth Winters." I say taking her hand and threading my fingers through hers.
"You do...but I have my own secrets in my head...I do have one I can tell you." She says and I squeeze her hand.
"What?"
"I have a manuscript at home."
"Of?"
"A little book..." She shrugs and I smile widely.
"What book?"
"A little one, I said."
"What's it called, baby?" I ask.
"Nothing lasts forever or something, I can't really remember." She smiles sarcastically and I squeeze her hand.
"Seriously?" I ask and she looks at me nodding.
"You didn't tell me that's what you were working on!"
"I wanted to surprise you." She says and I kiss her, I pull back but kiss her again as I cup her face.
She laughs against my lips as I smile pulling back.
"You really did it?" I question and she smiles nodding.
"My editor loves it, he said it's better than lasting forever and people are looking for more from me anyway..."
"Natalie, you really wrote it? You're not joking?"
"Yes, I really wrote it." She rubs my cheeks and I kiss her again.
"I love you so much." I smile and she laughs.
"Love—"
"Don't even start this again, I will seriously get mad." I huff and she wraps her arms around me instead, pulling me closer.
"I love you." She says and I smile.
"How are you feeling? Don't be mad that I'm asking, I need to ask and I need an honest answer." I say and she sighs.
"I feel like we should go out onto that roof and get drunk." She says and I get up off her lap.
"Let's go then." I say as she stands, I go to walk over to the window and she catches my hand.
"I will go out first, hold the bottle and glass while I go out." She says and I nod. She walks over to the bed stepping onto it before she crawls out the window.
"Stop staring at my ass." She says and I jump, I grab the bottle and glass as my face heats up.
"I wasn't!" I defend myself as I walk over to the bed kneeling onto it as she sits on the grey concrete, I'm guessing it's above her dining room, but I'm just guessing.
I hand her the bottle and glass.
"And anyway you always stare at my butt—and you slap it, Natalie!" I give out and she snorts. I stand on the bed, I go to crawl out and bump my head.
"Ow!" I wince and she sighs.
"Can you do anything without causing yourself harm?" She questions and I rub my head.
"You're supposed to ask am I okay..." I crawl out and she watches me, incase I fall since that will most likely happen.
"Are you okay?" She mocks me and I sit down beside her as I look to her.
"No. I'm not, it's your fault." I blame her even though it's not her fault...
"Next time don't get caught staring at my ass." She squeezes my thigh and I push her hand off ignoring her.
"You slap mine."
"Oh, you don't like it?" She questions taking a sip of the drink, I take it from her taking my own sip.
"Not when I'm walking up the stairs and you do it hard. You're gonna give me bruises on my poor butt one of these days."
"Not my fault you have a big ass." She says and cringes as it comes out, she squeezes her eyes closed for a second.
"You're so dramatic, you're turning into me." I say and she rolls her eyes.
I move closer to the edge of the concrete platform, it's apart of a roof, the main roof is much higher though. Natalie grips my arm as I go to put my legs over the edge.
"No." She says and I look back to her.
"I'm just sitting down at the edge."
"I'm not a fan of you dying, get back now." She says and I huff.
"I'm not gonna fall."
"You fall over your own feet."
"That's different."
"It's really not." She says, I huff sitting back as she takes out her lighter and a packet of cigarettes.
I look up at the sky before I smile, it's dark out, there's light coming from Natalie's bedroom, brightening up where we sit.
"Smiling at the moon?" She asks as she puts the cigarette between her lips, I nod still smiling.
"It's so beautiful." I say and she hums as she blows out some smoke. I look to her and she stares at me.
"What?" I laugh a little and she shrugs as she smiles too as the cigarette goes to her lips again.
"Nothing, just the way you smile looking up at the moon, my eyes locked on you." She says as some smoke escapes through her lips, she inhales and some of it goes back in her mouth.
"You make me blush." I push her a little and she laughs. I wrap my arms around my knees.
"Oh, I try." She taps the end of the cigarette as some ashes fall.
"You look tired." I say looking at her. Her eyes widen a little, probably trying to wake herself up. She nods bringing the cigarette to her lips, inhaling for a few seconds. I hate that she smokes.
"Thanks, darling." She says and I huff.
"I didn't mean it like that...I mean you just look exhausted...from everything?" I say and she looks at me. I wave my hand at the small cloud of smoke.
"I'm alright, I'm just figuring things out and I guess I need more sleep." She says, rubbing the corner of her eye.
I unwrap my arms from around my legs, I drop them and tap my thighs for her to lay down.
"I already crushed you last night."
"No you didn't. Let me comfort you, baby, please." I say and she sighs. I take the cigarette from her before crushing it into the concrete. She laughs a little as she takes a sip of her drink before moving closer. She lays down, her head on my lap.
I smile as she kisses my thigh through my dress.
"I love you, Diana." She says and my heart does a jump, she says my name when she's angry..really only that but on the rare occasion where she says my name...it makes my heart skip a beat or two.
