NATASHA'S POV
"Can we talk?"
Jace's simple question landed like a stone in the pit of my stomach. My heart seemed to plummet, and for a desperate moment, I wished I possessed the magical ability to simply vanish.
But reality held me captive, so with a forced upward curve of my lips, I mumbled, "Okay," trying to project an air of calm I certainly didn't feel.
I led him into the house, the silence between us feeling heavy with unspoken tension.
"Would you prefer coffee or a drink?" I offered, gesturing towards the living room.
"Water will do," he replied, his gaze briefly meeting mine, sending a strange flutter through me. I went to the kitchen, the sound of the tap filling the quiet space.
He took the glass I offered, his fingers brushing mine in a fleeting touch that made my pulse quicken.
He took a slow sip, his eyes fixed on me as I settled onto the sofa beside him. He looked up, held my gaze for a heartbeat that made my heart do a little skip, and then abruptly looked down again.
Trying to diffuse the awkwardness that hung in the air, I asked, "Did I do something wrong?" He looked up, a genuine smile gracing his lips.
"Not at all," he said, and a breath I hadn't realized I was holding escaped me.
He leaned forward slightly, a troubled look clouding his handsome features.
"I know we've only just met, and you didn't have to tell me everything about yourself right away, but something's been bothering me, and I don't know what to do anymore..."
He paused, a hint of confusion and devastation in his eyes. "You have kids..." he finally stated, the words hanging in the air.
"How come you never mentioned them in any of our conversations?"
Shock rippled through me, a whirlwind of possible explanations and justifications swirling in my head.
Finally finding my voice, I stammered, "Is... is that an issue for our friendship?"
Do you think we can't be friends because of that?" The questions tumbled out, fueled by a sudden wave of defensiveness.
A spark ignited in his eyes, a flicker of something intense.
"No, Natasha, that's not what I meant!" he said quickly, his voice earnest. "I never meant to say we couldn't be friends, it's just..." He looked away, a hint of frustration in his expression.
I glanced down at my fidgeting hands, a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach.
"It was as if you were hiding the fact that you're a mother from me," he said, his voice softer now, tinged with a hint of hurt.
Hearing that, a surge of anger mixed with a sharp sting of injustice coursed through me.
My voice rose as I retorted, "I didn't hide the fact that I'm a mother! Our conversations simply haven't led to that topic!" I met his gaze directly, my own flashing with indignation.
"And I will tell you again and again that I birthed those beautiful souls!" I paused, taking a breath to steady myself before continuing, my voice laced with challenge. "Do I even owe you an explanation?"
A moment of reflection washed over me.
Had I been too harsh? Maybe just a little.
I internally debated whether my reaction was justified, wondering if my earlier anxieties were coloring my response to Jace's question. He was looking at me with an intensity that made my nerves flutter.
I stood up abruptly, needing to move, to release some of the tension that was coiling within me. But before I could take a step, I felt a hand gently but firmly grasp my arm, pulling me back and closer.
I stumbled, my balance momentarily lost, and found myself falling towards him, my hands instinctively landing on his chest, his hand holding me closer to his chest and the other was wrapped around my waist, I felt his heart pounding beneath my fingertips. I gazed up at him, lost in the depths of his green eyes.
For a moment, time stood still, and all that existed was the two of us, suspended in a world of our own.
The sudden proximity stole my breath.
Wow. I'd never been this close to him before. His green eyes were even more mesmerizing up close, sparkling with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher.
A strange warmth emanated from him, and I could almost feel a yearning, a silent plea for affection. Could he be wanting more than friendship? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
No, Natasha, get yourself together. With a determined push, I righted myself, creating a small distance between us, leaving him leaning back against the sofa.
"Jace," I said, my voice a little shaky, focusing on him intently, "if you want anything more than friendship from me, I'm sorry, but I can't give you that."
"Why?" His voice was soft, tinged with disappointment, but I pretended not to notice the vulnerability in his tone.
"Also," I continued, sticking to my point, "I don't owe you any explanation about my children, especially since I know nothing about you, not even where you live."
Jace stood up, his gaze unwavering. "Okay, Natasha. I will tell you everything about me. Everything you need to know.
Ask me anything – about my family, my work, my past, anything. I'm ready to tell you." He looked at me, his expression earnest. "You already know my name and my job. Let me start with my family. I have two siblings, James and Jade."
He stood up and began to pace the room, a nervous energy radiating from him. "Hmm, what else?"
"Jace," I interrupted gently, a small smile playing on my lips, "you don't have to start with your family tree." I could see a hint of a smile touch his lips in return.
For a fleeting moment, I considered mentioning what had happened earlier that day, the reason for my underlying anxiety, but before I could fully decide, the words slipped out,
"But you never called back after leaving that day."
He looked at me, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Before he could respond, the front door opened, and Lisa walked in with the girls, their happy shrieks filling the room as they ran towards me, their small arms wrapping around my laps in a tight hug.
Lisa winked at me, her eyebrows doing a playful wiggle, and said, "Oh, you didn't tell me you were having a visitor." Oh, Lisa.
