Witness Protection ✔

Forever home

"And this is the bedroom," Julia said as she opened the door, allowing Nathalia to step through.

Julia had taken it upon herself to give Nathalia a tour of her new, and hopefully permanent, home. Out of every house she'd lived in this past year, this one was her favorite.

She may or may not have said that about every house so far but none of them were a stone's throw away from the beach. But this one was.

She walked around the room, taking it all in. The furniture was modern yet cozy and the walls were a pristine white. The home in general was bigger than she needed it to be, but she wasn't going to complain.

She walked over to the windows and opened one, breathing in the warm sea breeze that hit her face. This was it. This was the beginning of her new life.

"I love it," Nathalia beamed at Julia, who smiled right back at her. "Good! I have to admit I was a little worried when you told me how beautiful you thought the older homes were, I didn't know if modern was your style!"

Julia had stayed by Nathalia's side since the trial, guiding her and supporting her as best as she could. She'd explained on the plane ride that she had been in charge of finding Nathalia a new home and had done so as best as she could.

Although Nathalia was still sour that she hadn't told her one of the bodyguards died, she had forgiven her after hearing her explanation. Marshall Young, the lead prosecutor, had forbidden everyone from telling her anything about the fate of her bodyguards. He was afraid she wouldn't want to testify anymore out of fear, which was ridiculous in Nathalia's opinion.

Julia had also spilled the beans on everything she knew, which wasn't a whole lot. She had confirmed that one of the bodyguards indeed did die, but that the agency that provided the bodyguards was still investigating what had happened. Which meant they wouldn't release any information for the time being. She did tell her all of the invaders had died and she didn't have to worry about them coming after her again.

Even grilling Chris yielded no answers, which could only mean he didn't know either. She doubted he could resist the urge to make her feel even more miserable when given the chance.

She tried to be strong but on the inside, she was crumbling. Knowing that at least one of them died was enough to make her want to break down and cry every time she thought about it.

On the plane ride over Julia would ask her if she was alright about every hour, driving Nathalia insane. But at the same time, she appreciated it. Julia was the closest thing to a friend she had right now and she wasn't bad company to have.

"Just wait until you see the bathtub," Julia said while turning on her heels, giving Nathalia no choice but to follow.

"You have my number so don't ever hesitate to call me whenever you want okay? Even if you just need someone to talk to. Oh, and did I give you the number of dr. Trevor?" Julia asked while walking towards the door.

"Yep, You did. And uh... Thank you, Julia. I really mean it."

Nathalia knew it was a weak 'thank you' speech, but it was about all she had in her at that moment. She just hoped it would still convey the gratitude she felt towards the other woman.

"Oh, honey. Come here," Julia said as she opened her arms for a hug. Nathalia feared she would miss her when she left. She'd been all she had these past few weeks.

Julia turned back to her with a kind smile and a small wave before getting in the taxi, leaving Nathalia to fend for her own. She watched the car until it turned and she couldn't see it anymore.

She was alone now, and she felt alone. She hadn't felt this way since her parents died but this was the harsh reality she found herself in. Again. Maybe she was meant to be alone.