Chapter 4

Standing alone on the docks, Natalie tried to fight back tears as she looked into the water below, wondering how she had been so stupid.

For an hour she had all of her dreams in sight. And now, less than two hours later, it felt like she had none left.

"And there's no one to blame but yourself, is there?" she muttered to herself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Vincent walked confidently out of one of his newest acquires. Even with the white power group threatening his holdings, he somehow knew everything would come out all right in the end.

With Sean trailing behind him, he walked along the docks, stopping at the muffled cries. A cocked head had his bodyguard ready, as he continued onwards. "Natalie," he called as he came around a corner and saw the familiar form and red head.

Rolling her eyes, Natalie inhaled, trying to hide her tears as she swiped at the ones trailing down her face: "what taking to following me again?" she asked angrily.

"I was checking out a new property," he answered unperturbed. "You ok, because, no offense, but you don't look it."

"No," Natalie shot back as she wielded around on him. "I'm not all right. My world is imploding and I don't know what to do about it. I don't have anyone to count on right now."

Vincent shook his head and exhaled: "Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, when are you going to realize that you can count on me?"

"Right. I just found out that everyone that I have been counting on has a secret or has been lying to me or . . ." she shook her head. "I can't do this right now. I have to. . . I have to go some place, but I have no place to go. . . and I. . ."

"Come on, I'll take you home."

"No. . . No. . . I can't. . . I can't face John. . ."

"What did you do now?"

"Me? You think I did something?" she asked indignant.

Amused, Vincent shook his head: "Com'on, Natalie, it's not that hard of a stretch. But I'll give what he'd do."

"Propose."

"See I'm definitely missing something here than. Aren't you two already engaged?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Not with you. And I went to talk to Rex and he's lying about. . . I can't even say it. Then I thought, ok, I'll go talk to Jessica. I mean, Jessica knows about having your life imploded because of decisions that were made but that weren't the ones that you intended to make only I walk in on her and Chris and Nash arguing about. . ."

"Let me guess her and Nash?" Vincent put in.

"How?"

"Her cop husband's probably the only one who hasn't figured out that she's in love with someone else. That and herself."

"I just. . .I want to. . . I have to figure out what to do. . . how to handle what. . .John hates the idea of me talking to someone about us," Natalie mused as she started to walk towards a nearby bench. "Of course, that doesn't stop him from talking to people other me about us," she added as she sat down on it, her arms pulled tightly across her chest. "I can't. . . I can't tell my mom. . . I don't want people to know what an idiot I am. . "

Vincent shook his head as he sat down next to her, "there has to be someone you can talk to. Another friend?"

"No. I don't have friends," Natalie admitted on a hollow laugh. "I never did the friend thing well. And, since John. . . well, its been him, or. . .his friends. . . you're pretty much been all I've had to talk to other than him of worth outside the family, well, besides. . ."

"Besides who?"

"It doesn't count. She was just trying to help me get my career back on track. I doubt she'd want to help with this. We've never been friends. Ironically enough mainly because of John. Something tells me, if things had been different maybe we could've been. . ."

Shaking his head, Vincent got up: "Come on, I'll swallow my pride and give you a ride to Evangeline's."

"What?" Natalie asked surprised.

"She was the person you were talking about, wasn't she?"

"Yeah. But. . ."

"I'm not leaving you on the docks alone. Now, you let me take you to her place or I take you to your mom's. Which is it?"

"All right. Evangeline's it is then," Natalie sighed as she got up. "Who knows, maybe she'll be able to think of something. . . I can't. . . at best, maybe she can help me figure out what to tell John about where I was. I told him I was going on a job interview. And that I'd probably just go to my mom's tonight. I can't deal with him tonight."

"Job I'll take care of. Meet me at the diner in the morning."

"But. . ."

"Come on. Let's get you to Evangeline's you can fight with me later."