Natasha snorted, “Yeah, right. In a room full of people, she’s the only one weak enough to practically climb into my boyfriend’s arms.
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“Lucas is such a saint, huh? Never hugs anyone else, just his future sister–in–law. If they hopped into bed, you’d probably blame bad lighting. Honestly, my heart’s had it–they’re a match made in a dumpster.”
“Natasha, you’re way off,” Lucas said, dropping Olivia’s arm the second her eyes hit him. Her words, lumping him with Olivia, stung hard.
“Way off?” Natasha smirked, sharp and cold. “Lucas, ever count how many times you’ve fed me that line?”
Lucas fumbled for words. “There’s a reason, alright? I can explain.”
“Pass,” she shot back.
Excuses didn’t cut it. No matter his reasons, he kept picking Olivia’s side, leaving Natasha high and dry.
What about the engagement party?” Madeline cut in, trying to pivot.
‘Engagement party?” Natasha’s laugh was icy. “There wasn’t even a real proposal. What engagement?”
‘What’s that mean?” Madeline gaped.
Lucas and the Clark family stared, but Olivia’s eyes glinted with, something sneaky.
‘Need it clearer?” Natasha fixed Lucas with a cold stare. “I told you yesterday during that half–baked proposal–if you bailed, we were done. So, Lucas, we’re over. I’m done.”
‘No way!” Lucas barked, his chest tightening like a vice. “I’m not letting this go!”
He’d been with her since she was three–twenty years. One botched proposal couldn’t end it. She’d always said she’d marry him.
To him, they were endgame.
“Take it back,” he said, jaw clenched. “You’re just mad. You don’t mean it.”
Natasha ignored him, turning to Madeline. “I’ve said my piece. We’re done. If you don’t want a party with no bride, call it off”
“This is nonsense!” a voice roared. “The Wright–Clark wedding’s been set for years. You think this is a game? You were dying to marry him, and now you’re bailing? You can’t just do whatever!”
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Natasha’s gaze was pure ice. “If you’re so set on it, marry him yourself. Or…” Her eyes flicked to Olivia. “You’ve got another daughter, right?”
“Natasha!” Lucas’s voice cracked, raw with hurt. “You know I love you.”
“Whatever,” she scoffed, unmoved. That line was dead to her.
“I’m done with this happy family sitcom,” she said, tossing her hands up. “Catch ya later—or, better
yet, never.”
She spun and strutted out, not sparing a glance back.
“Natasha!” Lucas moved to chase, but Olivia grabbed his arm.
“It’s my fault,” she said, all soft and pitiful. “If I hadn’t gotten hurt, this wouldn’t be happening. She’s just pissed, Lucas. Chasing her now’s pointless. Let her chill, and we’ll talk to her together. She’s been crazy about you forever–canceling the engagement? Total bluff.”
“Yeah, don’t sweat it,” Madeline said, patting Olivia’s hand. “She’ll come crawling back once she cools off. Twenty years chasing Lucas? She’s not walking away.”
Three years ago, Natasha planned a group sailing trip to clear her head. Olivia and her boyfriend came along. A storm hit, and Olivia’s boyfriend died saving Lucas.
Olivia nearly drowned, waking up with memory issues, sometimes mistaking Lucas for her dead boyfriend.
Last night, Olivia’s car accident triggered another episode, calling for her “boyfriend.” Madeline called Lucas to calm her–right as he was proposing to Natasha.
Still, Madeline saw no issue. She’d make the same call again.
To Madeline, Natasha owed Olivia too much. ‘It is just a proposal,‘ she thought. ‘Why the fuss? So childish.‘
Noel snorted. “Natasha’s been glued to Lucas for twenty years. No way she’s serious about ditching the wedding.”
Lucas let their words hold him back, but a knot twisted in his gut.
They’d sworn never to throw “breakup” around lightly.
The
past three
years were rough, with Olivia’s mix–ups sparking fights. Once, Lucas even had to kiss Olivia during one of her episodes, and Natasha was livid but only iced him out for a month. She never said they were done.
Is this just her blowing off steam?‘ he wondered.
Maybe he should keep Olivia at arm’s length. He hadn’t checked in with her therapist this month-
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time to push for answers.
No matter what, Natasha was the only one he wanted to marry. Always had been.
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While everyone else dismissed Natasha’s words as a tantrum, Olivia watched her vanish, a sly spark in her eyes.
‘If she’s for real, awesome,‘ Olivia thought. ‘If not, I’m cool with stirring the pot a bit.’
The Clark family was itching to get out of the police station when a rookie cop swaggered in, his words hitting like a curveball.
“Natasha? Wasn’t she just here last night? Back for an encore already?” he said.
He’d worked the graveyard shift, sorting out some street brawl mess. Just swinging by the station for a quick errand, he spotted Natasha on her way out, his tone dripping with a playful jab.
“You know Natasha? She was here last night too?” Lucas cut in, eyebrows raised.
“That little troublemaker! What’d she get herself into now?” Andrew growled, his jaw tight.
Thomas piled on, scoffing. “What, is she moving into the station now? Still stuck in her rebel phase?”
In seconds, the family was ready to pin another screw–up on Natasha, sure she’d landed in trouble again.
Olivia, though, sensed something was off. Keeping it chill, she softened her voice to calm her dad. “Hey, Dad, hold off. We don’t know the deal yet. Natasha’s young–she gets a bit wild sometimes.”
“Young? She’s 23! If she had half your sense, I’d sleep better at night,” Andrew shot back.
“Yo, time out!” The cop jumped in, fed up. “Who said she got nabbed for messing up? Your girl got jumped by some creeps last night and took a hit. Scared senseless, too.
“If some random guy hadn’t stepped up, who knows what would’ve happened? You’re her family- how’re you totally in the dark?”
He muttered, just loud enough to burn, “Her arm’s all bandaged up. That stranger who helped? Cares more than her own folks, apparently.”
His words slapped the Clarks hard. They froze, suddenly recalling Natasha’s pale face.
They’d been so caught up in their own drama, no one bothered to check on her.
Madeline’s voice wavered. “She’s hurt? Is it bad?”
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No matter how much Natasha drove them nuts, she was their daughter, their own flesh and blood. ‘If she wasn’t so damn rebellious, would I even be this hard on her?‘ she thought, trying to justify herself.