"I love you, Natalie." I say as I fix her hair like she always does to me.
We both stay quiet for a few seconds.
I know she wasn't close with her Dad but I think she's still upset, she also lost her job, she liked being a Teacher.
I think she's had a lot of stress lately but she lets it build up instead of admitting she needs to take a second to relax and let herself breathe.
"I'm afraid of losing you sometimes." She admits, quietly. I look down to her as she stares ahead.
"Why? I'm not going anywhere."
"I know, but I've been told that before, I just...Sometimes I get this deep feeling that you're going to leave me, I don't tell you this shit because it's stupid but I just...." She trails off, I sit up moving her hair back quickly.
"It's not stupid, at all. Natalie, I love you and I know we say it to each other all the time but I mean it every single time. My love grows stronger for you everyday, I really can't imagine my life without you, you are the reason I believe in love and I have a lot of reasons not to believe in it but oh my god, I'm so in love with you." I smile and she turns onto her back looking up at me.
"I wish I was able to describe my love for you, my beautiful girl." She says and I keep smiling.
"You show me your love for me everyday." I say and she laughs a little.
"Three times yesterday?" She questions and I laugh too.
"Shut up, you know that's not what I meant." I say looking away.
We both go quiet again as I look up to the moon.
"I can't wait to marry you though, Natalie." I say.
"We're not even engaged." She laughs and I break another smile.
"I know, but I know you're the person I'm going to marry....Then there's no getting away from me, you'll want me to leave you." I say and she turns kissing my stomach.
"Just don't sneak off and sleep with my brother on our wedding night." She says and I start laughing as she does too.
"You should probably say your sister since I've kissed her before." I say and she groans facing away from me again.
"Don't remind me."
"Oh, shut up, you slept with the whole bench I was sitting with at the church." I roll my eyes.
"You tripped my ex wife in the church." She snorts and I huff.
"It was an accident."
"Liar."
"I know, I couldn't resist it! She called me a bitch!" I huff picking up the bottle, taking a sip as the liquid burns my throat a little.
"You should have punched her in the kitchen."
"I was too nervous, oh—I met your mom."
"What did she say to you?" Natalie asks, it's more of a mumble.
"She asked me am I Diana and I was as beautiful as you described me to be."
"You better not have a crush on my mom." She yawns and I roll my eyes smiling.
"I don't!"
"That's what I thought."
"Natalie, it's cold out here, you're gonna get sick if you go to sleep."
"I can't leave yet."
"Then go to your bed, please, I don't want you to get sick." I say and she groans sitting up, I smile kissing her head.
"Good girl." I say and she furrows her eyebrows looking to me.
"Get your ass inside." She says, I smile as I turn crawling back in the window, I step onto her bed before she smacks my butt. I almost fall off the bed.
"Natalie!" I give out as I turn back pushing her a little and she laughs handing me the bottle and glass.
I huff stepping down on the floor as I set the bottle and glass down.
"Do you know where the bed clothes are? I can make the bed if you want." I ask.
"I'm alright, darling, I can stay awake." She says.
"No, lay down, you're tired, I'll wake you up if someone needs you." I say kissing her head as she sits on the bed, she wraps her arms around my waist.
"I'm serious, lay down, you have a pillow." I say and she pulls back.
"Alright, but wake me up in thirty minutes." She says kicking off her shoes as she lays down. I sit onto the chair in front of her desk as I take another sip from the bottle.
✺
I hear a knock on Natalie's bedroom door, I look up from the book I took from the shelf.
The door opens slowly and Natalie's mom looks into the room, the lights off, I turned on the small lamp on her desk.
"Hi, sorry, she fell asleep, I just let her." I whisper and she nods as she looks at me.
"That's fine...Do you need anything, Diana?" She asks.
"No, I'll be fine, I'll just...read until she wakes up and my friend will pick us up or we'll get an Uber....again I'm sorry." I say quietly and she laughs a little as she wipes her nose.
"It's alright, love, it's almost midnight I'll get a blanket and an extra pillow for when you want to lay down, there's a guest bedroom just besides this one if you want to go in there." She says...I didn't realise how much time went by...
"I'll help you." I say, closing the book and putting it down...This is my time to make up for earlier.
I leave the bedroom closing the door out as I follow her down the long white hall that has some beautiful paintings on the walls.
"How long has she been asleep?" She glances back to me as I rub my eye.
"About four hours, I'm guessing if it's almost midnight." I say.
"And you didn't leave?" She questions, I shake my head.
"I got very interested in one of the books on her shelf." I smile and she laughs. I follow her into the master bedroom, it's huge.
"She's always had her head in a book since she was younger, you two are alike that way." She tells me and I nod.
"I guess so. Your house is beautiful, Mrs Snow." I say, I don't know if I'm supposed to say that to someone...but I'm not sure what else to say.
"Thank you, you can call me Isabelle, you're apart of our family now." She says. I smile.
