NATASHA POV:
I woke up early, feeling a sense of unease wash over me. Jace had promised to call me the day before, but I hadn't heard from him. I tried to push aside the nagging feeling of worry that had settled in my stomach, but it was hard to shake.
As I got out of bed, I began to get my kids ready for school. I walked into their room, where my three-year-old twin daughters, Kiara and Ciara, were still fast asleep. "Good morning, babies!" I said, trying to sound cheerful. "Time to get up for school!"
Kiara and Ciara groggily opened their eyes and sat up in bed. "Mommy, we don't wanna go to school!" Kiara exclaimed, rubbing her eyes.
I smiled and nodded. "I know, sweetie, but you have to go to school. You'll have fun, I promise. You'll get to see your friends and learn new things."
Ciara looked up at me with big brown eyes. "Mommy, can we wear our favorite dresses today?" she asked, holding up two identical dresses with cartoon characters on them.
I smiled and nodded. "Of course, babies. You can wear your favorite dresses. Let's get dressed and have some breakfast."
As we got dressed and ready for school, I couldn't help but think about Jace. Why hadn't he called? Was he okay? I tried to push aside my worries and focus on getting my kids to school on time.
After breakfast, we headed out the door and walked to school. Kiara and Ciara chattered excitedly about their day, and I listened attentively, trying to distract myself from my worries about Jace.
As we walked, I asked them about their day. "So, babies, what are you looking forward to doing today?"
Kiara thought for a moment before responding. "We're going to play with blocks, Mommy!"
Ciara nodded enthusiastically. "And we're going to sing songs, Mommy!"
I smiled, feeling happy to see my kids so excited about their day. As we approached the school, I gave them each a hug and a kiss. "I love you, babies. Have a great day!"
After dropping off the kids, I headed to my part-time job as a waitress. I had been working at the diner for a few months, and I enjoyed the fast-paced environment and the friendly regular customers.
As I clocked in and started my shift, I couldn't help but feel a sense of distraction. I kept checking my phone, hoping to see a message or call from Jace. But there was nothing.
Just as I was starting to feel like I was going to lose my mind, Lisa walked into the diner. She spotted me and waved, and I felt a surge of relief. Maybe talking to Lisa would help me calm down and get my mind off Jace.
I took a quick break and met Lisa in the back of the diner. We sat down at a small table, and Lisa immediately picked up on my distress. "Hey, girl, what's wrong?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
I sighed and shook my head. "It's just Jace. He said he'd call me yesterday, but I haven't heard from him. I'm starting to get really worried."
Lisa nodded sympathetically. "I'm sure he's just busy. He'll get back to you when he can."
I nodded, feeling a bit frustrated. "I know, I know. It's just...I really value our friendship, and I don't want to lose it but I think he is avoiding me because of my kids."
Lisa's expression softened. "You're not going to lose Jace's friendship. He cares about you deeply, and he's not just going to disappear on you."
I felt a lump form in my throat as I looked at Lisa. She was right, of course. Jace did care about me, and I cared about him. We had a deep and meaningful friendship, and I didn't want to lose it.
"But what if he doesn't call?" I asked, feeling a bit vulnerable.
Lisa's expression was calm and reassuring. "Then we'll deal with that when the time comes. But for now, let's just focus on the present moment. You're strong and capable. You can handle whatever comes your way."
I nodded, feeling a small sense of comfort. Lisa was right, of course. I was strong and capable. And I would get through this, no matter what happened with Jace.
As we sat there in the back of the diner, Lisa continued to talk to me in a soothing voice, trying to calm my nerves and reassure me that everything would be okay. And as I listened to her, I started to feel a sense of peace wash over me.
Maybe Jace would call, and maybe he wouldn't. But either way, I knew that I would be okay. I had my Kids
The thought of messaging Jace had been circling my mind all day. Every time I picked up my phone, my fingers would hover over the screen, my heart pounding as I debated whether to reach out. He had promised to call, but the silence stretched between us like an unspoken truth I wasn't ready to face.
Was I overthinking it? Was he just busy? Or... was he avoiding me?
I sighed, rubbing my temples as I stood behind the counter of the diner, wiping down a tray absentmindedly. Lisa's words from earlier played in my head. "He cares about you. Stop overthinking."
But did he?
I unlocked my phone, scrolling to Jace's name. I hesitated before typing out a message:
Hey, just checking in. Hope everything's okay.
My thumb hovered over the send button. But then doubt crept in. What if I was being annoying? What if I was making a fool of myself?
I deleted the message.
I needed to stop obsessing over this. Maybe Lisa was right-maybe I just needed to focus on the present.
And that was when I saw him.
Jace.
Walking into the diner.
With her.
My breath caught in my throat as I instinctively stepped back, pressing myself into the shadowed corner near the kitchen. He hadn't seen me yet. My heart hammered as I peeked from behind the counter, watching them.
The woman was stunning-tall, blonde, and effortlessly elegant. She laughed softly at something Jace said, lightly touching his arm, and he... he smiled. Not just any smile. It was that smile-the rare, genuine one that reached his eyes, the one I had foolishly thought was reserved for me.
A sick, twisting feeling settled in my stomach.
I shouldn't be hiding. I wasn't his girlfriend-I had no claim over him. But something in me refused to step out, refused to let him see me standing there like a fool, heart cracking over something that shouldn't even hurt this much.
But it did.
Jace pulled out a chair for the woman, ever the gentleman, and they sat across from each other, talking with ease. He looked... relaxed. Happy.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickly turned away, disappearing into the back before he could notice me.
"Natasha?" Lisa's voice startled me. She had just come out of the storage room, a tray in her hand. "You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."
I forced a smile, though it felt brittle. "I'm fine."
But I wasn't fine.
I was drowning in something I didn't want to name.
Jace had been distant. He hadn't called. And now, here he was, laughing, smiling, looking completely at ease with another woman while I had spent the entire day worrying about why he hadn't reached out.
Maybe I had been stupid to think we had something special.
Maybe he had already moved on.
I spent the rest of my shift avoiding the front of the diner, finding any excuse to stay in the back, away from him. It wasn't until much later that Lisa finally confronted me about it.
"Alright, what's going on?" she asked, arms crossed. "You've been acting weird all night."
I hesitated before sighing. "Jace is here."
Lisa blinked. "Wait, what? And you haven't gone to say hi?"
I shook my head. "He's with someone."
Her expression shifted, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Oh."
I shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's fine. It's not like we're-"
"Natasha." Lisa gave me a look. "You have feelings for him."
I opened my mouth to protest, but the words wouldn't come out. Because deep down, I knew she was right.
And it hurt.
****************************
By the time my shift ended, I was exhausted-emotionally, more than physically. I wanted nothing more than to get home, take a hot shower, and bury myself in bed, pretending today had never happened.
But as I approached my apartment, I froze.
Jace was standing at my doorstep.
My heart nearly stopped.
For a moment, I considered turning around, pretending I hadn't seen him. But then he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with me.
And suddenly, all the emotions I had been suppressing all day came crashing down.
"Jace," I breathed, my voice barely above a whisper.
He took a step closer, his expression unreadable. "Natasha, we need to talk."
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around my bag. I wasn't sure if I was ready for this conversation.
Not after what I had seen today.
But one thing was certain.
I couldn't keep running forever.