My head is spinning and the silence isn't helping. I stand up and gulp down the rest of my rum. It doesn't help. My face is still burning, and my heart is hammering my chest like a fucking drum.

"Roman?" Natalie stands up, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Is fucking she kidding me?! How can I be alright after hearing what she just said? If I don't get another drink in me, I'm going to lose my fucking mind...

I start to make my way to the kitchen, hoping that I'll find more alcohol, but then stop. A thought has just crossed my mind... Maybe I misheard Natalie. Maybe I'm just hearing things that aren't real.

I turn around, shaking off the turmoil building in my stomach. "Did you say your sister is getting married?"

"Yes," Natalie replies, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"In three weeks?"

"Uhh, yes..."

Fuck! I guess I wasn't mishearing things.

"Are you feeling okay?" Natalie asks, reaching out to place a hand on my forehead. "Your face is really red..."

"I feel fine." I take a step back before she can reach me. I can tell she feels hurt that I didn't let her touch me, but I don't care. After what she just said, she's lucky I haven't kicked her out of my house.

Natalie sighs, lowering her gaze to the ground. "You seem angry."

"Do I?"

"Yes." Natalie looks up and our gazes meet. "You promised that you wouldn't get angry, remember?"

This is fucked... She's fucked... I don't know what she's playing at, but whatever it is, I don't like it. "Why?"

Natalie's eyes widen. "Why what?"

I place my arms behind my back so that she can't see me clench my fists. "Why did you tell me that your sister is getting married?"

Natalie opens her mouth, her lips trembling for a moment before she haltingly closes them. Her hesitation casts a looming shadow, hinting at the weight of the secret she's hiding.

What could it be? What is she keeping from me? The suspense in the room lingers like a dense fog, thick and suffocating. Natalie fidgets with her hands, a clear sign that whatever is on her mind, is heavy and fraught with emotion.

As my patience grows thinner, I realize that something isn't adding up. As far as the world is concerned, Madeleine and I were just neighbors and classmates. We went to the same schools, graduated from the same high school, and then, never saw each other again. Nothing more and nothing less.

So, why..? Why would she tell me about her sister, unless... No, it can't be... There's no way she knows about our past. Right?

I begin to ponder the possibility that Natalie might be privy to the feelings I once harbored for her sister. The love, the betrayal, it all rushes back in a dizzying whirlwind of memories. But still, it doesn't make sense... I'm confident that I've been meticulous in hiding that chapter of my life. Nobody else on this planet, apart from Madeleine, should know that I used to love her...

Unless Madeleine told her... Shit!

Natalie clears her throat, drawing my attention. With a soft, tremulous voice, she finally speaks, as if unburdening herself with each word. "The reason I told you about my sister's wedding, is because I want to stop it," she admits, her gaze locked onto mine.

"You want to stop your sister's wedding?!"

Natalie nods, a look of resolve growing in her eyes. "I want to stop my sister from getting married and I want your help... No, I need your help!"

"You're out of your mind, Natalie!" I snap, frustration lacing my words. I can't even begin to fathom why she'd suggest something so outrageous.

"Maybe I am crazy..." Natalie sighs, slumping down on the couch. "But I don't care. None of it matters... All I know is that I have to save my sister, no matter what!"

"Save her from what?"

"Save her from marrying that psychopath!!!"

Her unwavering resolve stuns me. This is no joke, no prank, and no casual conversation. Natalie is serious. She's asking for my help to break up her sister's wedding.

I'm still trying to digest the bombshell that Madeleine is getting married, and now I have to wrap my head around the fact that Natalie is on a mission to prevent it. Questions and confusion flood my mind. But one question stands out among them all.

"Who is Madeleine marrying?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly.

Natalie places a hand over her face and takes a deep breath. "She's marrying Bryce Cooper..."

The moment the words leave her mouth, the world around me goes silent.

Natalie's revelation has hit me like lightning. My head is spinning, and my heart feels like it's about to burst through my chest. I'm overwhelmed, struggling to make sense of it all.

Why... Why... Why is this happening?!

Fighting to catch my breath, I lean heavily against the wall, the culmination of my efforts to build a new life now shattered. Discovering that the girl who once held my heart is now engaged is one kind of torment. But learning that she's marrying the lunatic who tormented me in high school is an entirely different kind of anguish, one that rips me to my very core.

Nothing could have prepared me for this revelation. Nothing!

"You look pale! Are you feeling alright?" Natalie's words slice through the whirlwind of emotions consuming me. She rushes to my side, her fingers gently brushing my arm. In that fleeting touch, the chaotic storm of confusion begins to subside, giving way to a surge of anger.

