Nicole, got up the next morning and left the penthouse before Rafael would wake up, she took a cab to her house, she was betting on not meeting her parents at home, she hoped they had one business meeting or a trip to attend and don't be home, when she got to her parent's house and her childhood home, she felt out of place after just four days away from it, maybe because she never felt at home here especially when Natalie wasn't around, like now, first she went to Natalie's room, she needed clothes and she knew she couldn't just start dressing down, that would be bad for Natalie's reputation, even if that's not what she wanted, she had to Natalie as much as she could, she went into Natalie's closet and picked some clothes that weren't her style but at least we're wearable, after which she closed Natalie's door and headed to her room, she hadn't been expecting to meet anyone there which was why she was shocked when she opened her door.
"Mom? What are you doing in my, I mean Nicole's room,"
She asked entering the room, she wonders what her mom was looking for in her room, she couldn't remember the lady tile her mom had been in the room, not since she became an adult.
"Natalie, you didn't tell me you were coming around,"
"Yes, I know right, if I did I won't have met you in Nicole's room, what are you looking for? Why are you invading her privacy?"
"What do you mean invading? Nicole is my daughter, she left without telling me, I am her mom, I am worried, her number is not going through,"
Her mom responded, she looked genuinely worried.
"You are worried about Nicole? Since when? I thought you didn't like her and wanted her gone, she left, why do you suddenly want her back?'
"I am worried about her, she is my child, why won't I like her, of course, I do, have you ever seen a mother who hates her own child?"
"Yes, you guys do it, you and Dad, you guys don't like her and always made her feel less like she didn't belong just because she didn't do what you wanted her to do,"
She let out feeling angry at her more for pretending to care about her well-being.
"Natalie, we don't hate your sister no parents can hate their kids, yes, we don't agree to a lot of her decisions and yes we made a lot of mistakes with you and her but that doesn't mean we don't care, your dad and I have been worried sick about her sudden travel, we didn't want to disturb you about it since you are already going through stress on your part, she didn't take anything with her, not even a single paintbrush, that's worrying, she is my child even if you don't believe me, I care about her, I just don't show it enough,"
"Mom, She is fine, that I know, I sole with her recently and she is really busy,"
Nicole said. She still couldn't believe her mom was saying those things and that she really cared.
"Do you know where she is? Did she change her contact, is that why I can't reach her?"
"No mom, she is just busy, she wants time away, she will be back soon,"
"I hope so, I can't stand this silence, how about you? Are you okay now?"
"Yes mom, I am good, I have to go now, Rafael wasn't awake when I left,"
"Alright, when are you guys leaving for the honeymoon or did you change your mind?"
"Not really, Rafael is busy, once he is done we will go, I can't keep the cabbie waiting, bye Mom,"
She said hugged her mom and left her there, she went back to Natalie's room got the clothes she parked, and left...
****
Nicole tried Natalie's number again but it still wasn't going through, it's been a week and two days since she and Rafael got married but still no sight of Natalie, she wasn't even taking her calls when her line finally go through, she didn't want to be negative and think Natalie have decided not to return,but she was worried, worried couldn't describe how she felt, Rafael has found a new routine of kissing her every opportunity he gets, not just any kind of kiss but kisses that promised to have more in stock, it was like he was showing her what she was missing, and that scared the heck out of her, he wasn't always around, that was her only saving grace right now, he was too busy trying to ruin one Leonard Jones, it had been messy as a lot of shits were being said, he didn't tell her about it of course but she read about it along with watching the interview of his family members, she felt pity for his poor wife, if only she could talk to Rafael, she didn't even speak much to him these days except he asks her a question, she was avoiding him for her sanity, right now he was in the living room with her, he was concentrated on his laptop, what of he didn't have any work? What would happen?
She dropped her in frustration, she knew this would happen, she knew Natalie would pull this kind of shady deed on her, she was the fool, the gullible one, a pushover, yeah she was all those things, how would she continue to keep this up, she had a lot to do, she has her own life in front of her, how long, just how long was she going to put her own life on Pau for Natalie? Why was she even doing this for her twin? If Natalie doesn't show up before the week runs out, she decided she would never forgive her and she was going to expose everything, she couldn't keep hiding it anyway...