Stolen Secrets

Stolen Secrets- Chapter 29

~Jeff~

Six months later…

I like to think of the day I last saw Natalie as the day she kissed me, not the day she left. It makes things seem a little better. It makes it sound like everything ended on a positive note, and not the terrible one if did.

I never heard from Natalie again. I saw her name in the newspaper or on TV a couple of times, or sometimes a picture of her. Each time a picture of her ran in the paper, I cut it out and posted it in a spare notebook I had from school. That makes me sound like a stalker, but I liked being able to open a book and see a picture of her. I hadn’t thought to take one in the short time we were friends.

George had sent me the occasional email sometimes. But they never said more than the fact that him and Natalie were both fine. I always replied, but never got one back.

I never saw Natalie after that day. Apart from the glimpses I caught of her on TV, or the quotes in the paper, I barely knew she existed anymore. Except for the tingling in my lips every time I thought of our brief kiss, it was almost like I had made her up.

After the day we had kissed, my life pretty much went back to normal. I did all the usual things I did during the spring and summer. I barely talked to anyone and played lots of video games. But the whole time, I couldn’t help but wonder what Natalie was doing.

Mum told me that I would feel better soon, that there would come a time when I didn’t even think about Natalie. But I knew that time was a long way away.

“Jeff! Get the door!” Mum hollered.

I picked myself up from where I was sprawled out on the couch. I don’t know why Mum was yelling, she was right there.

I went over to the door and wrenched it open without bothering to look through the peephole to see who it was.

I immediately wished I had, I could have used all the preparation I could get for this moment.

“Angel?” I sputtered. I hadn’t meant to call her Angel, but it had just slipped out in my shock.

Natalie gave me a tentative smile.

“Hi Jeff,” she said meekly. She looked over my should. “May I come in?”

I mutely nodded and stepped back to let her in.

I was acutely aware of the fact that she had a lot of exposed skin. Which made sense because it was still summer, but that didn’t make me any less nervous. The last time I had seen her with her legs showing like that was when she had been in that dress she looked gorgeous in at the ceremony all those months ago.

Natalie kicked off her shoes and then turned expectantly to me. I snapped out of the trance I was in because of her and stumbled down the hallway, swearing mentally at myself for acting so stupid the first time I saw her in months.

“Hi Jade,” Natalie said softly when she saw my mum in the living room. I started devising a plan to get Natalie to my room so we could be alone without freaking her out.

Mum looked up in surprise from the thing she was crocheting. “Oh my, Natalie. It is so great to see you dear,” Mum said standing up to hug Natalie. She recovered from her shock much faster than I had.

“I’m sorry to intrude. But I wanted to talk to Jeff,” Natalie pleaded.

Mum nodded. “Yes, yes of course. I’ll leave you two.” Mum smiled at me before gathering her things and going to her bedroom. If she had gone to the kitchen she would have been able to hear us.

“Uh, let’s sit,” I said. Oh my god I’m so stupid!

Natalie nodded and sat at the edge of the couch, leaving plenty of room for me. I sat next to her making sure to leave room. I still didn’t know why she was here.