Chapter 32 — Ambushed!

Natasha's POV:

I woke once gain feeling a familiar weight across my waist. I smiled to myself as I glanced at Jude who was snoring like a freight train. 

He looked peaceful and serene. I lay there for a long time till I heard Mrs. Bower tinkering in the kitchen. I got up prying away Jude's arm and tip toed out of the room. "Good morning!" I greeted Mrs. Bowers who dropped the pan in fright. "Oh miss Natasha you scared me!"

"I am sorry I didn't mean to" I said smiling sheepishly.

"Where were you since 2 days?"

"Oh I was at my home"

"Oh ok. Well, I don't know if it's my place to say this or not, but Mr. Jude is like a son to me and I am worried about him."

"What happened?"

"Well" she began, "when you were gone that" at this point she had a look on her face as if she had bitten a lemon "tramp was here. I couldn't life of me understand what she was doing here!"

Oh damn it! How could Jude be such an idiot! We were supposed to keep up a charade and now Mrs. Bower had seen him with her. I decided what to do then.

I stomped to Jude's room and slammed the door hard. Jude yelped and sat up looking around in confusion. 

"What's wrong?"

I winked at him and yelled, "who was here when I was gone Jude?!"

He looked at me in confusion and was about to speak when I kept a hand on his mouth and whispered, "Mrs. Bowers"

His eyes widened and he smacked his head against my arm.

"She's just a friend!" Yelled Jude loudly.

"Don't lie to me Jude!"

"I am not"

I doubled over in laughter I was thoroughly enjoying our 'fake' fight. Then I decided to turn it up a notch. I walked outside the room and Jude followed. 

I grabbed a vase and aimed it at him. He dodged and it clanged against the wall it was stainless steel.

"Don't lie!" I yelled.

"Natasha you could've hurt me!"

"Too bad I didn't"

"Thanks a lot" Jude muttered to Mrs. Bower who was red in the face.

"Sweetheart believe me I love you and only you!"

"Liar!"

I threw my show at him which hit him square in the chest. All the frustration I had inside me was surfacing.

"Natasha! Stop!"

"No you stop! What the hell were you thinking? Huh? That I won't find out? That you can do what you like behind my back?"

"I didn't do anything! I swear! I didn't even touch her!"

I looked at him in surprise, and both Mrs. Bower and I replied together, "you didn't?"

"No!"

"Really?"

"Yes Nats!"

"Ok but why was she here?"

“Look can we not talk about it here?” asked Jude, he was really annoyed now. I stopped myself from smiling and said “Ok” and turned away sulking. 

Suddenly, Jude grabbed me from behind and kissed me right there in front of Mrs. Bower, it was a harsh kiss at first, then it became more demanding and finally when I responded it turned into a soft passionate one. 

He was nibbling on my lower lip when Mrs. Bower cleared her throat and we both jumped apart only just realizing we had an audience. I looked away my face flushed from embarrassment and passion, “Now do you believe me?” asked Jude smirking at me.

I couldn’t trust my voice so decided to just nod, after that  we ate our breakfast in silence. I was still reeling from his kiss, there was an orchestra playing in my head. I smiled at my goofy metaphor and Jude said, “What are you smiling at?”

“Nothing!“ I replied quickly.

“Really now?”

“Yep”

Jude shrugged it off and then my phone beeped.

It was a text, “How long are you going to hide you bitch?”

I choked on my pancake and Jude rushed to thump my back as I coughed. 

“Nats what is wrong?”

I showed him the text message as tears ran down my cheeks, after I had stopped coughing I shouted angrily, “who the hell is this?”

“There’s only one way to find out” replied Jude.

“How?”

“You need to go back home, he has obviously been checking for you everyday”

“Yeah exactly, that’s why I shouldn’t go there!”

“No listen to me, go there tonight, Wade, Sean and I will be hiding outside your home. The moment this person comes knocking on your door we will accost him!”

“Ok what if he gets me before you guys can come there?”

“He won’t, besides you pack a neat punch”

I smiled as I remembered the first time that I had punched Jude, had it been a month already? It felt just like yesterday. I watched as Jude called Wade and Sean. Wade said he’d meet us at Jude’s after his office and Sean said he was coming over right away.  

“You have to go to office too” I told Jude.

“I am taking an off!”

“No you are not!”

“What you need my protection” he said flexing his arms and I giggled, “Yeah Sean is coming over so you can go, you are not slacking off from work because of me”

Jude rolled his eyes but went to get dressed anyway. Mrs. Bowers quickly finished her work and left asking me to take care of myself.

I went into the room and stopped, Jude stood there in his jeans deciding what shirt to wear.

“Do you think we convinced her?” I squeaked.

“Mrs. Bowers? Yeah, the kiss sealed the deal” he said winking at me.

“Ok” I said looking anywhere but at him.

“Nats?”

“Yeah?”

“Help me pick a shirt”

I quickly picked a brown shirt and handed it to him.

“Are you sure?” he said making a face.

