Breaking Free | Natasha x OC

Chapter Fifty

"It hurts when the person who made you feel so important and special yesterday makes you feel so unwanted today."

___

As it turned out, Natasha got there an hour and ten minutes later. About fourty minutes earlier than she should've been.

Timothy walked out to meet her, watching the blonde stride over to him, fast and determined. "I've got people going back to clean up all the mess-"

"Where is she?" Natasha asked, walking right past him and forcing him to follow.
Blinking and shrugging to absolutely no one, he turned to trail behind.

"The room right ahead."

They got there, Natasha about to head in when a hand landed on her arm, stopping her movement. Immediately frowning, Nat looked up only to pause.
"Alessia," She breathed, growing concerned when that warmth wasn't there like it had been the first time they'd met. Not entirely gone, but hidden under a lot of concern.

"Nat," Alessia greeted, voice kind but serious. "Thank you for getting us out... but I need to talk to you about Natara."

Nat frowned more. "Can it wait?" She made to open the door once more, Tara right there on the other side of it. So close. After four months of hell and a worry so intense she breathed it, Tara was right here.
But again, Alessia stopped her.

"Listen to me," Alessia spoke firmly, pulling Natasha away and eyeing Timothy skeptically. He got the message, sighing and backing away while muttering words under his breath.

"What's wrong?" The blonde asked.

Now Natasha could see just how worried Alessia was.
"I don't know," the Italian rushed out, really panicking now. "Something happened right after we got away from the people chasing us. Everything was fine- Natara was fine... and then she got in the car and- I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? What happened?" Now Nat was worried too.

"I don't know," Alessia repeated, stressing. "But it's bad, Natasha. Like, really bad I think. I haven't seen her like this... well, in years. Even these past months, she's had bad days and weeks- but now I think she's losing it."
Alessia whispered the last words, like this was the first time she'd voiced them, and she hated the sound of it.

Nat took a step away, as if not wanting to hear or face that information. "Losing it? It's Natara- she's handled a lot. She'll be fine-"

"Exactly!" Alessia near snapped. "She's handled a lot, but there's only so much a person could take. I know her, Nat. I've seen her similar to this before... and her being back here isn't good. At all."

Natasha was silent. "Why are you telling me this?"

Alessia looked worn and anxious. "Because the person you're going to see in there isn't the person you're hoping for. She was, these past three months, she was that person... all she's spoke about is you and fixing everything." Alessia ran her hand through her hair and Nat noticed it looked less healthy than it had. That Alessia looked skinnier too. Those three months were bound to have been a lot.
"But something did happen. All she's done the past hour is get worse. I just don't want you to be disappointed when you walk in there and it isn't warm. And I want you to know that this time, whatever's bugging her isn't about you or your marriage. It isn't personal."