Chapter 17

“Ricky!! Oh my God! You’ll never guess what just happened!” I exclaimed, running into Ricky’s loft apartment. He was sitting, sketching in the living room while listening to “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey.

It made me love him more to hear that.

“What?” He looked at me sadly; it was a way he hadn’t looked at me in years. It made me nervous.

“I made up with Andrew. I went to visit him today.”

Ricky looked at me shocked when I said that but didn’t reply. I just decided to continue, beaming. I jumped down onto the couch next to him and sighed happily.

“He’s like changed, Rick. He was so calm and was so excited when I told him I had babies. He told me to tell them that they had an Uncle who loved them a lot.”

“That was nice of him… but are you sure you’re ready to forgive him for what happened with Justin?”

My expression visibly darkened at the mention of his name. Ricky was even shocked at the look on my face.

“Andy was just trying to protect me. I should have listened to him.” I said firmly. “But anyway… you have any food? I’m starving?”

“Nat, chill one sec. I need to talk to you about something.”

“Okay… about what?”

“I got a call from Hope today.” Ricky stated in an eerie tone. It almost freaked me out. Come to think about it, he had been acting strange for the whole time I was there. What was going on?

“How is she?”

“She’s good but… something happened.”

I quickly braced myself for the bad news. I knew it had something to do with Justin. Was he demanding a divorce so he could marry Paris? Anger flared through my body; that would be just like him to do that. He never cared about me anyway.

“What happened?”

“Justin… there was an attempt made on his life… they aren’t sure if he’s going to pull through.”

I just blanked out for a moment. Justin was dying? I felt completely and utterly numb. There was absolutely no emotion, no saddness, no rejoice… nothing. I just felt indifference.

“Oh.” Was all I could say. Maybe it was the shock that stopped me from feeling anything? How could I be so emotionless and so cruel?

I knew I should feel something; he was after all, the father of my children. But it was like my anger had gotten the best of me.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“What am I supposed to say, Ricky?!”

“That’s your husband, Natalia.” Ricky stood up and shook his head at me. “You don’t even care do you? If he dies, your kids will be without a father.”

“Ricky!! Just stop it!” I covered my face in my hands and rocked back and forth. “There’s nothing I can do.”

“Go see him.” Ricky bent down in front of me and grabbed my hands away from my face. “He’s dying, Natalia, do you want that regret on your conscience if he dies?”

“No I don’t…” I whispered.

“You have to at least bring his kids to him.” Ricky begged me. “Please Natalia.”

“I can’t go there, Ricky… I can’t. I’m just starting to get my life back together…” I sighed. “But will you do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Bring the kids to him. I can’t do it. I know what will happen if I go there in my current condition and I need to get strong, Ricky.”

My homosexual best friend just nodded and me and took hold of my hand. I looked up into his eyes and exhaled deeply.

“Besides… I…I’m in a relationship now…I have to continue moving on.”

“What?! With who?”

“With David.”

“Natalia… don’t you think it’s too soon… I mean I don’t want to be negative but you haven’t even filed for divorce yet.”

“I know… but things just happened and David makes me happy.”

Ricky just sighed at me and shook his head. I knew what was going through his head and I didn’t want to hear it.

“I already know what you’re going to say is going to be said to try and protect me but I don’t want to hear it, Rick. I know what I have to do.”

“Alright, Nat.” He sighed and turned his eyes away from me.

I could tell Ricky was a little upset with me, mostly because he really believed that what I was doing was wrong. But it was my life to live and my mistakes to make.

**

“So he’s dying?” David said to me, shocked. We had been lying down together on his bed in his hotel room and I nodded.

The subject had come up out of nowhere. I guess the thought of Justin dying had finally sunk in and it was starting to pain me. I made sure not to tell David that I felt upset. I didn’t want him to know that I still hadn’t gotten over Justin.

“Yeah… I can’t believe it. Ricky told me someone had been drugging him and finally poisoning him.”

“Damn… I’m glad you and the twins got out of there when you did then.” David took my hand in his and squeezed it softly.

“I know.”

Justin Timberlake was dying? I didn’t believe it. It was probably a ploy to get me to go see him. It could have worked too, that is, if David weren’t around to keep me strong.

“I’m sending Ricky and the twins to go see him. I really can’t go… I know I should out of respect… but it’s better like this.”

“I think your right. You don’t need him playing any mind games with you or begging you for another chance.” He stated and I just agreed with him.

I just had to stay away and get my shit together.

**

Ricky walked down the hallway, holding the two sleeping twins in his arms. He couldn’t believe Natalia and how heartless she had acted. How could she not care about Justin? She had once gone on and on about how much she loved him and now she acted like he was no one to her.

He didn’t believe her front for a second. She was trying to hard to be strong but in the end it was going to be her downfall. Ricky could tell that as soon as she cracked, her spill of emotions was going to be painful.

But that was always like Natalia, she would either bitch about her problems or bottle them inside until they exploded. He was so worried about her.

