Chapter Three.

"I actually love how much he dotes on you, it is the most adorable thing ever!" Wendy Cross, Natalia’s best friend of over ten years squeals like a little girl as she and Natalia are about to step into the house.

Natalia chuckles, beaming with pride. “Yes, he is one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

“I bet. After me, of course.” Wendy says, nudging Natalia in the arm and then Natalia opens the door for the both of them to get in.

Noah stands patiently at the door, his gray eyes clouding over with anger, until he sees Wendy too.

Natalia smiles nervously at him as she walks in and Wendy follows suit.

“Noah! Waiting at the door for your wife? That is so cute, you are so lucky, Natalia!” Wendy says as she goes in to give Noah a hug:

“Wendy.” Noah gave a good natured laugh. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Likewise. My best friend looks so nice, it is good to see that you have been taking care of her very well. Thank you.”

“If I do not take care of her, Wendy,” Noah shakes his head and pinches Wendy cheek, like one who’s talking to a child would do.

“who will?” He finished with a smile.

“Bless you, my brother.” Wendy says and turns to Natalia who had been standing awkwardly all the while.

“Come on, Natalia, let’s sit.” Wendy says as she pulls Natalia down to sit and Noah excuses them.

“Sometimes, I wish that I had all these things. A very big house, a hot cake lawyer guy husband, and all this luxury!” Wendy days and Natalia smiles politely, as she notices the subtle tone of envy in Wendy’s voice.

“Well yes, these things are good.” Natalia says, looking around slowly. “But then again, you have Delilah, the most precious gift of all.”

Delilah was Wendy’s five year old daughter.

“You mean more bills, more chores, splitting budgets and everything. She is such an angel, but sometimes I do wish—” Natalia cut Wendy off.

“Don’t say that! If I could take your place I would. Happily!” Natalia says.

Wendy laughs sweetly. “I would do the same too, bestie.”

“But really though,” Wendy says, brushing a lock of her hair off her forehead. “If you really want a child so bad, why can you and Noah just not have one? Make yourselves a baby or two.”

Natalia opens her moth to speak, but then she is suddenly interrupted by Noah’s voice.

“Hello there ladies! I have brought some cake and drinks.” He says, setting the tray in his hands down and pours out a glass, handing it over to Natalia.

“You like fruit juice, don’t you, Wendy? If I remember, it was your favourite?” Noah asks.

“Still is.” Wendy nods and accepts a glass from Noah with a look of gratitude.

“I actually thought that you did not like fruit juice, because they were not one hundred percent natural.” Natalia asks with a confused expression.

Noah’s eyes widen a bit, Wendy’s eyes queen dramatically as she continuously taps Natalia on the hand.

“No, no, baby girl. This brand has always been the only one who’s fruit juices I consume. Or used to consume, it’s too expensive now.” Then she turns to Noah.

“Oh my goodness! I cannot believe that you still have these here, you never even liked them much that time!”

Noah only shakes his head and chuckles lightly. “I can give you a few bottles to take home.”

Wendy stands on her tiptoes and smacks her lips against Noah’s cheek.

Natalia did not exactly feel comfortable whenever Wendy and Noah were together, especially when she was in there with them.

And it was not because she had suspected them of doing anything wrong or unholy, rather, it was because she had felt that they would be closer to each other in platonic ways than she would be To either of them.

The three of them had been best friends when they were in school. At first it was Noah, Wendy, two of his male friends, and another female who had died two years ago. Later, Natalia had joined their friendship group, but Noah and Wendy always seemed ro be closer best friends than the rest of them.

And Wendy always looked like she had an inside joke with everybody that nobody knew. But then again, it was Wendy, so that was absolutely normal.

Wendy had given Noah a kiss on the cheek, Natalia had seen his gray eyes darken in response, and she had seen his jaw clench. Natalia knew that Noah would not be very happy after Wendy leaves them alone, as he never liked physical contact with others, sometimes, even from her.

She would surely have it out with him today for allowing Wendy to disregard his personal space.

Noah’s smile wavers a bit and his jaws visibly clench as Wendy turns around. Natalia notices this and smiles at her best friend.

“Wendy, this cake is really good, you’ve got to try it.” Natalia says, raising a fork in Wendy’s direction.

Wendy blinks rapidly before laughing a little. “Oh my dear, you have always been the jealous type. Want me out of your husband’s way already?”

Natalia’s cheeks turn red and she turns her head away, Noah leaves them, and due to the fact that she wants to have a conversation with him, Natalia tries to leave too, but Wendy holds her back.

“Let the man enjoy his alone time, Talia.” She rolls her eyes and continues to eat some cake.

Natalia is unable to eat anymore as she had known that Noah had gone inside because he wanted ro talk to her, but she really was not going to leave Wendy after she had just said that.

