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Natalie nods. “I see where you’re coming from. And I’m sorry—it’s awful that your father is putting you in that position. He should be the man that you can look up to, your guidance and support. He shouldn’t be the one to make you feel bad and the one putting pressure on you.”
I sink deeper into the couch and put my hand over Natalie’s.
“I just don’t know what to do. I’ve always wanted to start a restaurant. It’s been a dream of mine since before I started playing football. But now it’s tainted and with my mom being so sick, I can’t even be excited about planning the opening.”
“I know it’s easier said than done,” Natalie starts. “But you don’t owe your dad anything. You can do what you want with your money. I think it’s noble of you to help your mom, but your dad can’t put any claim on it. Even if he believes that you are to blame for her health, which, by the way, you’re not.”
“It’s my fault she got worse, just by existing,” I say.
“No, it’s your dad’s fault that you believe your existence is a problem.” Her voice is fierce. “It isn’t right of him to make you feel guilty just for being alive. I think maybe that’s what drives your obligations, too. You feel you owe it to your parents; you’re not doing it only because you love them.”
I feel like I’m going to break. Natalie is putting everything into words—it’s exactly how I feel, but it’s hard to hear it coming back at me that way.
My eyes sting with tears but I swallow down the lump in my throat. With Natalie, I feel like I can be myself, but I’m not ready to cry in front of her yet.
“Thank you for listening to my drama,” I say, clearing my throat.
“You can talk to me about anything, Mason,” Natalie says and she intertwines her fingers with mine. “No one should go through something like this alone. And I’m here whenever you need me.”
I take her hand to my chest and close my eyes, relishing in the fact that she is here for me, that I can lean on her no matter what.
I’ve gone through life alone. I can always turn to my mom about something, but right now, she’s sedated. And I never want to put too much weight on her shoulders.
Besides her, I can’t really talk to anyone. My friends are there for me to lean on sometimes, but I can’t talk to them about the really serious stuff like this.
Having someone to go through it all with me is a new sensation. One that I’m happy to welcome into my life. Natalie has become a very big part of my life in a very short time.
“You mean more to me than you know,” I say in a hoarse voice. I open my eyes and look at her.
She smiles at me, her eyes warm. When she touches my cheek with her free hand, I lean into the contact.
“The feeling is mutual, Mason. I won’t always be able to arrange for Kylie, but in time, we’ll take care of that, too.”
I turn my face into her hand and plant a kiss on her palm. “In time. We have more than enough of it. Knowing you are here for me is enough.”
She puts her head on my shoulder, her body pressed against mine, and we sit in the living room together in silence.
For the first time ever, I’m not alone.
Chapter 24
Natalie
The next few days are filled with bliss. I enjoy myself at the office—working with Rachel is a pleasure. I never thought I could enjoy my job this much. And that’s saying something. When Michelle approached me about this job and I started working for Ruby Blue, the change in pace and scenery was incredible, and I loved every minute of it.
Now, I’m experiencing it all over again.
I’m in the conference room, working on the sketches, transferring them to the tablet so we can send them to Raven for approval. The last couple of days, Rachel and I finalized the fashion line. Just thinking about what Raven will say about the line makes me giddy.
“I can’t believe how quickly we churned this out,” Rachel says, coming in after heading out for a quick break. “Usually, it takes months to finalize a line like this. You have true talent.”
I laugh. “Thank you. But it doesn’t just take talent. I think we hit it lucky with this one. Sometimes, things just fall into place.”
“You’re right,” Rachel says with a smile. Her smile changes to a grimace and she leans forward a little, hand on her stomach.
“What is it?” I ask. “Are you okay?”
Rachel nods. “Period cramps. They’re bad this month. The one good thing about working in an office full of women is that I don’t have to act brave and hide it.”