“Yes,” God! Anything would look good on him.

He quickly wore the shirt and brushed his hair, before leaving he kissed me on my forehead and said, “Bye see you in the evening”

I stood there at the door for several minutes touching my forehead and smiling. I went to the couch, picked a cushion, and yelled into it, “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.” I was so happy! Maybe Sean and Wade were right, Jude did like me after all.

The doorbell rang and in walked Stephanie.

“What are you doing here?”

She raised an eyebrow at me and said, “Watch your mouth, where is Jude?”

“He has gone to o- to pick his parents up”

“uh-huh, by when will he be back?”

“I don’t know”

“Well I guess I will just wait for him here then”

“No, you can't!” God she was so infuriating!

“Why not?”

“When he comes back his parents will come back with him remember?”

“Oh well, I guess. Alright, he won't answer my calls, so ask him to call me.”

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. Who the hell was she? Who said she could order me around?

“Do it yourself!”

“Listen you might think that you might’ve won yesterday but the fact is that you did not!”

“Oh is that so?”

“Yes, while he may be making goo-goo eyes at you, he was in bed with me for the past two days, so at the end of the day, I am the one he desires!”

“God not only are you dumb you are delusional! See girls like you give blondes a bad name!”

She stared at me hissing. I didn’t know where all the confidence was coming from, on the inside I felt as if I had been hit in the gut with a sledgehammer.

Jude had just told me that he hadn’t even touched her and yet here stood Stephanie saying just the opposite. 

“Well believe what you want honey” she said spitefully and left. As she was leaving Sean passed her. He bumped into her purposely sending her reeling because of her heels. She yelped and sat there cussing but Sean just walked away disdainfully not bothering to help her up.

He came inside and shut the door with a bang and started giggling, I couldn’t help it and started laughing along with him.

“So we have a ninja assignment today right?”

When I looked at him confusion he said, “We’re going to catch your stalker tonight!”

“Oh!”

“Yeah it’s a covert ninja assignment!”

“ohhh,” I said, dragging the word.

“So Wade and I and Jude will be dressed all in black, its camouflage” he said throwing a backpack on the couch. I winced and immediately straightened it.

“Jude won’t agree”

“Oh watch me” he said winking and I smiled at him.

We settled down to watch reruns of Friends. 

“Are you mad at me, Nats?”

“Nope”

“Why are you so quiet?”

“Nervous”

“Don’t be we won’t let anything happen to you, right Sean?”

“D’accord.”

Jude looked at him funnily and Sean sighed, “Agreed”

Jude shook his head and went to change into black just so that Sean would stop annoying him to change.  After a while Wade walked in dressed in black.

“I can’t believe he got you to do that!” said Jude.

“Huh look who’s talking”

Jude scowled at him and I smiled.

We sat down to eat an early dinner. Over dinner we went over the plan which was very simple but Sean insisted on going over it again and again.

We would go there Jude would drop me at the doorstep and leave. I would go in and lock myself while Jude would get into the car and leave. He would circle the block and come back with Wade and Sean in their car. They would then wait outside my house and see who comes there if at all anyone comes there.

I was supposed to stay on the phone with one of them at all times.

We ate quickly and I felt better having these three with me. They all looked gorgeous in black. We got into the car and left for my home. Jude walked me to the door and said, “I wish you were staying over with me”

“Oh Jude I need to be here sometimes too”

“I understand, I will miss you tonight”

“I will miss you too”

He pulled me in a fierce hug and kissed my forehead; he waited till I was inside and locked the door. Then he turned around and left in his car. I locked the door and dialed Wade; I was supposed to keep talking to him to reassure them. We spoke about random things and suddenly there was violent knocking on my door. I jumped with a start and my heart started racing.

Jude’s POV:

We were going to nail this sicko tonight, I could feel it. I quickly drove away from Natasha’s house and stopped around the corner where Wade and Sean were waiting. I quickly go into their car and we started towards Natasha’s house again. I wish he comes tonight so that I could punch his damn face! Well it could be a she as well I thought. I smiled as I remembered our kiss from the morning. I had already begun to admit that I liked Natasha. She was smart, caring, fun, kind, considerate, modest and gorgeous! What more does a guy want I thought shaking my head?

I just hoped that she liked me back; I had been getting mixed signals from her. My phone rang and I groaned as I saw Stephanie’s name flashing. I had to figure a way to get rid of her. I mean after all I was the one who decided to give this a try and she hadn’t really cheated on me this time.

I ignored her call and at the same time Wade yelled, “Someone is at Natasha’s door!”

“Sean hurry up!” Sean stepped on the accelerator and we sped towards Natasha’s home. Sean had barely stopped the car when  I opened the door and jumped out.

As soon as the figure saw me coming he stopped knocking on Natasha’s door and scarpered. He pushed me on his way out and I fell hard on my knees.

“Son of a bitch!”

He ran evading Wade and Sean and jumped on a bike and zoomed off. 

