Chapter 230: I’ve Kept You Hidden In My Heart
A few days after the wedding, Celine and Tristan had gone on their honeymoon.
After the wedding, Natalia hadn’t heard anything about that mysterious man she’d danced with at the wedding reception, neither was she able to conjure up any memory of where she must have met him before, since she never saw him again, she decided to just forget about it, because she had tried so many times to remember anything about someone like him but nothing came to mind.
One evening, Natalia was coming back to her apartment from work, she drove into the parking lot of her apartment building and had just come out of the car about to head into her house when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, sighting someone standing on her porch.
Seeing him there, her heart began to beat faster, standing in the same spot she stared at him as he approached her, he then smiled,
"How have you been Natalia?"
Natalia internally willed herself to avert her eyes from his heart-stopping smile that always made her heart turn into jelly for him. She looked away, "I’ve been very well, Mr. Ramford." She addressed him formally by his last name.
After saying that, she made to walk past him and head inside when he blocked her path quickly, "Natalia, wait! It’s been a while, and we didn’t get to talk at the wedding the other day, can we at least sit somewhere and talk?"
Peter had been a good friend of Tristan’s, so he had been one of Tristan’s groomsmen at the wedding. Natalia had thought Peter had deliberately avoided her and refused to talk to her at the wedding, but perhaps he had been too busy to be able to find time to talk to her,
"But we have nothing to talk about, Mr. Ramford." She said formally once more. Every time she recalled how deeply pained she had been when he left, she would feel really stupid, and even at the moment, talking to him she could feel an eagerness in her heart which she hated, he was someone about to get married, he had a fiancée already, what else was her heart hoping for?
"Whatever we had to talk about, we already did three years ago when you broke up with me, I understand that you fell in love with another woman while still making me believe that you loved me..."
"That’s not what happened, Natalia!" He cut her off.
She suddenly felt angry at his words, "It’s not? Then what happened, huh? Tell me!" She demanded, her voice raising a notch but she wasn’t able to control it or keep a hold of herself anymore, "You and I were still together, Peter! If you didn’t want me anymore you could have told me immediately, but you kept me in the dark, kept me waiting for you only for you to appear on TV with another woman? And the next time you show up, the only thing you tell me is that you love her? If not this way, then tell me how else it happened?!" She pushed at his chest as he took a step closer to her to put distance between them, she didn’t even want him close to her.
Three years ago when he had broken up with her, she had kept her emotions in, she didn’t question him, nor did she ask him not to leave her, she didn’t ask him why, she just let him go, she didn’t show her weakness in front of him, but immediately he turned his back, she’d cried bitterly, she’d been deeply broken, but she hadn’t once forgotten him since, however, in the moment, all the pain once again resurfaced.
"Natalia...I never meant to hurt you." He said softly as tears streamed down her face, she stared at him with pain and anger in her eyes, "And I never meant to let you go just like that, I didn’t mean to make you feel like I played you, because to be honest...I didn’t." He once again tried to step forward but she held a hand up to indicate he kept his distance, "I loved you, Natalia... From the moment I first woke up after almost dying, you were the first thing I set my eyes on, and I’ve loved you deeply ever since... Natalia, I still do." He admitted.
Natalia, who had pain in her eyes, now had shock as she stared at him incredulously, "What? What did you just say?" She asked softly, not believing her own ears.
"Natalia, I know I hurt you back then, and I didn’t mean to, believe me, I wanted to come back so many times, I really did, but I was scared, I didn’t know how to explain everything to you."
His words sent mixed feelings into her heart, more tears streamed down her face, but she kept control over herself as she asked calmly, "If you still love me, then what about Megan? That’s her name, isn’t it? Megan Hunter?"
"Yes, Megan. Look Natalia there’s a lot I have to tell you, but first we need to sit down and talk."
Natalia wiped her tears with her palm, "Three years? It had taken you three years to realize that you still love me for you to just suddenly return now? And you expect me to accept you with open arms and forget everything from three years ago, the pain? Do you expect me to just forget it all?"
"Natalia..."
"Please, Mr. Ramford, I really don’t have the energy to talk to you right now, so do me a favor and just let me be, I really don’t want to think too much right now, so please leave."
"Natalia..." He began but then sighed, "Alright, it’s too much to ask if I expect you to just listen to everything I have to say, but please..." He took a few steps, closing the distance between them, he slowly wiped her tears with his thumb. Feeling the familiar warmth of his hand, Natalia resisted the urge to close her eyes and lean into his touch, "Please don’t make me a stranger to you." He added.
Natalia looked up into his eyes, she could see the familiar softness, care, and love in them that had been there three years ago, she couldn’t help but be stuck gazing into his eyes for some time before her senses returned and she quickly stepped back. Without another word, she walked around him and headed into her house.
Immediately Natalia shut the door behind her, she leaned against it and slowly slumped downwards, she closed her eyes silently, letting the tears fall.
Her heart was in a turmoil that she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel at the moment.
Three years ago, she had been absolutely shattered when Peter had suddenly chosen someone else while she was still under the illusion that he loved her, he had suddenly announced his love for another woman to her and to the whole world, she had been in deep pain because she loved him deeply, but now all of a sudden he returned and told her that he still loved her? She didn’t know what to think or feel about that, but she knew one thing in her heart, she still loved him deeply, but she just couldn’t let her heart go through that pain again.
She couldn’t give in.
---
At the higher elite areas in Cannesville, a city several hours away from Neville City, there was a luxurious-looking villa, inside which lived the incredibly handsome yet elusive Christopher Grayson.
At the open rooftop area of the building, which held some reclining chairs and a few relaxation spots, Christopher stood at the edge with the chilly night breeze blowing his hair all around his face, but he stood unfazed by the wind, there were some people in this world who had a great phobia of tall places and heights, but Christopher loved the thrill of heights, in moments he wanted to seek relaxation, he would aim for the highest point he could find, which was why the rooftop area of his house was decorated this way.
In his hand, Christopher held an old and almost fading picture, but the image of the girl in the picture was clear enough one could see her face, the girl in the picture, though looked slightly younger, but anyone would still be able to tell without doubt that it was Natalia.
Christopher continued to stare at the picture for some time before he spoke,
"It’s surprising, most people say a girl would never be able to forget the person who took her first time, apparently that doesn’t apply to you." He said to the picture before dropping his hands slowly and gazing out at the beautiful city lights and the glistening skylines glimmering in the night.
"How ironic..." He once again muttered to himself, "Eight long years I’ve kept you hidden in my heart, but it turns out you’ve completely forgotten who I am, how incredibly ironic."