Chapter 11 Nat's Answer

Thursday
“So, are you going to say anything?”
Nathaniel looked up from his plate when Regina confronted him. Thinking back, it would have been a good Tuesday night if not for all this endless questioning by her.
What he originally figured was a blessing to have in her, turned out to be such a pain in the arse. Instead of being the solution to their long-distance relationship issues, it just made her a liability. She would harass him over trivial issues or even demand where he had gone after work.
In the past, he would hold on for love, but right now, he had other considerations. He didn’t like the idea of her distrusting him or interrogating him like a criminal.
But, aside from these issues with Regina White, there was something bothering him greatly. His exclusive client hadn’t made any calls nor sent him any messages. Though he had only seen her once after their initial encounter, he didn’t expect that she would have given him the cold shoulder so quickly!
Those marks on his shoulder and neck, instead of healing and going away, just seemed to get brighter. He didn’t know if it meant anything, but if he touched them, he would feel a tingling feeling all over. That it didn’t go away, gave him a feeling he was enthralled to that woman for life, but then nothing could explain his intense desire and longing for her after how they had just met for the second time.
He wanted to slap himself, at how he had a change of heart so quickly. He had sworn to love and protect Regina all his life, now what was this?
And he thought he could make it up to her. But she was just getting more insecure and annoying after she quit as a travel journalist and this got on his nerves.
He had almost wanted to shout, ‘Regina, for f*ck sake, can you get a hold on yourself and your emotions’ but knowing how it would trigger her even more, he kept his mouth shut. The last thing he wanted was an angry step brother beating the hell out of him. Even if he had unordinary abilities, he wouldn’t be able to fight back against Sirius White.
Regina’s stepbrother Sirius was the boxer and CEO of Abomination Technology, AD Systems’ rival in the industry. Unlike the happy-go-lucky and then-cheerful Regina, Sirius was introverted and quiet. In his dark eyes, he placed dangerous emotions, particularly the urge to kill. And if Nat ever hurt Regina’s feelings, he knew Sirius would have his head.
With dark curls that spun around the back of his head, two beady eyes that appeared to stare the soul out of you and a six-pack built torso, Sirius was feared by all, perceived as the ultimate figure you should never ever think of making an enemy with. He visualised himself being flung twenty yards away by a single kick from Sirius, and he cowered.
Of course, he thought using the same old excuse was simple enough for him, but not for a person like Regina. It dawned upon him he had to work a little harder for her to believe his lies.
“I’m just tired, Regina.”
“You’ve said this for two straight days. When can you just let me in? I beg you.”
Regina’s eyes were downcast and full of despair. He didn’t like her putting herself down like that, and placed his arms on her shoulders.
“Regina, don’t think too much. It isn’t like this at all… It’s that…” he thought of a lie in his mind, “I’m just having some issues. Mens’ problems.”
“I’m seeing a doctor,” he swiftly added before she could inquire what kind of problems he was talking about.
She must have thought he was talking about prostate problems, and he allowed her to make her conjecture since there wasn’t much he could do about their lost connection right now. Regina was horny, and she needed consolation.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
She stared at him shyly, and he felt a little guilty. “When did this happen?”
“I found out just a few months ago.”
She swallowed as she put two and two together, arriving at the fact it had happened while she was away. She then asked in a very soft voice, “What did the doctor say about it?”
“It’s not serious, and in time I’ll be able to get a cure for it.”
“Really?”
He gave her his affirmation. “Yeah, it’s not like I’m infertile or incapable, or anything worse than that. We’ll get through it.”
“I hope.”
“We will, Regina.” He patted her on her head, and she smiled shyly. Nat had cooked a splendid meal for them, but she was the one giving him unease. But now they could finally enjoy it together.
He had simmered hot corn soup with some crabmeat, and another dish of seafood pasta. His plans were to mislead Regina about his job and how he had not been saving enough for their future planning, yet he genuinely cared about her.
In this way, she would be inclined to return to the corporate world she was from and get a job. She wouldn’t need to pay for most of the household items and expenses, but it would at least keep her mind from thinking unnecessary things.
He took her in his arms for a hug, but noticed how his heart didn’t beat wildly. She was blushing red like a beetroot, but suddenly he remembered what he had heard two days ago.
About those voices and how they didn’t belong to the right time when he met Regina. This could be from a later or earlier time. Even if it was Regina whose voice he heard, it wasn’t her right now.
He whispered softly in Regina’s hair.
“By the way, who is Ainsley? I’ve no recollection of who was from our school back then.”
“Ain… Ainsley,” a shocked expression was painted over her face. His guess was that she didn’t know how he would have found out, but he didn’t want to make her feel he was distrusting her again.
“Ainsley… is a junior back in school,” she stammered. That rang a bell. During that period of time while they were dating on school grounds, he would always sense a strong premonition that someone was near or spying on us. Ainsley would follow them often.
“Ah yes, that Ainsley. Wouldn’t stay out of trouble and wouldn’t stop chasing you around. Say, is he a successful businessman now? Or CEO of his own group of companies, maybe?
He didn’t get her reply as she engrossed herself in fidgeting with her braids. He decided to surf about Ainsley Chan with his smartphone and find out more about him.
But as he was about to do so, Regina fell off the chair, clutching her stomach in pain. He hurriedly forgot his plans of what he was going to do with the search results about Ainsley Chan and concentrated on getting Regina to safety.
First her ailment wasn’t brought to his knowledge, only heard in those weird visions. Now, she was facing some issues with her stomach. He hadn’t made the cooking spicy or salty, yet she was having pains.
The more she did that, the more he was concerned. He watched until the paramedics loaded her into a stretcher and removed her from their apartment, taking her into an ambulance that blared right through the heart of the city.
This was not good at all. He distinctly remembered all those voices and how he heard her cheating on him with Ainsley Chan. If this was indeed a premonition, he had to stop it before it became a reality.
By preventing her and Ainsley becoming an item, he would disallow his vision to happen. As long as Ainsley didn’t take that step forward with her, he would have her forever.
But the question was, was that really what he wanted, or was his heart lying with someone else?
Only Nat himself knew the answer deep in his heart, although he was rather unwilling to answer that question with the truth. If he loved that someone wholeheartedly and couldn’t risk losing her to another person, be he a CEO or billionaire right now, then why was he thinking about someone else right now?
Was he just that shallow to be doing that?