I can't help but feel a rush of anger toward Natalie for unearthing this painful truth. She's trespassed into my life, unsettling everything I've built with this seismic revelation. Who the fuck does she think she is?! How dare she come into my home and lay such a bomb on me!

"I said, I'm fine!" I pull away from her, taking deep breaths. She can't possibly understand what this revelation means to me. To her, it might be just a casual family update. But to me, it's a tsunami of emotions.

"So much for not getting angry..."

I turn towards Natalie, and her visible anger baffles me. She's pacing back and forth, arms tightly crossed, shaking her head in obvious frustration. "What did you just say to me?!"

"Well, obviously, you're upset," she says, pausing for a moment as if choosing her words carefully. "I shouldn't have told you that my sister was getting married. I don't know what I was thinking."

Just as I'm about to tell her to go fuck herself, a sudden inexplicable shift washes over me.

I blink, disoriented by this abrupt transformation. My anger dissipates, almost as if it was never there. In its place, a peculiar calmness envelops me. It's a sensation I can't immediately explain, but it effectively tames my raging emotions.

As I look down at Natalie, I realize how foolish I've been. The way I reacted to the news was senseless. Why should I even care about Madeleine's upcoming marriage? Why should I care, when it's likely she hasn't spared me a second thought in all these years? Knowing her, she was bound to get married at some point. It's obvious that she's moved on with her life, just as I have with mine...

"I'm not angry."

Natalie regards me with a mix of concern and skepticism, her eyes scrutinizing my face. "Are you sure?"

"I've been under a lot of stress lately," I say, skirting the complexities of the tangled emotions that have unraveled within me. "I apologize if I seemed irritated, but I'm not."

"Fine." I watch as Natalie sighs and plumps back on the couch. Whatever I just said seems to have convinced her.

I place the empty glass on the kitchen counter and join her on the couch. As I grab one of the cushions, I notice Natalie's looking at me strangely. She seems to be waiting for something. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You still haven't answered my question, Roman." Natalie crosses her arms, leaning toward me in anticipation.

Damn, it seems I can never get a break from her. She's like a leopard constantly on the hunt for answers.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to help you." I lean away from her and clear my throat. "I think It'd be inappropriate for me to get involved."

"Are you serious!?" Natalie exclaims, practically jumping out of her seat. The irritation in her voice is unmistakable. "Aren't you bothered by the fact that she's marrying Bryce?"

Of course, it bothers me. A lot. But she doesn't have to know that.

"Not really."

Natalie shakes her head in disbelief. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to think you'd actually help..."

Is she serious right now? I can't tell. Why is she angry? No, let me reword that. What gives her the right to be angry?

Before I can find my voice, Natalie stands up and declares that she's leaving. She storms towards the door with an air of determination, and I hurry to catch up.

"Wait!" I yell, my tone bearing a hint of frustration, but she seems unperturbed. Instead, she flings the door open and makes a beeline for the elevator. Her emotions have gotten the better of her, and it's both bewildering and somewhat exasperating.

I quicken my steps to catch up to her. "Why are you so angry, Natalie?"

"..."

Natalie keeps her eyes on the elevators, ignoring me completely. I can't help but chuckle at her childish behavior. "Are you seriously giving me the silent treatment?"

She rolls her eyes dramatically, frustration written all over her face. "If anyone knows what a piece of shit Bryce is, it's you."

"Bryce being a prick is fucking common knowledge... What do I have to say or do, to convince you that this has nothing to do with me?!"

"Don't give me that shit, Roman! You ought to be more honest with yourself."

"Madeleine is an adult. If she wants to marry that fuck, it's her decision."

Natalie scoffs and steps into the elevator. As the doors begin to close, she turns towards me and mutters, "I expected more from you."

The elevator whisks her away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The silence that follows is heavy, laden with the weight of what's been said and unsaid. Natalie's revelations have left me in a state of disarray.

"FUCK YOU!" I scream, knowing she won't hear me. That's what I should've said to her when she was pestering me. I don't know why I held back when I wasn't at fault.

I storm back to my apartment, slamming the door behind me. I march to my room to grab a pack of cigarettes and head straight to the balcony. My head is pounding, and my body is craving for nicotine.

After I light the cigarette, I take a long hit before pulling out my phone. I scroll down to my last missed call and press on my mother's contact. I stare at the screen for a moment, unsure of what to do. Even though it's been a couple of days since I got her text message, the idea of ghosting her isn't as appealing as before.

