“Cameron, get the fuck out of here!” Joshua yells.
I start to cry. “Max,” I sob. He and Ben walk to the door, and their haunted eyes meet mine.
“Can you please show Joshua out?”
“No! Natasha no.” His eyes snap back to the two bodyguards. “Get the fuck out of here or you are both fucking fired!” He screams.
I’m close to being hysterical. I sob loudly.
Cameron turns to the boys solemnly. “Give us a minute,” he whispers.
They both look to me for approval. I nod silently. They turn and close the door behind them.
“Natasha … speak to me. Please,” he sobs. “What’s wrong with you? Say something.” The tears run freely down his face.
“We are stronger than this … Please listen to me … I’m begging. You told me you loved me unconditionally. Prove it. Please. I need you to forgive me.”
The sight of my beautiful powerful man in tears is catastrophic. I sob out loud. My eyes flick to Cameron who is standing with his hands in his pockets looking down at the ground. He lifts his tear-filled eyes to meet mine. Oh god, Cameron’s in tears too. I can’t imagine witnessing someone I love go through this. I drop my head.
“Natasha. I love you. FUCKING SAY SOMETHING,” he screams.
I sob again.
“Goodbye Joshua,” I whisper as pain slices my heart wide open.
He shakes his head frantically. “No … no, no don’t say that. You don’t mean that,” he cries as he dives for me. I jump to escape him.
“I love you … you can’t do this to us. We are stronger than this Tash.”
I sob as I hold my hands up to him in defence. I can no longer handle this torture, I need to get away. He tries to grab me again and I run for the door. Joshua dives for me and Cameron steps in front of him and holds him back.
“Cameron … let me go. Please,” he sobs as he breaks into full-blown tears.
I run out the door as I hear him screaming my name. Max is hot on my heels, we run down the stairs and burst out the front door and I collapse from the sheer grief of this situation. Max picks me up and carries me in his arms and loads me into the car where I fall into the seat.
The car trip to my mum’s is made in complete silence … complete grief.
Today was the worst day of my life.
Chapter 9
The call of the kookaburra echoes through the still street outside as my eyes slowly open. I look to the window and see the faint red glow of the sunset peek through the closed blinds. Jeez, I feel like shit. I rub my eyes as I try to focus. I slowly look around. I’m in my darkened childhood bedroom. The door is ajar and I can faintly hear the television from the lounge room.
“It’s ok love, I’m here.”
My eyes flick to my mother who I now see sitting in the corner in my armchair reading a book by the lamp.
“Hi Mum.” I smile weakly. She walks over and sits next to me on the side of the bed and brushes the hair back from my forehead as she leans to kiss me on the cheek.
“You ok, baby?” she asks.
I nod. “Yes,” I whisper.
“Tash …you’re scaring me.” Her eyes search mine.
I nod as my eyes fill with tears. “What time is it?”
“It’s 7 pm on Sunday night.”