All At Once

Chapter II

Saturday, 5th of July (7:45am)

My vision adjusted for a little bit. Sunlight streaking past the curtain windows is blinding me. I take a quick glance at the calendar and realized that I have to go to the office sooner. Doing your morning routines bores me more than anything so I went downstairs for a moment of farewell but I didn't spot Will there. I tried the backyard and still, negative. When I step on the front door, I saw him sitting in the porch swing sipping his coffee.

"Baby Natty, what a nice morning to see you in an all-business suit." he smiles playfully and hands me a key. 

"You're lending your car to me? I can take a bus and I don't need anymore services from you. Thanks for the accomodation by the way. I'll come back here by dusk to take my things." I make tiny steps toward the front lawn when he jogs towards me and says, "You can stay here. I don't mind. You can be here for a week, tops. Then, I'll help you find an apartment."

I'm a little bit taken a back by his offer and thought that he's joking again. So I just ask him, "Are you planning to build a hotel for heartbroken-girls? 'Cause I don't have intentions in staying here longer than one day. Anyhow, we can talk about this maybe later when I came back from work, okay?"

"No problem. I'll be expecting much for that talk. Be careful." He called and I waved at him as I slip inside his car and drive all the way to the company's skyscraper.

Saturday, 5th of July (6:00pm)

Working in an insurance company drains every bit of your energy so when I park at Will's driveway, I rest my head in the steering wheel and relax a little. Then a head poked in front of the car's window. Will knocks the glass window and I jolt backward, rolling it down.

"What the hell? Can't I just at least take a thirty minute nap before that talk?" I ask and he shrugged like a kid being accused of murder.

"No can do. I can make you coffees if you want. In the kitchen, please?" he begged and I nod.

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."

I peek at my wrist watch, telling me it's already four minutes after six o'clock. The golden sky transforms into a dull, gray color filled with angry clouds that I almost anticipate a storm is brewing above. I bolted towards the house and make a beeline to the kitchen where Will is waiting for me.

"So, we're going to talk about your extended days of accomodation." he says in a businesslike way.

"Oh, I'm so astonish that William Campbell's going serious about this. I just wanted one night to rest but you insisted of me staying for a week."

He take a sip of his coffee and ask, "And you're accepting it or not? A week is not bad, you know."

"I am. Be sure to remind me to leave this house on the twelfth of July, okay?" I grin at him playfully, making sure that he's into the challenge.

"As you wish, Miss Hudson."

I narrow my eyes at him and he looked at me with no emotion in it so I blurt out, "I have no idea why you're so sober about this. What happened?"

"Natty, you clearly don't get it, do you? I meant it when I say that I wanted you to stay. In my house. When it comes to you, I learn when to be playful and when to be serious about some things."

"Oh, well, umm... I get it. But just a little bit." I giggle and peer at him. With that, I'm starting to believe that what he's saying is all real. His face is sober that I feel like I don't want to laugh anymore.

For a second, he smiles. The kind of smile you get when you receive a sweet Valentine note from your crush. A smile full of colorful emotions.

"By the way, I emailed Peter and Anne about you and said that they will both visit next week out here and have a little tea party. Then, we'll have---" he stops himself when we heard someone banging at the front door.

"Stay here. It might be Drew from next door." he warns and I can tell that there's going to be trouble but he's trying his best to hide it from me.

"Okay. Got it." 

Second and minutes passed and I can tell that Will's not going to back in the kitchen. I shiver at the thought that someone sabotage him because of what he'd done with his ex-girlfriends.  My body is shaking so badly and suddenly, I'm terrified. And when I'm about to make my way to open the front door, a drunken voice made my heart jump.

Terror rises up to my head and images started to roll again. He gagged him. And all I can hear are muffled sounds I can barely understand and a frightening voice that makes goosebumps on me. Matthew. He's here and Will is gagged. My body goes frigid and all I can manage to say is that, "Leave him alone, Matt. He's out of this. And most of all, you don't have the right to torture him in his own house."

He studied me closely like a specimen and says, "But you have the right to come back to me. We'll be happy, and I can assure you that , Natasha. We can do it tomorrow. You don't have to get away from me."

"Are you out of your mind? You're crazy. You know, I chose to be alone. I don't need you anymore besides I'm contented to be here. Yesterday, I am so madly in love with you, but today, it's me that change my mind."

"No, Natasha. You're right, that's yesterday, but here we are, we can be together again and then---"

"You're the one who said it, didn't you? You're exhausted. You wanted the end of it. And now, what I wanted you to do is to get the hell out of here 'cause I don't have any more matters to be discuss with you." I scowled at him with too much anger and resentment.

"You're right. I meant it yesterday but not now. I can't accept it. I know I can never take it back again, so, before I can totally end this, I'm going to kill this guy first." 

The next thing is so hard to process that my breathing becomes ragged. He pointed the butt of a pistol to Will's forehead and that's when I say impulsively, "Matt, please. Can you please calm down? It's not what you think. We can still talk---" 

I haven't finish myself explaining to him when he draws the gun back and instead, he presses it against his temple and murmurs, "Goodbye, Natasha. I won't haunt you anymore after this."

Bang!---

Hearing a resonating sound so loud horrifies me more than ever. Just then, images flashed before my mind. A pool of blood in the floor. Untying knots in Will's hand. And Will whispering some words of comfort to me and before I can wake up from this horrible nightmare, I've been swallowed by darkness everywhere.

(A Flashback of Natasha's Childhood Years)

"Oh, come on, Little Natsy. Race me to the water!" she squeakes. Her flaming hair as red as a sunset dance with the sea breeze.

"I can't, Andy. I'm too tired." I say while starting to jog toward her.

"You can't give up now. We're almost here." As she reaches the edge of the dock, she jumps and suddenly, I'm a little bit scared that she'd hurt herself. But she let out a laughter and I sighed in relief.

"Are you crazy? Andy, if Mom and Dad knew about this..." I say as she tried to climb back.

"They will have nothing to do with it. Besides, I had already do that stunt for like, umm... a hundred times, I guess?"

I pouted my lips and say, "You really are in real trouble."

"Don't worry about me, Natsy. I can handle myself out there. So, can we do it again? It's fun." she grins.

Narrowing my eyes at her didn't have an effect so I just agreed. "Fine. This will be our last trip in summer, isn't it? Okay. Let's do this."

Her smile brightens and she laughs and says, "I'm glad you said yes. On three."

One. Two. Three.

She slip her hand through mine but I hesitate for a second. Something tells me that this is all wrong but I did jump anyway.