“Hey JC, how’s Justin doing?” Ricky had walked over to JC, who was pacing nervously outside of Justin’s hospital room.

“Not so good, but at least he’s conscious. His internal organs were badly damaged.” JC sighed. “Where’s Natalia?”

“She isn’t here.” Ricky looked down, sadly.

“Oh.”

“She was really busy… and uh…”

“Dude… its okay. You don’t have to cover for her.” JC looked into Justin’s room sadly. Tommy and Hope were next to him Hope was holding his hand and talking to him, trying her best to let him know that she thought everything would be okay.

“I tried to get her to come. I really did. But she told me she couldn’t handle it right now. She hasn’t really been in a great mental state.”

“I understand… I mean at least she let you bring the twins to see him.”

“I would have made her if she didn’t agree. Besides, Natalia isn’t completely heartless.” Ricky sighed. He wished more than anything that Natalia would have came to visit Justin, it would have done her good.

It seemed like her mind was completely poisoned against him. All she remembered were the bad times. Natalia was so bitter and so full of anger that Ricky feared it might ruin her forever.

“I know that. She’s going through a lot is all.”

“Ricky! How are you?” Came Savannah’s voice from behind him. He turned to smile at her.

“I’d hug you but as you can see… my hands are kinda full.” Ricky laughed, motioning to the sleeping twins in his arms. “God, they’ve gotten heavy.”

Savannah smiled, but Ricky noticed that something wasn’t right. The sparkle that had once adorned her hazel eyes was no longer there. She just seemed empty.

It scared him to see her like that. The girl that was so full of life and couldn’t wait to show the world what she was made of seemed as if she’d disappeared forever.

“They’re adorable. But everyone knew that already.” Savannah leaned over and placed a kiss on each of their foreheads, waking them up instantly.

“Now that they’re up, I should bring them to see Justin. See you guys later.” Ricky said and walked into Justin’s room, with the twins who were unaware of their surroundings. “Hey J. How’s it going?”

“Ricky?” Justin sat up in his bed and looked away from Hope. “What are you doing here?” He slightly smiled.

“Hey Ricky!” Hope grinned and kissed him on the cheek, before grabbing Tommy and excusing herself. She didn’t want to be a nuisance and definitely thought Justin could use some alone time with his kids.

“Just coming to visit you.” Ricky pulled up a chair to Justin’s bed and smiled. “Plus, Sammie and Nick missed you.”

“And I missed them too.” Justin was beaming. Although he looked very pale, at the sight of his children, he brightened. “Guys come stay with Daddy.”

The two crawled onto their father’s hospital bed, where Justin gladly accepted them into a tight embrace.

“Missed you Daddy.” Samantha smiled brightly at her father. Justin caressed her cheek and smiled back.

“I know, princess. I promise I won’t let us be apart again.” Justin was so full of emotion. Everything just felt right, well almost right. He could die a happy man if she were here. “Where’s Natalia?”

That was the question Ricky had been dreading to answer, especially when the question was directed from Justin. He didn’t want to see Justin’s heart break right before him.

“Uh… Natalia hasn’t really been feeling very well so she’s back home.”

“She’s staying with you?”

“No!” Nikolas spoke up. “With Abuelita.”

“Her mother?” Justin asked incredulously. Natalia was staying with her mother who wanted nothing more but to see him dead and away from her daughter. What the hell?

“Yeah… Natalia made up with her mother so she’s been staying with her.” Ricky bit at his lip. He hadn’t wanted to give so much information away. It wasn’t his place. “Uh listen, I’ll leave you guys alone. I’ll be outside.”

Justin just nodded at Ricky, immediately knowing that there was something going on with Natalia. Ricky had been way too secretive and nervous when the subject of her came up.

Ricky hurried out of the room, leaving Justin alone with his children.

“So guys, Mommy’s okay?”

“Mmhmm!” Samantha nodded ‘yes’, her brown curls bouncing with her movement. “Uncle David even came to visit us!”

David? Justin didn’t trust him for a second. That bastard. He wanted Natalia and she may have let him into her life innocently, but he’d be damned if she’d be taken away from him.

Natalia was his angel after all, only meant for him. Not for David or anyone else.

“That’s good, Princess.”

Justin’s little girl rested her head against his chest and happily sucked on her thumb. He looked over at his son, who was almost a clone of himself.

“You miss your, Mommy, Nicky?”

He just nodded at his Father. Nikolas was very attached to his mother since the day he was born. Justin pulled him closer and smiled.

“I know baby, I miss her too.”

That was the moment when Justin knew that he had to get better. He had to fix things with Natalia; he had to get her back. There was so much left that he had to fix. He had to make sure his family was safe.

He knew they wouldn’t be. If he died, the Mob families would do whatever they could to wipe out any trace of him. Justin would not allow that to happen.

The state of depression he had been in since she cruelly threw her wedding and engagement at him disappeared.  Justin was going to win his wife back, no matter what it cost him.