Wendy eventually finished her cake, and Noah gives her a few bottles of the drink he had promised that he would give her. As Wendy walks out the door, she turns and whispers to Natalia.

“I know you guys need some privacy to get your game on, it’s okay, I would not intrude, I would definitely not disturb your alone time.” Wendy says and turns around to wink at Noah, making Natalia turn red.

As Wendy closes the door, Natalia locks it behind her and came face to face to a frowning Noah.

“Um, Noah?” She whispers, her voice shaky.

“What was all that about?” He asks, a vein twitching at the side of his head. “What did your friend Wendy think that she was trying to pull off?”

“Noah, I did not know that you were going to be home today—” Natalia pauses as she realises that her statement came out wrong.

“Oh, is that so?” Noah says with a smug smirk, like he has caught a child with its hand in the cookie jar.

“No, like I meant that if you had told me that you would be coming earlier than usual, I would have made a few arrangements and I would have told you that I was going to be out, that was what I meant earlier.” She says, wringing her hands over and over again.

“Arrangements? Arrangements like what? Dressing proper?” He says as he walks over to her and tugs on her dress.

“You mean this? Oh, you would have dressed properly? Look at how indecent you look, you whore!” Noah leaves her to sit on a chair.

“How do I look indecent? This dress is not even showing any skin, and it’s not even fitted!” Natalia says, raising her voice a bit. Noah looks at her and raises his brow.

Natalia notices and brown quickly apologizes. “Noah, I am sorry for raising my voice like that, but please, let us not do this, not now.”

“That dress was indecent. Your dresses are supposed to cover your kneecaps completely. But this shows half of your knee? Why does it? Who are you trying to seduce out there?” He spits out.

“Do you know how much embarrassment you would have caused to me if any of my friends or partners had seen you out there like that?”

“Noah, it is only half a knee cap, you’re such a jealous—”

“Are you trying to dismiss my words?” Noah says, cracking his knuckles. “Are you?”

Natalia gasps. “I would never do that.”

“I am very sure that you have a lover. I do not know their gender, but I am sure that there is another person that you are seeing.” He seethes.

“What is wrong with you?” Natalia shouts.

“I think I should be asking you. You refuse to give your husband pleasure, but then you go ahead and give it to someone else? Is that how you work now?” Noah asks and stands up.

“You did not say anything about Wendy who wore a dress that showed her entire back, but you are mad at me for showing off my kneecaps?” Natalia asks Noah.

“She is Wendy. That is how she is. You on the other hand were pure and perfect. Shows that Wendy is polluting you.”

“She was your best friend too!”

“Does not matter in anyway. Anyway...” Noah trails off and walks to her, holding her by the hair and asking in a rough voice.

“How much do you cost, Bonita? Is it up to a thousand? Or two, maybe?” Noah asks and drags Natalia to a seat by her hair and tosses her in it.

“Noah, stop—”

Noah brings out his wallet and begins to throw some bills on Natalia, and she just sits there sobbing. He says some disgusting words as he throws the money.

“This is for you to suck me off!” He says and throws a bill.

“This is for you to swallow afterwards!”

“This is for you to dress classy and decently, because I cannot use a cheap whore!”

“This is for—”

Natalia cuts him in. “Enough! I refuse to be intimidated by you, you bully!”

She pushes him and he loses his balance due to surprise, and Natalia uses the moment to run into the bedroom they shared and then she locks the door behind her.

“Natalia!” Noah shouts after her, but she had already reached the top of the stairs.

Noah stands and runs after her. He gets to the room that they shared and tried to open the door. The door is locked so it does not budge.

“The audacity of the bitch.” He mumbled under his breath.

“Natalia! Natalia, please open the door!” He shouts, banging on the door as if his life depended on it.

Natalia did not even bother to reply.

“Natalia, open the door! Let’s not fight anymore, okay?” He says in a gentler tone, but still knocking loudly.

“Natalia, I understand that I have pushed you to the wall, but please, do not do anything stupid.” In a much more gentler tone, he continues.

“I am only trying to make you a better woman, and I know that you are scared, I have been there too, a lot of times, and I can even set you free. Please open the door.”

“Natalia! Please open this door!”

“Natalia, do not make me come in there and get you myself, I’m counting to three!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

“Natalia!” He shouts one last time, and after that, there is complete silence from his part.

-

Natalia had been terrified when Noah had come knocking. She had actually thought that he would be able to get through the door and get even more mad at her.

She had wanted to open the door from the start, but the fear was too much for her to bear at the time.

Natalia opens the door carefully and peeks out of the small opening. She sees Noah sleeping on the ground, right outside their door.

With a sob, she goes to the ground and wraps her arms around his sleeping figure, and he mirrors the action, apparently, still sleeping.

They just lay there, Noah, fast asleep, and Natalia weeping into his shirt like a grieving wife.