"Fuck it." I press the call button and bring the phone to my ear.

I listen quietly to the ring until someone picks up. "Hello?"

"Hello, mother."

"Roman?!" My mother exclaims.

"Yes, it's me..."

"W-Why are you calling?"

I sigh. "You texted me a couple of days ago and said we needed to talk."

"Yes, I did! I just didn't think you'd call." I hear my mother whisper to someone that she's on the phone with me.

"Are you alone?" I ask.

I hear my mother chuckling. "No, dear. I'm with your brother."

"I see." I take another drag from my cigarette. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, yes! How silly of me..." I hear my mother clear her throat. "I wanted to tell you that I'm engaged, Roman."

I take a moment to let the words sink in. Even though Natalie told me about the engagement, hearing the words come from my mother makes it seem more real.

"Congratulations, mother." I try to keep my voice as mellow as possible.

"Roman?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you feeling okay, dear?" My mother asks, the shock in her voice evident.

"I'm fine," I reply, my lips curling into a smile. Somehow I knew she'd ask me that. My lack of spitefulness is just as strange to me as it is to her.

I hear the sound of running water, accompanied by the clinking of glass through the speaker. I deduce that my mother is in the kitchen. "You're acting really strange, Roman. I didn't think you'd react this way..."

"You probably thought I'd be angry, didn't you?"

"Actually, yes!"

I let out a snort, exhaling a plume of smoke into the cool night air. "I'm not angry, mother."

"Okay, then... Would you like to come to the engagement party next weekend?" she asks, her voice hopeful.

I shake my head, even though she can't see me. "I don't think I'll be able to make it." The mere thought of attending such an event fills me with dread. The truth is, if it wasn't for everything I discovered today, I'd probably be more angry about the news. As things stand, her engagement is the least of my concerns.

My mother sighs, and I can almost picture her frowning. "It would have been nice to have you visit. It's been nearly a decade since you've been home, Roman."

I fall silent, the weight of that statement settling upon me like an anchor. It's true; I've been away from home for almost ten years. Despite the anger I've harbored for my mother, there's a flicker of longing that stirs in me. I can't deny that I miss the warmth I used to feel there, the memories of simpler times. But too much has changed for me to return. There's a reason I left all those years ago and never looked back.

I hear my mother talk to someone in the background, presumably the person helping her in the kitchen."Luke wants to speak with you, Roman."

I can't help but smile at the mention of my younger brother. "Put him on," I tell her, my voice softening. It's been six months since I last spoke to Luke, and I'm eager to hear from him.

"I'm passing the phone to Luke," my mother says. I can hear the excitement in Luke's voice as he comes on the phone, his youthful enthusiasm breaking through the static of our connection.

"When are you gonna come visit us?" Luke asks, sounding both hopeful and demanding.

I let out a snort, taking a drag from my cigarette. "Quit spouting nonsense."

Luke, ever the optimist, chuckles on the other end of the line. "Well, if you're not gonna visit, I'll just have to come to New York."

His words catch me off guard, and I can't help but chuckle. The last time he came to visit, he stayed for a week and was bored out of his mind because I didn't have any video games in my apartment. Granted, he was twelve back then. I'm pretty sure the city of New York is much more alluring to him now that he's eighteen.

"Actually, that's why I wanted to talk to you," Luke says, clearing his throat. "I'm coming over tomorrow morning."

I stub out my cigarette, taken aback. "Tomorrow? What do you mean?" I'm not sure if he's just pulling my leg or if he's actually serious. It wouldn't be the first time he's pulled a prank on me...

Luke's voice takes on a more serious note as I hear him take a deep breath. "I've got an interview this Thursday for an internship, and I figured I'd make the most of the trip by going a few days early."

I scratch my head, still trying to process the unexpected news. "How long are you planning to stay, then?"

"I plan to be in New York for about four days. I'll be heading back on Friday for Mom's engagement party." His response sends a pang of guilt through me. Despite the ten-year age gap between us, Luke has always been the ideal son—the one who never seems to disappoint our mother. His relationship with her is strong, something I could never quite manage.

When our parents went through their divorce, Luke was at an age where the weight of their separation didn't seem to trouble him the way it did me. But I never harbored any resentment over that. In fact, I've always been content to let him assume the role of the 'good child.' After all, it's essential that at least one of us maintains a close and positive relationship with our mother...

"You still there?" Luke asks, his voice snapping out of my thoughts.

"Yes," I reply, trying to sound more engaged than I am. "Well, you're welcome to stay at my place, Luke... What time do you get here tomorrow?"