Stanton Box Set

Always lying. I throw the phone at Max and storm into the bathroom as the tears of fury start again. I stand with my hands on the basin as I look at myself in the mirror. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears as anger seeps into my bone marrow. Don’t tell her anything. Is that what he told all of his staff about him sleeping with Amelie? Don’t tell Natasha anything … he must have. Nobody said a fucking word … except Amelie of course. He probably said the same thing to her. I bet he did—the asshole. I shake my head in disbelief at myself in the mirror.

Every time I think I might be making the wrong decision he proves me right again, every damn time. He is making me look like a total idiot in front of all these people. It’s not even between me and him anymore. There are about ten people who know more about our relationship than I do. This has got to stop.

“Where is Natasha?” I hear Ben’s South African accent snap through my apartment.

“She’s in the bathroom,” I hear Max reply flatly.

“Is she ok?” Ben asks.

“Yes, shaken up, but ok.”

I put my ear to the door to hear what they are saying.

“Joshua doesn’t want her frightened,” Ben replies.

I can’t hear Max’s reply.

“No, don’t call the police until we know what we are up against.”

What! They are not calling the police? This is ridiculous. I will not be controlled by these men for one minute longer. I open the door and storm down the hall.

“Get out!” I snap at Ben as I point to the door.

“Hello Natasha,” he replies calmly.

Embarrassment heats my cheeks. “Hello. I do not want you here so you can go, and tell your boss the sooner he returns to America, the fucking better.”

“Natasha,” Max whispers as he grabs my arm and tries to calm me down.

I rip my arm from his grip as my furious eyes flick to him. “You can leave too Max. I will not be deceived by all of you for one minute longer. Nobody is here. I am safe and I am calling the police now. So get out!” I scream. I’m totally losing it.

The guard comes back through the door. “Looks like the unit above and below on this side have been robbed too.”

Max puts his hand around the back of his neck. “Thank god,” he mutters as he looks at the ground.

I pick up my phone and dial the police. “Hello, I would like to report a robbery.”

Max and Ben are talking in the kitchen quietly. I walk in sheepishly.

“Sorry Ben I’m on edge,” I whisper, embarrassed at my previous outburst.

He nods and gives me a crooked smile.

“I have been under a lot of stress and I am not handling things very well,” I stammer. He nods again but stays silent. The poor bastard is probably too scared to speak.

“Max I don’t need protecting anymore. Go home with Ben and back to America where you belong.”

“Natasha, you need to be guarded,” Ben whispers.

I screw up my face in frustration. “Ben, the only person who can hurt me is Joshua and he has done just that. In fact I would say he’s excelled at it. You and Max being here is just putting salt on my wounds. Leave me alone, I can’t take much more.” My eyes fill with tears as I shake my head in disbelief.

“We are not trying to upset you Tash,” Max whispers as he puts his arm around me sympathetically.

“Well you are. Ben go home and guard Joshua, he needs you to keep him safe. Stop wasting your time on me, this isn’t a movie scene. I need you to keep him safe for me. Promise me you will keep him safe,” I splutter through my tears.

He smiles sympathetically at me. “I will.”

“Make him go home to America, please!” I sob.