Billionaire Daredevil In Love

Nadine:

It always looked like the universe was against me, like it had something terrible planned for me. Because why was Clayton's mother berating me in what was otherwise a sweet voice while I was still in grief about my best friend and recovering from the shock of Trent having killed her.

"Are you going to say anything?" She said when I didn't answer. "Cat got your tongue?"

"I'm working on it, ma'am," I said. I looked to Clayton for help but he was wiping the sides of his mouth with a tissue and he had this smirk on his face.

"Actually, mom, I was going to tell you," he said. "Soon, and I mean very soon, Nadine will be working with us at the company. So she's going to get useful real soon. We're still working on it."

The way he said it, it was obvious he was using me as bait; obvious that he wanted his mother to continue with her attacks. I felt a cold sweat on my skin and my heart started to beat in an irregular fashion. It was going to be a long night. "Soon, hunh?" She said, "So what kind of work do you think you can do in a place like Clayton's? I mean, considering the fact that you have no college degree or skill set or observable knowledge whatsoever."

I didn't know if that was a question I was supposed to answer, so I just kept quiet. For a moment, all was silent. I thought if I could finish my food quickly enough I would escape, but of course, the universe had something in store for me. "Ahh, Clayton," she began.

"Yes, mom?" He said excitedly. It was obvious that he was loving this.

"What about Natasha?" She said, "That pretty girl, the one I thought you were going to get married to. She seemed to have some sense, where is she?"

"Ohh, mother, Natasha and I haven't spoken in quite a long time now," he said. "I wouldn't know where she is."

"Of course you haven't spoken to her in a long while," she said. "Seeing that you abandoned her and married someone who is several rungs below you on the social ladder. I would feel slighted too if I was her."

Clayton, also at a loss for words, only shrugged. I couldn't believe that they were having that conversation while I was sitting with them. I wanted to leave, to disappear, to be swallowed by the ground, but I just sat there, bewildered. "Call her," she said.

"What?" Clayton said.

"I said, call her," she repeated. "Call her, or I will."

"No, mom," he protested. "No fucking way am I-"

"Language, boy!" She cautioned, her voice raised, her tone brooking no remonstrance.

"Excuse me," he said, "but there's no way in hell that I'm calling Natasha."

"I'll call her, then," she said calmly. "I should have her number somewhere. We're going to see about this."

Clayton now looked as confused as I did.

Natasha:

I was sprawled on my bed, going through Instagram reels when I got a call from Clayton's mom. At first I did not pick; for all I knew, it could be Clayton using his mother's phone to call me. He had no limits when he was desperate. But when the phone rang again, I decided to pick it. Mrs. Rocco was a nice woman who treated me with respect. I was not going to disregard her because her son was a jerk.

"Hello, Mrs. Rocco," I said. "What a surprise."

"Ahh, Natasha," she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. "How are you doing?"

"Great, Mrs. Rocco," I said. "And how have you been?"

"Also great, life has been fair," she said. "I recently came to the city to see my son."

"Ohh, that's interesting," I said, scratching my head. I didn't know where the conversation was headed, and I was quite uncomfortable with it.

"Natasha, I want you here," she said gently. "It gets awfully boring when Clayton goes off to work, and that good-for-nothing he calls a wife doesn't have the mind for a meaningful conversation."

I thought about it for a while. It was clear that I had Mrs. Rocco's heart, even though her son was the jerk that treated me like trash every time. But I did not want to do it; it was too much.

"I don't know, Mrs. Rocco," I said. "Clayton and I aren't exactly in talking terms. I mean-"

"Ohh, forget that, darling," she said and gave a little laugh. "You young people need to learn that we only go through this life once and so we should not forget to live. I know quite alright that you and Clayton have your differences, and between me and you, I know it's all his fault. But I also know you're in love with him as he is with you, so forget about all of that."

"Okay. But does he know?" I asked.

"Does he have to, Natasha?" She said, "This house is mine as much as it's his."

"But-but, Nadine, his other wife, is there," I said. "I mean, wouldn't it be kind of intrusive to, you know-"

"Come on now, darling," she said. "Now you're just making up excuses to avoid visiting. Nadine, or whatever her name is, is insignificant here, okay."

"Okay, Mrs. Rocco," I said, giving in.

"So you're going to come?" She said,

"Yes, I will," I said. "I'll just pack my stuff now."

"Ahh, that's great," she said. "Please, hurry, I'm bored senseless. We're going to have loads and loads of fun."

"Okay, ma'am," I said, hanging up.

A part of me was glad that Mrs. Rocco liked me the way she did. But another part of me was wary about all of it. As I packed a few clothes and got into my car, I thought about how things would be at the house with Nadine in it.