Natasha came out looking terrified, Wade and Sean helped me up as Natasha locked her door and we all hurried into a car. Sean was speeding through the evening traffic.

“Did anyone get a look at him?” I asked hopefully.

“No” they all chorused. I banged my hand against the dashboard in frustration.  “What was he riding?”

Sean answered this time, “It was a Yamaha. If I see it I will recognize it.”

“Good”

Sean continued weaving through the cars and suddenly exclaimed, “There he is!”

The guy sensing eyes on him turned to look at us; he had put on a helmet. He quickened his speed and rushed through.

“Damn him!”

He could easily navigate his bike through the traffic. We lost sight of him for some time and came to a crossroads where we had to decide which road to take.

“Ok,” I said, “let's do this the old fashioned way, majority wins!”

I banged my head against the door when all four of us pointed in four different directions. 

“Go right” said Natasha, “we looked at her in surprise.” 

“Trust me, woman instincts” Sean nodded and veered to the right. 

He drove like a madman, and we came across a bike that had been abandoned. “It’s the same bike!” Sean exclaimed and we all got out. 

Soon we heard footsteps going away from where we were standing. Wade and I took off leaving Sean with Natasha. Soon we came upon a guy who was trotting but upon seeing positively fled from there. 

Wade and I started running faster, we almost had this guy now and I didn’t want to lose him. We ran faster, the guy in front of us wasn’t used to physical exertion I guess because he was slowing down and Wade and I were closing in on him. I lurched forward with a final burst of speed and caught the guy’s collar from behind and turned him around.

“You!” I yelled.

Natasha’s POV:

I sat there in the car with Sean wondering if I had been right after all? And if I wasn’t then where were these two, did I just send them on a wild goose chase?

“Sean”

“uh-huh”

“You know what Stephanie told me?”

“Not that I care but we have nothing better to do so go ahead”

I rolled my eyes and said, “Well, she said, and I quote, that Jude might make goo-goo eyes at me, but he spent the entire weekend in bed with her!”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah”

“And you are disturbed because?”

“Sean!”

“hahahah settle down I am pulling your leg. Well, Natasha, to be fair, it's not like you two idiots have declared your undying love for each other or something, so even IF that did happen, you can hardly be angry at Jude, right?”

I pondered over it and said, “I guess you are right”

“I always am babe”

“What’s taking them so long?”

“How would I know?”

“Sean! It was a rhetorical question!”

“Gotcha again”

“ohhhhhhhhhh,” I said hitting my head against the window. 

“SO have you guys gotten around to ‘confessing your love for each other?’”

“No, I mean what do I do? Walk up to him and say, ‘Hey Jude you know what I know part of our contract is that I have to divorce you after a year but I still fell for you!”

“Ok no, not really”

“Exactly”

“You to need to break the ice, Wade and I can't do that for you!”

“I know as soon as this is over?”

“Ok”

Then we saw three figures in the distant and Sean and I got out. 

Wade and Jude were dragging a man with them. The man looked pretty beat.

Jude came up to us and then threw him on the hood of the car.

“You!” I yelled in surprise.

He looked up at me and I looked into Matt’s sleazy eyes.

Matt, my former boss.

Matt, the man who had molested me.

Matt, the one whose balls I had kicked while Jude held him.

I didn’t really need to ask him why, I guess I knew but that doesn’t mean what he did was right. I punched him hard and he yelped.

“Who is he?” asked Sean.

“My former boss”

“Ok why is he stalking you?”

“Because she cost me everything! My wife is gone and she has taken half my fortune with her.

“Ok” said Sean, “I am really confused!”

Quickly Jude and I told him how Matt had made a move on me while I had been on my break and how his wife had caught him that time. 

“Oh” said Wade with comprehension.

“Are you going to stop or do we need to report you to the police”

“I will stop now! I just wanted to make her life as miserable as mine was!”

“Yeah too bad you didn’t manage to do it” said Wade.

The boys all kicked him one go and then go into the car and we drove off.

“The jerk!” I yelled angrily.

“Hey,” said Jude gently, “it's over. He won’t bother you again.”

“Yeah I guess”

We went back to my neighborhood and picked up Jude’s car.

“So I was thinking” said Sean, “how about Wade and I stay over at your place Jude? I mean I am leaving tomorrow lets have some fun!”

“Sure” said Jude smiling.

“Natasha and I can share a room” said Wade and Sean nudged him with his elbow and said, “Dude that story is so over!”

“Oh” said Wade getting red in the face, “well I thought you didn’t like the word dude?”

“No I only don’t like being called dude”

I giggled at their bickering while Jude frowned at Wade. We reached my neighborhood and picked up Jude’s car.

Jude and I got into and I rested my head against the seat Wade drove parallel to us and Sean was making funny faces at me and I made funny faces at him.

“Immature” sang Jude.

I turned and stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed. Finally everything was falling in place, I thought happily.

We pulled into the driveway and the headlights fell on a figure huddled in front of Jude’s door.

“Is that…?” began Jude.

“Stephanie” I completed.