Before I could say a word, she waved at Jace and greeted him politely, her knowing gaze lingering on him for a moment.
Jace stood and offered a polite handshake. "I'm Jace, Natasha's..." He trailed off, unsure how to define our connection, but I jumped in smoothly, "...friend." I caught the amusement dancing in Lisa's eyes as she accepted his hand, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Yeah, I know... I'm Lisa, Natasha's best friend."
As he took his hand back, a small voice piped up, pulling at my jeans. "Mummy, who's this?" It was Ciara, her brow furrowed with innocent curiosity. I bent down so I was at their level. "He's my friend, sweetie. Say hi to him."
Jace mirrored my movement, crouching down too. "Hi, I'm Jace, I'm your mummy's friend."
"I'm Ciara," one of them announced.
"And I'm Kiara," the other chimed in.
Ciara tilted her head, her big brown eyes studying Jace intently. "You being our mummy's friend, does that make you our friend too?" A giggle bubbled up from me at her straightforward logic.
"Yeah," Jace replied, a warm smile spreading across his face, and both girls beamed.
"Will you buy us ice cream then?" Kiara asked, her eyes wide with hopeful anticipation.
"Girls, it's already late," I interjected gently. "Come on, let's go freshen up."
Jace was quick to respond to the twins. "Don't worry, girls, we'll go buy ice cream some other day. Go to Mummy for now." The girls nodded, and I said, "Excuse me for a minute, I need to attend to my kids."
A pang of something cold brushed against my heart as I felt a slight distance settle between Jace and me, but Lisa, ever the pragmatist, stepped in. "No, you don't have to worry, I can take care of it." Before I could say anything, she gently steered Kiara and Ciara out of the room.
I turned back to Jace, a silent plea in my eyes to understand that my children were everything to me. I wanted to tell him that their presence wouldn't scare me away from a genuine connection. But before I could find the right words, I suddenly said, my brows furrowed, "You never told me you have a girlfriend too."
His brows furrowed in confusion. A girlfriend? "What do you mean?" He asked, bewildered.
"I saw you with her, your girlfriend," I said, a hint of accusation in my tone.
He racked his brain, trying to understand what I was talking about, when it finally clicked. The elegant blonde at the diner. A small, involuntary laugh escaped him. "You mean Jade?"
I gave him a pointed look, so he clarified, a chuckle bubbling up, "Jade is my younger sister, and she was the reason I had to leave earlier that day." He laughed again as my expression shifted from confusion to sheepish embarrassment.
"Your sister?" I repeated, a surprised "ohhh" escaping my lips. "I'm sorry?"
"It's okay," He reassured me, a small smile playing on his lips. "People who don't really know me have thought that before. It's alright."
"Ohhh," I drawled again, a thoughtful look on my face. We stood there for a few moments, gazing at each other, a comfortable silence settling between us, the earlier tension dissipating.
"So..." I said finally, breaking the quiet, a hesitant question in my voice, "we're still friends, right?"
"Of course, we are," he replied instantly, his eyes warm. Relief washed over my face, and it must have been evident.
After a few more moments of comfortable silence, he said, "Guess I should start heading out."
"Oh, okay," I replied, a touch of disappointment in my voice.
We both stood up, and I walked him to the door. As he stood on my doorstep, he looked me in the eyes, a searching expression on his face. "So... bye. My regards to the twins... umm..." He trailed off, leaving the unspoken hanging between us.
I joined Lisa and my kids inside.
"Well," she drawled, plopping onto the bed, "that was more dramatic than my favorite telenovela. You two were practically radiating enough tension to power the whole neighborhood."
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "It was awful, Lisa. He looked... confused. And maybe a little hurt."
Lisa's lips twitched. "Honey, 'confused' doesn't even begin to cover the look on his face when Kiara and Ciara made their grand entrance. It was like he'd stumbled into a particularly adorable, glitter-filled alternate universe." She mimicked Jace's slightly wide-eyed expression, making me huff out a reluctant laugh.
"It wasn't funny," I protested weakly, though a small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
"Sure, Nat. Just two friends having a very intense, very close... disagreement about the existence of tiny humans," Lisa teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "Seriously though, what was that all about?"
I sank onto the bed, the earlier unease settling back in my stomach. "He was upset that I hadn't told him about the girls."
Lisa's playful demeanor softened. "And were you... hiding them?"
"No!" I exclaimed, perhaps a little too vehemently. "It just... it hadn't come up naturally. We talked about coffee, and burnt toast, and his complicated family. It didn't feel like the right moment to drop the 'oh, by the way, I have two three-year-olds' bomb."
"A 'bomb' they are not, my dear. Adorable little bundles of chaos, maybe. But not bombs," Lisa corrected gently. "Still, I can see his point. It might have felt like you weren't being entirely open."
A wave of guilt washed over me. Maybe I had been too guarded. My past had taught me to be cautious, to protect my girls fiercely. But maybe, in trying to protect myself, I had inadvertently created a misunderstanding with Jace.