Recap:
I turned around and started walking towards the food area when Wade pulled me back
and looked into my eyes. It was intense. Blue eyes should be banned I tell you! I
couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe all I could do was stare into that expanse of blue.
I saw him looking at my lips and I licked them nervously. He smiled softly and bent
close. My heart was hammering in my chest. His mouth was near my ear and then he
whispered, “I know your secret.”
Natasha’s P. O. V
I looked up at him in panic. How could he possibly know? How in the world did he know
unless Jude? No that’s not possible Jude would’ve have warned me wouldn’t he?
“What the hell is going on?” someone growled near us. I turned my head to see Jude
standing there furious.
“Where were you?” I asked. I stared at him confusion. He disappears at our engagement
party and he is furious? Seriously?
He stomped up to us and whispered furiously, “Do you have any idea how you two look
from afar?”
I looked down to see that Wade was still holding my arm and we were rally close. He
let go of my arm suddenly and said, “My bad Jude she tripped and I caught her in
time.”
I gasped at how easily Wade lied.
Jude scoffed and said, “Yeah right!”
Wade lowered his voice and said, “Oh alright then I was just telling Natasha that I
knew about what you two have been cooking and she need not be so wound up to pretend
around me at least.”
“How the hell do you know?”
“Er I told him?” All of us looked up to see Sean approaching.
“Oh brilliant! Why don’t you go tell the press already?”
“Jude-” began Sean but Jude cut him off and said, “I thought I could trust you Sean!”
“Listen to-” said Wade but Jude silenced him with a look.
“Jude” I said “let us hear them out first.”
“Well” said Sean, “you guys do realize that when you move into the city you will be
constantly visited by every Smith?”
I turned to look at Jude who shrugged and said, “So?”
“Well I can’t be there all the time Jude because I will have to go back to my
university for my final semester. You need an inside man and-”
“I stay in the city and would be available round the clock” finished Wade.
“Why do we need an inside man?” asked Jude.
“Think of it Jude, there will be little slip ups like your disappearance today
evening. I had to make excuses for you while Natasha had to play the part of the
perfect bride to be. This is only the beginning. You need someone on the inside and
it has to be Wade and I.”
“Jude when have I ever given you a reason to not trust me?” asked Wade. He looked a
little hurt. Jude looked at him and his gaze softened, “Never. I trust you Wade. I am
sorry I over reacted.”
“Its ok bro. if I didn’t know better I would’ve thought that you had spoken in
jealous rage.”
Jude scoffed at him while Sean and I giggled. We all proceeded to eat dinner. We
joined the family members at a long table. Most of the guests had finished eating and
were leaving while some children played in the lawn. Soon it was only the immediate
family members left.
I felt my stomach growl and looked around quickly hoping no one had heard it and sat
down. I saw Wade smirking at me and realized he had heard my stomach growl and
blushed. Jud and Wade sat down on either side of me.
The menu was elaborate. I chose a chicken mushroom ravioli and had garlic mushrooms
and grilled chicken for starters. I saw Jude do the same however his main course was
a huge beef steak with chips on the side. I snorted at him and he looked at me
defensively and said, “What? I am famished!”
I shrugged and took my mask off it was annoying me a little now. I turned to Wade and
said, “Why didn’t you wear a mask?”
“I arrived really late, didn’t really think about it.” I nodded and ate in silence
while the rest of the family members shot questions at Wade.
“So Wade” asked Mr. Smith, “when are you getting hitched eh?”
Everyone laughed as if it was an elaborate joke. I honestly didn’t find it that
funny. What was it with the elders? One person would decide to marry and they would
be after the entire generation to get them all married at once!
Wade cleared his throat and said, “I don’t know Uncle Harry but if I do find someone
like Natasha here I might settle down!”
I looked at him in surprise and saw him smile at me which I returned a little
uncertainly.
“Well” said Jude sounding a little strained, “too bad I found her before you. Shes
mine now buddy!” I rolled my eyes at how Jude sometimes took his role of being the
over protective husband too seriously. He was of course only acting for everyone
else’s benefit.
“Yeah” said Wade sadly, “too bad.”
Everyone continued eating and talking about what a success the ball had been. I ate
in silence and spoke only when spoken to. Most of the time, it was Wade who was
trying to make conversation with e while Jude sulked and was grumpy. His attitude was
getting on my nerves now. I finished my dinner quickly and excused myself saying I
was tired and would like to change. Everyone wished me goodnight and I kissed Mr. and
Mrs. Smith goodnight before going up to my room.
