“She… has a daughter?” said my mother softly. “Hmm. That explains it, then.”
“Explains what?” I said indignantly.
“Explains why she wants anything to do with you,” said Isabella, clearly still reeling from my attack. “She’s obviously using you for your money—forourmoney—so she can support her kid.” Then, under her breath muttered, “I’ll bet she doesn’t even know who the father is…”
“That’s enough!” I shouted, this time standing up. “You two are entitled to your opinions. That’s fine. But don’t you dare, I repeat, don’t youdaremake assumptions about a woman you know absolutely nothing about. Natalie is a kind, strong, talented, remarkable woman, and I won’t stand here while you drag her name through the mud.”
They were both silent, looking at me with genuine shock in their eyes.
“Just… consider what we’ve told you, son,” my mother said, her tone suggesting that the conversation was drawing to a close. “Please, consider it.”
“I’ve considered it,” I said coldly. “And I think it’s a load of bullshit.”
And with that, I turned around, left the house, and got back in the car. Within moments, and without even realizing what I’d been doing, I was on my way back to the lake house.
I was halfway there when I got a call from Johann.
“Hey,” I said shortly.
“Lucas! I’m so glad I got through to you, what’s wrong, you sound upset?”
I took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Tell me, what’s going on?”
“I wanted to call and let you know… you remember the client I mentioned, with the gallery in Manhattan? Well, she’s interested in buying Natalie’s paintings. All of them.”
Suddenly I forgot why I had ever been mad, and was overcome by a blissful euphoria. “Johann, that’s incredible.” Then, after I could contain the smile that was spreading across my face, I said, “Thank you—I mean it.”
I could hear he was smiling too. “My pleasure. I wanted you to be the one to tell Natalie. Tell her to call me once she knows, okay?”
“I will. Thank you so much, I’ll talk to her tonight.”
“Perfect. Looking forward to hearing how she reacts.”
I smiled again, despite myself. “Me too.”
Maybe it was the excitement, maybe I genuinely lost track of time, but within the hour I was pulling into town, cruising by the restaurant where I knew Natalie would be getting off. But when I got there, my heart stopped. I had been right; she was there, still in her uniform.
But she was in the arms of another man.
17
An Old Flame
Natalie
I was just getting off my shift at the restaurant, exhausted from a long day’s work, when suddenly I heard a familiar voice call my name. “Natalie.”
For a moment, I closed my eyes.Oh god, it can’t be him… it can’t be…but then I opened my eyes, reluctantly and discovered that it was, that I had not been mistaken—it was my ex-boyfriend, Daniel.
“Daniel!” I began, indignant.Who does he think he is, just showing up at my place of work unannounced? I ought to give him a piece of my mind…I opened my mouth to continue, to berate him, when suddenly he grabbed me in his arms and kissed me.
I went numb, suddenly. The familiar taste of cigarettes was unpleasant, and immediately I was transported years back to when it had all ended with him, and I was reminded of just why we had broken up. I could almost taste his rage as he forced his tongue down my throat.
Finally, after recovering from my initial shock, I shoved him off of me. “What the hell do you—” I started, before catching a glimpse of something black and shiny in my peripheral field of vision. Suddenly my body tensed; it was Lucas’s car. And, I could see through the rolled-down passenger seat window, Lucas, with a horrified expression on his face. He had seen Daniel kiss me.
“Lucas!” I called out, but it was too late; he was already driving away, not even turning to acknowledge my voice.
My instincts told me to run after him, to explain to him what he had just witnessed. But I couldn’t bring myself to. I needed to deal with Daniel first.