"Thank you." I say as I follow her into the huge closet....and I mean huge, it's a walk in...there's a little dark brown table in the middle with jewellery and other things....Wow, okay.
She walks over to one cupboard near the back of the closet, she opens it and there's all folded bed clothes.
"I have a lot of photos from when she was younger, you will have to come over soon so I can humiliate her." She tells me and I laugh.
"Was she camera shy when she was younger?"
"Not until she was around nine, before that she would pose for anything. I was surprised when she got into modelling." Isabelle says.
She pulls out a white blanket and I offer to take it, she shakes her head.
"Take this pillow, do you want another?" She questions handing her a white pillow.
"No, one is fine, thank you." I say. She puts the blanket down for a second as she shuts the cupboards.
"I have a bracelet that I would like you to have." She says, she walks over the table in the middle of the closet, she takes a diamond bracelet off the stand. I laugh a little shaking my head, that's expensive.
Oh no, no—Thank you but no." I politely decline since it's probably worth more than I've earned all year from work.
"I want you to have it, Diana."
"I—I really appreciate it but I'm not good with expensive things, I would break it in five minutes—It compliments you, please keep it." I smile stepping back.
"No, it compliments you, I have others like it."
"No—"
"She won't stop until you take it." I look over to the closet door, a man....Carson? Or Caleb?...
"Hi—I can't accept it, I really do appreciate it but please...keep it." I say.
"I am giving it to Natalie tomorrow, if you will not take it. You will take it from her." Isabelle says and I huff a little.
"Mom always gets her way." It's Carson, I remember, he has tattoos and Caleb doesn't.
"I think I just realised that, just like Natalie." I say and Isabelle smiles.
"Carson take this blanket." Isabelle says and he looks to me rolling his eyes, exaggerating and I smile.
"Your father hated Mira, I don't know why she showed up crying, I thought I was going to be in prison by tomorrow." Isabelle sighs taking to Carson.
"I know, Mom." He says taking the blanket from his mom.
"Nobody cares about you until you are dead." She says.
"That's not true." I say and she looks to me. Why did I say that?...
"I don't mean it in that way—I understand what you mean by it, the attention surrounding someone's death but you have people who care about you...Your children..family. I'm sorry, I just took that and—"
"No no, I know what you mean and you are right, I was wrong." She says and I stutter a little.
"I think in a way you're right—like I know what you meant, like people who haven't reached out, they will suddenly care more—and pretend like they were always there when you needed them." I say and she looks at me, I smile a little and she smiles.
"Do you always speak your opinions?" She asks...I don't know if she meant that as an insult or an actual question.
"I—um—no...Rarely." I say.
"Speak them more, Diana. You are nervous, you've been nervous anytime I've approached you today. Natalia told me about you becoming a lawyer, is it? You need confidence." She tells me and I nod.
"Thank you?" I say and she smiles nodding.
"No, don't thank me...Speak your opinion, even if your voice shakes and you stutter." She says and I smile nodding.
"I will try." I say and she nods.
"Good."
"Diana?" I hear Natalie's voice distinctively.
"In here." Carson says and I laugh a little.
Natalie comes in quickly, crossing her arms looking at us all.
"Are you all starting a cult?" Natalie questions as she yawns.
"Go to bed and do not joke about cults, Natalia." Her mom says and Natalie rolls her eyes. I think the eye roll might be a thing all her family does.
"Mom was just about to show Diana all your childhood photos." Carson says as Natalie rubs her hand over her face.
"Oh dear....I told you wake me up in thirty minutes." Natalie looks to me and I hug the pillow in my arms.
"Sorry, you were sleeping so well." I say and she looks to her mom.
"Are you kidnapping her?" Natalie asks.
"She won't take the bracelet I've offered." Isabelle tells Natalie.
"If it's an offer, she can decline, Mom."
"It's a gift then." Isabelle speaks.
"Just take the bracelet." Natalie says to me, her hairs a little messy.
"I can't—"
"You can, so take it and accept it." Natalie says and I huff, Isabelle walks over to me. I hold out my hand and she puts the bracelet on.
"Thank you, it's beautiful." I tell her and she smiles.
"I better head home to my wife and daughter, will you be okay?" Carson walks over hugging Isabelle.
"I'm a grown woman, Carson, I'll be fine." Isabelle says.
"Okay, I love you and I'll call tomorrow. See you later, Diana." He nods to me before he goes over messing up Natalie's hair, she slaps his hand away as he laughs and she scoffs.
"Take a pair of pyjamas, the both of you."
A/n
I didn't realise how long this chapter was when I was writing it...It's 7,000 words 💀💀 (not my favourite one that I was talking about before.)
But yeah, I'll probably make a posting schedule soon because the uploads are messy...
I also am writing a chapter (it's later on in the story) and I'm kind of afraid since people are either going to love or hate it, I don't think there's an in between...but I might change or delete it..
Hopefully I will release the next chapter tomorrow or Sunday! :)