Chapter 52: so close

~Ian~

"Seb, did you like it?"

I forgot what Caty wanted me to try. She put her hand on my back.

"It's good," I lied.

"I knew it!"

Every time she laid even a finger on me, I could hear Nadia yelling at me. I can't forget that night she got drunk and ran onto the street because I hurt her. Even though she left me, I still felt loyal to her.

I gently slid Caty's hand off of me, but she wrapped her other arm around me.

"Won't you dance with me?" She whispered in my ear.

"Maybe after we eat dinner. I'm not in the mood right now."

I turned around to eat one more of what Nadia loved. I would give everything I had to get that night back when she was in my room, talking about baking and why she loved plum jam turnovers so much.

Those large brown eyes staring into mine every time she lifted her head up after burying her face into my chest. Knowing enough about her now, I know why she did that back then. She was feeling too shy to talk to me, but being the chatterbox she was, couldn't shut up at the same time. I am damn sure she didn't have that fucking Noah on her mind at that moment. She cried out for his help, but he thought about himself instead of dealing with Damian.

I was getting sucked into her thoughts again where I would think about her all night, losing track of time. I needed a drink.

I went to the bar, and while waiting, I saw Andreas look flustered as he walked back inside the ballroom. His crazy date must have refused to show up. I was curious to meet her because I believed there was no one as ridiculous as Nadia in some ways, but this one proved me wrong.

"Aston, slow down!" I took the whiskey glass from Andy's cousin. He turned eighteen only last month and was chugging alcohol down like there was no tomorrow.

"This is only my second one," he said, taking the glass back.

"And the night hasn't even started yet. You will be rolling on the floor embarrassing yourself soon. Don't you want to get laid tonight? Keep your wits together."

"Oh, it's going to be Andy who will roll and embarrass himself. He got one tight slap when he tried to stop his date from leaving."

"Seriously? She was here?"

"Only for maybe like ten minutes."

"This idiot!" I walked to meet him while his cousin followed me. "Did he take too much liberty with her? She told him to buzz off long back. I wouldn't even invite someone like that ever."

"I don't know. She laughed at everything he said, at least when I saw them talk."

"Andy..."

"Women really baffle me. Have you ever seen me go after a woman? What the fuck does she think about herself?" He pushed my hand off of his shoulder and went straight to the bar.

"Why did she slap you?"

"Is that the talk of the night now? She was crying, and I wanted to know why. I stopped her from leaving because I thought I did something to hurt her."

"Did you say anything offensive?"

"No, she was furious and a crying mess at the same time. What can I possibly say to drive her raging mad like that? I forced her to get dressed when she wanted to cancel. Can you call that a reason strong enough to hate me like that? It was like she wasn't in her senses when pissed, not at all the sweet cookie that I know."

Sounds exactly like Nadia. I would bet it was Nadia, except that this woman was pregnant.

Nadia pushed me with such rage when I tried to stop her from drinking so much that night at Mountbatten. But that was also the night she told me how much she loved me. She was drunk and wasn't in her senses to remember how many times she told me how much I meant to her. I thought she couldn't even stand the thought of being away from me.

Andreas shrugged and smiled suddenly. "She's just moody, I guess. I will find out tomorrow when I give her copies of the fair pictures. We had a good time yesterday except for Noah's daughter running away."

"What did you say? Noah?"

"Noah has a six year old daughter, Giselle. She's--"

I grabbed onto his tux lapels with both my hands, "Can I see these pictures?"

"Jeez, Easy! What's gotten into all you folks?" He took an envelope out of his coat pocket.

I snatched it from him and took the photo prints out with shaky hands. It was Nadia and a little girl. All the air went out of me in the blink of an eye when I saw her face. I kissed the picture and looked at her again.

She was smiling, just like on any other day. But the smile didn't reach her eyes, and there were dark circles underneath. And yet, she looked beautiful as always in a pale pink dress and long flowy hair that peaked from behind her back down to her waist. The little girl had her arms wrapped around Nadia's waist, no not waist, around her--

"Nadia is pregnant?!" I stuttered in shock.

"You know her, Ian? She said she knows Ca--"

"She's the one I have been looking for like crazy. Where does she live? Take me there." I dashed to the door.

"Are you sure? She's waiting for Noah. The baby isn't yours. His grandparents are taking care of her. He's disappeared in April and never tried to contact any of them."

I turned to the stable keeper, who couldn't find horses for us soon enough. "Move it!" I came in a coach with Caty.

"Did she tell you the baby was Noah's?" What the fuck, Nadia! Why am I so mad about this? What did I expect them two to do instead? Hold hands and pray?

"I-Ian, calm down for a second. I can't think when you are--"

"Tell me, Andy. I beg you."

"Her grandparents told me it is Noah's child."

My heart dropped into my stomach. I wanted to kill Noah over and over for leaving her like that.

"Where the fuck is he?? And why didn't you tell me it was Nadia you were blabbering about? You were fucking telling me about my Nadia to me? Of course, I know she likes to eat a lot. Only she can come up with such rich widow type of stupid jokes." I am an idiot.

"But Ian. She doesn't want you. She is with Noah."

"I will find that out myself. And I will drag her ass home regardless because that asshole isn't here and doesn't deserve her. If he's still alive, I will kill him for putting her through such loneliness, going through pregnancy all by herself."

"Giselle loves her. His grandparents are very grateful to have her in their lives."

"She needs me, Andy, not all those people. I know her. She wouldn't look sad like that in those pictures if she didn't."

"She's sad and lost because she believes in that guy and waits every single day for him to return."

"We will see about that."

I got off the horse and ran to her front door the minute Andreas led the way to the house.

"Nadia!!" I banged on the door.

She saw me with Caty. That's why she got furious like that and left.

Why is no one answering the door? I knocked again.

"Noah's family is in your kingdom right now. Her room is in the back." Andreas walked me to the backside of the house to a closed window.

"Nadia, please open the door. It's me, Ian."

No answer.

"Nadia?"

I will have to break the glass. What if she's hurt herself? I lifted a flowerpot to smash the window with but stopped. She will kill me for destroying her plant. She used to treat me like I was some mindless animal who would trample her kitchen garden in the palace.

"Ian, careful!"

Andreas ducked out of the way as pieces of glass went flying when I jammed a rock against it.

"It's pitch dark. There's not a single lamp inside. NADIA!!!!"

She's not here.

"Fuck, FUCK! I was this close to seeing her tonight."

I sat down on the ground with my face in my hands. Where did you go, Nadia?

"How did she get here from the palace? Took the coach?"

"Yes."

"Go back to the palace and check with the coachman if he dropped her off somewhere else. I will go to the train station. She's very impulsive like that and will want to run from me instead of punching me in the face."

I got hold of my royal guard to send out a telegram to the train station to stop any passenger by her name. I don't want to lose her again and spend months looking for her while she struggles alone with the baby.

Please don't do anything stupid, Nadia. I'm dying to see you.