Chapter 12
Natasha
I step back from him in shock and Bridget puts her arm around me gently in pity, as my heart drops.
Don’t touch him…he told me not to touch him.
I look at the ground immediately as I try to pull myself together, my world spinning on its axis.
Robert, Joshua’s father, enters the room and laughs out loud at the sight of his two sons.
He embraces them both. Bridget grabs my hand in support.
I stand still, head down. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that.
Wilson and Scott walk over and the family start talking.
Cameron is asking Robert about the prognosis when I see something catch Joshua’s eye over my shoulder.
He runs his tongue over the front of his top teeth.
“Excuse me for a moment,” he snaps as he brushes past me.
I turn to see what he is doing, and I see him marching towards Max on the other side of the large room.
Oh shit. I take off after him and catch up just in time to hear him snap, “Leave, before I kick your ass.” Max narrows his eyes and glares at Joshua.
“Joshua, don’t speak to him like that!” I gasp.
He turns on me like the devil himself. “I will speak to him any damn way I want to, Natasha. I will not sit here in the same room as this,” he looks him up and down, “traitor.”
“Joshua, just because Max helped me get home to Australia does not mean he is a traitor to you. He tried to get me to go back to you continually,” I reply nervously.
He steps back in disgust and Ben walks over. “Is there a problem here?” Ben asks as he gently grabs the back of Joshua’s elbow.
Joshua runs his tongue over his front teeth again as he glares at Max, then he turns back to the others. “Get rid of him,” he snaps as he walks off.
Max glares after him.
“You had better leave,” Ben remarks quietly to Max as he scratches the back of his neck.
Max’s eyes flick to me for approval. I can’t believe he just said that. I look over to Joshua who is blatantly furious. His hands are in his pockets, his legs wide, still glaring at Max while his brothers try to talk to him.
My eyes flick nervously between the two men. “Max, maybe you should go, there is enough security. I don’t need any more drama than I’ve got. Sorry,” I whisper.
Max bites his lip and nods. “Make sure Natasha has a guard with her till she gets home,” he says to Ben.
Ben nods and shakes Max’s hand, “Good to see you man.” He smiles.
Max then walks over to the lift and disappears downstairs.
I stare at the closed doors behind him. Who in the hell does this guy think he is?
He marches in here like Fabio, refuses my kiss, tells me not to touch him and then tells my bodyguard he’s going to kick his ass if he doesn’t leave.
I stomp back to the others where Wilson grabs me affectionately around the neck in a headlock.
Joshua stands still, his hands in his pockets, glares at him and raises a brow.
Wilson immediately drops his arm from me.
Oh right, so Wilson isn’t allowed to touch me either. Unbelievable.
“I’m getting coffee,” I snap.
“I’ll come too,” Bridget smiles as she grabs her bag.
As soon as we get into the lift Bridget starts to jump up and down.
“Oh my God. I have to ring Abbie.” She pulls out her phone and starts to text.
She reads out what she texts: “Hot. Hot. Hot. Smoking fucking hot.” She laughs out loud for the first time in days.
She continues to text as she reads out loud: “Mr. Stanton is back in town.” She wobbles her stupid head around to accentuate her point.
I glare at her deadpan. “You’re such a loser. Did you hear the attitude he was giving me? Hello…Newsflash. He cheated on me, the asshole. He can’t come back here throwing me orders. Who in the hell does he think he is?”
Bridget smiles and bites her lip as she hunches her shoulders. “But you are in the same room as him.”
“So,” I answer flatly.
“So, who knows what could happen? You could be having passionate make up sex. Maybe later tonight even.” She widens her eyes as she puts her hands above her head and does sparkle fingers in excitement.
I roll my eyes. “Are you on crack?” I snap. The doors open and I march into the foyer. I find two security guards waiting for me. Bloody hell, I am sick to death of these guards everywhere.
Half an hour, a huge chocolate and a cup of tea later, I have calmed myself down to simply just rage and have devised a making-it-through-strategy with Bridget.
I’m going to wait for him to talk to me.
I tried to kiss him first and he brushed me off.
I am not going to appear needy. So, the ball is in his court, I’m not begging.
No fucking way. I am going to be cool, calm, collected and totally self-absorbed… just like him.
The thing about waiting for a mule to apologize is that it’s ridiculous.
I have never met a more stubborn…more annoying, pig headed, utterly gorgeous bastard in my entire life.
He has not made eye contact with me in four days.
I’m not talking passing each other in a corridor and looking the other way kind of eye contact, I mean sitting opposite each other in a circular lounge in a hospital waiting room, where he refuses point blank to even look at me.
