Chapter 98 My best friend. My lover. My life.

Chapter 98 My best friend. My lover. My life.
When we’re good, we’re great, Natte. But when we’re bad, we’re fucking horrendous. From the moment we came back into each other’s lives all we’ve managed to do is hurt one another, badly and too many times to think of.” I exhale. “I once used to think we were meant to be together, but now… now I’m not so sure. Maybe we just wanted to be together so badly when we were younger that we tried to force it so desperately now. Maybe our time just passed long ago.”

“No,” he shakes his head vehemently. “We’re meant to be.”

He puts his other hand on my face, forcing my eyes to his.

“I’ll never be good enough for you, I know that. But I’m no good without you, and if that makes me a selfish bastard for wanting you as badly as I do then so be it because I can’t live a life that doesn’t have you in it.”

He stares deep into my eyes, breathing deeply. I can feel his hands trembling against my skin.

“Marry me,” he says without hesitation.

Every ounce of air in my lungs whooshes straight out of me, a thousand thoughts scattering across my mind.

Freeing a hand from my face, Natte reaches into his jean pocket and pulls out a ring.

The ring.

I stare at him, my eyes wide.

“I got it that night I first met my son.”

It’s the green diamond ring I was looking at the night he bought me the necklace.

“I… I can’t believe you bought it.” I’m gasping for air.

He holds the ring up between us. “I knew I’d be asking you to be my wife from the very second you walked into that hotel room and back into my life. And when I saw your face that night looking at this ring, I just knew… I knew it belonged on your finger, and I’ve been waiting for the right moment ever since to ask you. I know now is not the most romantic, or perfect time to propose.” He glances around at our dim concrete surroundings. “But now is the only time I have before I lose you for good. So I’ll ask you again…” He pulls in a deep breath. “shia golden, I love you beyond every waterfall or any sea I could ever swim. I always have, and I always will. Marry me?”

I stare at him, speechless.

My best friend. My lover. My life.

And he is my life. He always has been, even through our years apart.

Natte is all I think of, all I see when I look into my future. And try as I might to fight being with him for fear of his life, of getting hurt by it, it simply hurts more to be without him. I see that now.

Eventually, I would have followed my heart back to him, because he is my everything.

Natte once said on stage that Bonny Red was his strength, and now I see that Natte is my greatest strength. He’s broken and complex, and no one knows him like I do, or ever will. He needs me. He needs my support to completely heal. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing just that.

“Say something, shia, please, you’re killing me here.” His voice is painted with nerves, his chest rising and falling heavily. “Just say anything but no, don’t say no, just tell me what I need to do for you to say yes and I’ll do it. Because I can’t spend another second without you.”

I don’t say anything, I silently reach out slowly for the ring. And take the ring from his hand. I just hold onto it.

Natte’s breath catches and he doesn't say anything, I take his arm and lead him towards the parking lot leaving our parents staring, Ben is already there with the car and he drives us to my apartment.

The next day.

We're done with admission process at the rehab, the Natte I see now is the one I want to cherish forever with just a simple tattoo being like Pine.

I stand beside his son.

Our son we talked about everything the other night Natte agreed for to stay with the child.

The boy grips my hand tightly, his small fingers trembling as he looks up at Natte.

Natte kneels in front of him, he's cleaner already, but still fragile.

“I’ll come back,” he says softly.

The boy nods, trying to be strong. But I can see tears forming, who wouldn't be, he'd just met his father but his dad was going away for a while

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Natte breathes in his son's scent

Before pulling pulls him into a hug

It's like he’s holding onto something real for the first time in his life.

I also swallow hard, blinking back tears. As I join in the hug

“I’ll wait,” I whisper.

Steve takes over everything at the company most of important documents are taken to Natte for further consideration.

I visited Natte several times before despite him declining. He only allowed his son to visit him twice a month and that was before I gave birth to our twins.

Steve scheduled a driver and a nanny to always take the kids to Natte once every week .

I also fought the urge to see Natte but I had to fight against it.

Two years later.

When the gates open slowly. And my heart stops.

I see as my one and only man walks out.

He's now different, he looks a little bit young for his forty years of age he's my

Natte Johnson, not the broken man I sent here last two years, I've been waiting for this day

What if she looks completely different?

I used to be really beautiful. I had this amazing ass and a smoking hot body, even as a teenager. And i had the best pair of tits

Fuck. What if he's changed now, and doesn't want me anymore, ever since I gave birth my body slightly changed.

Whatever. Either way it’s my Natte, and I need to see him. And that's why I'm here too

My knees hit the ground before I even realize what I’m doing. Right there in front of the rehab gate. I drop in front of him. My tears already falling.

The kids are all wearing white. Johnny, now ten, is in a crisp white linen shirt and matching trousers. Beside him, our twins, Leo and Liana, who are about to turn two in a few months, look like little angels. Leo is in a tiny white waistcoat and shorts, while Liana is wearing a fluffy white tulle dress with a silk ribbon. Natte named them while still at rehab.

He freezes.

“shia..” But I don’t let him finish.

I pull out the ring before I lose my composure on seeing him. The same green diamond ring he'd asked me to marry him with I bought a matching one beside it. They are now couple rings. My hands are shaking. As I try to lift the ring up

“Marry me.”

His face breaks immediately he hears this, I didn't agree to marry him that night but this time I'm going to

He drops to his knees in front of me. Laughing.

Crying. And also shaking.

“Yes,” he breathes. “Yes… of course yes my shia.”

We crash into each other finally this is where we belong.

Holding on.

Like we almost lost everything.

Because we did.

And we still found our way back.

Together.

THE END