Author's Note:
Read the chapter title? Sadly, yes, this is the end. For now...
I'm going to give you guys an epilogue, I promise. Don't worry.
If ever the fancy strikes me in the future to re-open this story, you can best believe it will happen. Either that or my fans (ALL OF YOU) demanding POLITELY that I write more because you can't possibly live without this story/couple.
SO, with that said...viola, the finale of Natalie Rosalynn Smith's love story with Draco Malfoy!
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"You bitch," she hissed, her chest visibly rising as her nostrils flared. Her eyes had fire in them, but I wasn't afraid of her. I was sorry to hurt her.
"You bloody slut!" She screeched, smashing something underneath her heel. I cringed, not sure what it was, and waited for her to move. We both looked down at the broken picture frame.
It was us hugging, all smiles, in the summer sun from two years ago.
"How could you?! You and him?! Both of you, all this time! You betrayed me, Natalie. You fucking bitch you stole the love of my life! How dare you?!" She pushed at my chest and I let her, but I stood my ground. She needed to get this all out.
"You took away the only things I ever cared about Natalie! You KNEW how much he meant to me all this time! Did you do this on purpose?! Were you honestly so jealous of me getting just this ONE little thing over you that you had to destroy it for me?! He's the love of my life! And you just couldn't let me win ONE TIME." She was shaking in anger, fists balled at her sides.
"You're no better than my mother," she hissed. That statement stung. It hadn't been like that at all.
Tears clouded first my eyes and then hers. My heart was pounding in my chest because I hated seeing that I'd hurt her. I hated that haunted expression behind the fire in her emerald eyes.
I'd tried to give her my life; I wanted her to understand that, but there was so much more that needed to be said before something so complex could be understood.
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She sank to her knees on my floor, swiping at the pieces of glass from our smashed picture.
"Ah-" she croaked, her throat coated with tears. I knelt down in front of her and reached out an arm. It hung between us so long that I had a sinking feeling I'd lost her. I watched each emotion grace her features as she processed her feelings.
Anger. Betrayal. Hurt. Pain. Desperation.
I heard the door close behind us and I knew Draco was in the room.
"Baby?" Her voice contained hope. I stood up slowly as Draco's arm came to rest around my hip. She bit her lip as her tears spilled over at the sight of our contact.
"I didn't mean what I said in the hospital. I- I understand...you were just trying to- protect me. Baby, I- I love you. I need you. Please, take me back. We can pretend this never happened! Just go back to the way- we can..." her voice held a note of desperation I'd only ever heard when she argued with her mother when we were young. It was heartbreaking.
I could see on Draco's face how much it tortured him to tell her the truth. I could see it in his eyes that he was torn. It hurt to know that he wasn't completely mine, but I also had confidence that I was still his first choice. I just didn't want to hurt Kayla like this.
"Kayla, listen to me." He began; she visibly relaxed at the sound of his voice, "We tried. I love you, I do." Kayla cut him off before he could continue. She was eager, fighting back tears.
"Then everything's fine! We can just go back. It's okay!" He shook his head and she stopped talking. It was confusing to see this side of Kayla. I'd never seen her completely lose her cool when it came to a boy.
"I want to marry Natalie, Kayla. She's the love of MY life. I'm sorry, the Dark Lord has blessed it." He looked to the floor, squeezing tighter around my waist. I felt so helpless, like if I said one word she'd snap.
Hell, she'd already broken.
She flung her arms out in rage, whipping her palm into my cheek. I recoiled with the sudden outburst and Draco kept me steady on my feet.
"You back stabbing cunt! I should have know you'd both betray me! I should have known better than to trust you, either of you! I hate you!" She reached for the nearest thing she could grab, which happened to be my antique jewelry box from Narcissa, and chucked it at my wall.
The pictures covering my wall, most of Draco, my brothers, and I, shattered in pieces to the ground. Kayla ripped at her fingers, clawing off her ring, and threw that at our feet.
"Fuck you two." She spit, before fleeing from the room with make-up streaming down both of her cheeks.