I sit on the floor next to the coke machine with Wilson as I watch Bridget and Joshua talking on the lounge.
She’s telling a story and being all animated, he is leaning back on his chair with his head on the cushion, his legs are spread wide and he’s laughing.
Cameron, who is sitting opposite them, is laughing too, what are they talking about?
Wilson’s eyes gaze at where I am looking. “You okay, chick?”
he asks quietly.
I nod and smile. “Yeah.” I bump him with my shoulder. “You?”
He smiles and bumps me back. “Yeah, I’m ok.” His eyes look over at Josh. “Have you spoken to him?”
I drop my head. “No. He won’t even look at me.” He nods solemnly.
“He will come round.”
“I never wanted to hurt him, Wils, I loved him,” I sigh. He gives me a sad smile. “Past tense?”
I shrug as I drop my eyes. I look back over at Joshua who looks relaxed and gentle.
Beautiful. Bridget does that to everybody she talks to, especially me.
I’m jealous that the boys still want to spend time with her and yet neither Cameron nor Joshua have hardly said a word to me.
It’s blatantly obvious that Cam is harboring a grudge.
I’m waiting to get him alone so I can have it out with him.
I hear the electric lift doors in the background.
“Have you been to LA since we broke up?” Wilson nods and smiles.
“Is Josh with Amelie?” I ask. I know I sound desperate, but I need to know. Wilson will tell me the truth; he’s probably the only non-player in the Stanton family.
He shakes his head and slings his arm around my shoulder. “No.”
“Is he seeing anyone?” I ask. I silently cringe at the loser coming out in me.
He shrugs. “Josh has just been being Josh, no one special, in love with Natasha Marx from afar.”
I blow out a breath and raise my eyebrows. “So in love, he won’t even speak to her?” I stammer.
“So in love, he can’t speak to her,” he whispers.
“Where’s my girl?” Adrian’s voice echoes through the room and my eyes snap up.
“There she is.” He laughs as he spots me in the corner. Oh thank God, Adrian is glad to see me.
He marches over and scoops me up into his arms.
“My beautiful chick, I’ve missed you.” He smiles.
My eyes fill with tears as I cuddle him.
We stand still in an embrace for a moment.
When I pull back my eyes flick to Joshua, who’s silently watching.
Wilson is right, he is hurt. I can see it in his eyes.
Adrian flops onto the lounge over in the corner and pulls me with him, holding my hand on his lap.
Joshua’s eyes flick to our entwined hands across the room.
“How have you been?” he smiles.
I nod. “Ok, I guess. I could be better.” I smile.
“This is a terrible thing, huh?” Adrian sighs.
“It is,” I sigh. “Not to mention Joshua and Cameron have decided not to speak to me so it’s just shitty all round actually,” I whisper as I smile sadly.
Adrian’s eyes fly to the boys and he raises an eyebrow. “Are you that ridiculous you are not talking to her?” he snaps loudly. Oh shit, how embarrassing, please be quiet.
“I am talking to you, you haven’t talked to me,” Cameron gasps.
I drop my eyes in embarrassment.
Joshua raises his eyebrows. “The time for talking was six months ago, now I have nothing to say,” he sneers.
I don’t believe this, my blood starts to boil. “Actually, if we are keeping score the time for talking was in the hospital,” I snap.
“Let’s get some coffee,” Bridget frowns at me, desperately trying to make a distraction. She stands, and Cameron and Joshua follow.
I stay seated and Adrian pulls me up by the hand. “Let’s go, Cinderella, coffee time. Enough,” he snaps.
We get down to the cafeteria and the stupid idiots behind the counter nearly wet their pants at the sight of the three boys.
“I’ve got it,” purrs fish face. “Two double shot lattes. One with sugar. See, I remembered your order.” She points at Cameron and giggles.
Joshua smirks. Bridget, Adrian and I all look at each other deadpan.
Get off it, stupids. Bridget does cross eyes and I giggle.
“I’ll have what I have twice a day, too,” Bridget replies as she fakes a smile at the waitress. She rolls her fingers in a tap on the counter.
The waitress appears uncomfortable and looks at the other girls working who are all giggling. “I can’t actually remember your order, love,” she smiles.
“Of course not. I can tell you don’t have a very big memory,” Bridget snaps. “Or brain,” she mouths to Adrian and me. We put our heads down to hide our smiles.
“Meeeooow,” Cameron snickers.
“Sshh,” Bridget snaps.