Chapter 238 238

Chapter 238 238
Maya

The last threads of resentment towards her melted away as I pictured how lost she must have felt. Up until this moment, I realized I'd been entirely focused on my own trauma and had never really stopped to think about how my supposed death would have affected the few people who cared about me. Elias had given me a brief rundown of everything that had happened after the accident, including coming to LA with Kellan and Nat to crash my funeral and confront Margaret, but he'd glossed over the details.
Now, seeing the devastation on Nat's face as she was lost in her thoughts, hearing how she'd struggled, struck a chord inside me and I knew she had suffered in her own way.
Elias had suffered too - I'd noticed he'd lost a lot of weight, his eyes held a hint of sadness in them and I wasn't the only one having nightmares.
I brought my mind back to the present as Nat carried on, "At first, Kellan would come around when he could, which wasn't very often, but I…well…I wasn't very welcoming and he dropped by less and less. I don't really recall much of those days since I was piss drunk most of the time, but I do remember the day Noah wandered into the bar and ordered a drink."
She scoffed and shook her head. "I knew who he was, of course but I didn't talk to him at first. It was clear the dude wasn't the drinking kind, but I guess he had things on his mind that he wanted to forget too. He'd come in every evening and stay till closing, never talking to anyone, just sitting there, brooding."
"We started talking when he tried to play the hero and 'save' me from a couple of deadbeats but ended up with a broken nose and a black eye for his trouble." She shook her head again and hunched even more into herself. "I scolded him for interfering, gave him an ice pack and sent him on his way, thinking that'd be the last I would see of him. But I was wrong. He came back the next day, one eye shut and purple, nose bandaged up and clearly in much pain, but he told me he didn't like taking pain meds."
"Then somehow, our conversations veered towards our personal issues and I found him easy to talk to and it felt…freeing. He told me about himself but -" she broke off with a self deprecating laugh and met my gaze for the first time.
"I guess he didn't tell me anything after all. Probably fed me a bunch of sob stories that I foolishly swallowed hook, line and sinker. Now that I think back, I realize he had probably stuck around to make sure I knew nothing about what that crazy bitch and his evil family were doing to you and I was the fool that fell for it." Her face crumpled as she said this and she buried her face in her hands, letting out a stream of swear words.
I got up and crossed to sit beside her, my heart aching. Damn the Dubois family and I hoped it wouldn't be long before the entire lot of them - Margaret included - got to burn in hell.
Hesitantly, I touched her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "They fooled everyone, Nat." I said, trying to reassure her though I knew her too well to think it would make a difference.
It didn't, of course.
"I should have known!" she wailed in anguish. "If I'd just laid off with the drinking and the pity parties, then I would have been able to pick up on something…"
"Nat, Noah is a really, really good fucking conman. He worked with Elias for years…literal years and Elias didn't even suspect he was up to no good up until I was rescued and Noah blew his cover. He's a fucking psychopath."
I watched her for a moment, my heart hurting to see her like this. Then I put my arm around her shoulders. "Did something more happen?" I asked softly, wincing at my own seemingly callous question.
Her head shot up and she looked at me in alarm, shaking her head frantically. "No! I…we didn't have sex or anything like that. We were just friends." She seemed to deflate after that outburst and I sighed, the ensuing silence telling me more than her own words.
"But you started having feelings for him, right?" I asked, keeping my tone soft, with no trace of accusation. I knew Nat too well, knew how despite the tough, no nonsense exterior she put on for the world to see, beneath all that lay a soft, warm heart that craved affection and was easily swayed.
"I'm so ashamed of myself." Nat mumbled dejectedly "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Maya. When you told me about Noah's involvement, I just…I was in shock and it felt like my world was crumbling all over again."
She tentatively reached out and touched my arm. "I didn't mean to keep it from you, I was going to tell you everything today. I didn't know Noah would show up at the hotel and try to talk to me and I swear I had no idea his psycho brother was nearby."
"What did he say to you?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
Nat sniffed and a look of anger crossed her face. "What else? Some bullshit about how he was forced to help his father and Margaret against his will." She scoffed, "I didn't stick around to hear more of his lies, just him to leave me the fuck alone and that I would be telling Elias about his presence here."
I mulled this over in my mind. Why would Noah risk coming back to LA just to try and talk to Nat. Even before I finished the thought, I had the answer already. Of course, he and his equally sick brother thought themselves invincible so they could boldly return and pull these sick, disgusting stunts.
Anger bubbled up inside me and I balled my hands into fists. "Fucking sicko assholes."
Nat agreed with a nod, "Absolutely. I can't wait to see them get the payback they deserve."
I nodded and we looked at each other for a moment and I knew we were both thinking the same thing. "We can't let them keep fucking with us like this. I'm not going to let myself live in fear, constantly watching my back, worrying about the safety of my kids and Elias while Margaret and her bloody cronies play mind games with us. I just thought of a way we can turn their games against them, but I need your help."
Nat wiped her teary face with her sleeve and nodded. "I'm in. Whatever it is."