I rushed up and quickly changed. I took my jewellery off and kept it on a shelf in
the closet. I washed my face and removed all traces of make up from it. I put my gown
carefully in the bag and hung it. I removed the pins from my hair and let it fall
loosely around my shoulders. I was sitting on the bed brushing my hair when someone
knocked on the door. I frowned wondering who it could be at this time. Jude would
never knock.
“Come in” I called out.
Wade walked in and smiled at me. He leant against the door and just stared at me.
“Well well well what do you know? You look just as good without make up!”
I knew I was blushing up to the roots of my hair and that made me look really
unattractive. Wade walked in an sat next to me.
“Sean told me about your mother, I am really sorry.”
I nodded and said, ‘Thanks.”
“Natasha if you feel that all this is becoming too much, if you ever feel over
whelmed by it all just give me a call. I will be there.” He smiled at me, it was a
heart breaking smile, it was a smile filled with understanding. At that moment I knew
that Wade was a really kind person. A friend that I would love to keep. More than a
friend said a voice in my head but I asked it to shut the hell up. On an impulse I
reached forward and hugged Wade, he seemed surprised but hugged me back. I rest my
head against his shoulder and felt myself relax. It felt so good that I didn’t have
to pretend in front of him. It was a relief!
“Ahem” someone cleared their throat and Wade and I jumped apart to see Jude standing
in the room with a frown on his face.
“Alright I will get going now. See you later Tasha!”
“Goodnight Wade.”
‘Yeah goodnight Wade” said Jude pointedly.
“Goodnight bro.”
Jude turned to me and raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Since when does he call you Tasha?”
“Since he’s my friend?”
“Oh and since when is he your friend?”
“Since you abandoned me at OUR engagement party for that hag!”
“Wh-what? Pfft! I did not abandon you! And Stephanie is not a hag!”
“FYI you did abandon me and you are right. Stephanie is not a hag she is an UGLY and
OLD hag.”
With that I turned on my side and pulled the covers and squeezed my eyes shut. Jude
changed and slipped under the covers.
“Nats you awake?”
“What do you want?”
“Advice?”
I sat up in astonishment.
“What do you need my advice for?”
“Well its about Stephanie”
I felt my hands and jaw clench.
“Just hear me out.”
“Ok”
“She told me that Nick was a mistake. That she never meant for it to happen. She said
that she loves me and that we were meant to be. Somewhere deep inside I believe that
too. I think that maybe I should give it another try?”
I breathed out the air that I had been holding.
“Jude she doesn’t deserve you. If she truly believed that Nick was a mistake why is
she still with him.”
“I have been thinking about it as well but maybe its because I had left her and she
needed someone in her life? Maybe she wanted Nick and her to work but it isn’t
working out? All I know is that if I don’t give it a try I will keep wondering all my
life. I mean life would be full of what ifs.”
I nodded and said, “Jude its your decision to make. I personally don’t like her and
think she is fake but if you really want to make it work then go ahead.”
“Do you think so Natasha? I mean we were together for 3 years! Doesn’t that count for
anything? I really feel like I cant love another woman as I loved her.”
“Jude the Human heart is big enough to love more than one person in a lifetime. Like
I said give it a try but I don’t want to see you get hurt. You wont face any trouble
from me but just be careful if the press gets a wind of you guys meeting up or
anything we will be in major trouble.”
I didn’t know why I felt my heart squeeze when I said this or why my stomach was in
knots but I felt my throat choke and I couldn’t speak anymore. Jude got up and hugged
me and whispered, “Thanks. Wade and Sean didn’t understand but you did. They told me
I am an idiot but I needed to hear someone say go for it.”
I nodded mutely and quickly wiped my eyes as Jude and I pulled apart. I lay back on
the bed “Goodnight Jude”
“Goodnight nats”
Jude’s P. O. V
I woke up the next morning and frowned. Natasha had already woken up and packed her
bag. I saw it lying near the closet. Why didn’t she wake me up? I checked my phone
and there were 21 missed calls from Stephanie and 3 messages asking me if we could
talk. I smiled to myself; maybe she has really changed and realized her mistake. I
got out of my bed happily and got into the shower. I took a leisurely bath and then
changed into a pair of shorts and a white T shirt. I pulled on my sneakers and ran
downstairs. I couldn’t wait to get back and meet Stephanie.
I frowned as I saw Natasha wasn’t at the dining table. I sat down next to Sean, and
asked, “Where is Natasha?”
“Oh Wade and she went for a walk.”
Only when Sean said that did I realize Wade wasn’t there either.
“Where did they go?” I asked nonchalantly.
“I am not sure but I do believe that Wade wanted to show Natasha the lake.”