Page 9 of Her Senator's Second Chance

“Huh,” Natasha said. “I never would have guessed that you got nervous. You make it look so easy. You’re so polished up there. You always have been like that. Even in high school.”

“I never told you this, but I threw up before my student body president acceptance speech in high school.”

“You’re kidding. You completely rocked that speech. You had the entire school eating right out of your hand.”

He looked at the fruit and made a face. “Somehow after talking about throwing up, eating this peach isn’t so appetizing anymore.”

Natasha laughed. “That is gross. I was actually just thinking the same thing.”

“Why does this keep happening to me today? This is the second time I’ve tried to eat when something gross was talked about. I can’t believe Mrs. Wheaton talking about our dirty diapers at the dinner. I can’t catch a break.”

Natasha smiled. “Your face was turning green.”

“That reminds me of the time we made ice cream sundaes and Jimmy Meadows puked all over every one’s dessert.”

“Didn’t that one kid eat his, anyway? What was his name?” Adam asked.

“Herbert Batkins.”

“That’s right. Good old Herbert. He always stole the last slice of pizza when he thought no one was looking.”

“He picked his nose and ate it when he thought no one was looking too.”

Adam laughed. “I remember that.”

“But I also remember you befriending him when everyone else was mean,” Natasha pointed out. “That was something that really attracted me to you. I never forgot that about you.”

Where was she going with this? Adam thought she hated him. “Why did you break up with me all those years ago, Natasha?”

She was quiet for a long moment, and he looked up from his can of peaches. Her brow was furrowed, and he wondered if he’d made a mistake by bringing it up. Wasn’t it better to leave the past in the past?

“Do you remember when my dad died from cancer when I was twelve?” Natasha finally said.

Her question caught him off guard. He wasn’t sure where she was going with the change of subject. “I remember. You never talked about it much, though.”

“When we went to prom, everything was so perfect. It was probably the best night of my life until then. Maybe ever. It’s why I bought this place with the inheritance my grandmother left for me. Not that I’ll be able to keep it.”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to keep it?”

Natasha looked away with an uncomfortable expression. “I’m barely holding on financially. I had enough money from my inheritance to put half down on this house, but I used a private lender for the rest. He recently died and his widow is calling in my loan. She’s not interested in going into the money lending business and needs the money to live on herself since her husband is gone. I’ve been trying to get a loan with a bank, but I haven’t been able to get one yet.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you’re able to get a loan.”

Natasha shrugged. “It is what it is. If I don’t get a loan, then I’ll just have to reconfigure my life.”

Adam wanted to say something to make it better for Natasha, but he couldn’t think of a single word to fix her problems. So much of his life had gone well. He wanted all the best things for Natasha too.

“I have a question,” he asked. “You said that our prom night was perfect. Why destroy something so perfect by ending our relationship?” It made little sense.

“Because it was too perfect. And nothing that perfect lasts. Not for me, anyway.”

“Why would you think something like that? You deserve to be happy just as much as anyone.”

“When my dad died, it hurt so much. I didn’t know how to carry that much pain with me. I didn’t want anyone else to experience it, so I held it all inside. My dad and I were always so close. When he died, it almost killed me. I can’t explain it. But I learned that people I loved left, and that if I ever let someone into my heart like that again, I could hurt that much again. When you told me you loved me that night, I knew I loved you back, Adam, and I couldn’t allow it. It was too dangerous. So I pushed you away. I ran, and then I broke up with you the next Monday. It was safer that way.”

Adam usually had all the right words. He was a man who thrived on finding solutions for tough problems. But he didn’t have any answers for Natasha. How could he stop the bleeding in her heart? There was no first aid kit for a wounded heart. No gauze or bandages would help in this situation.

“I wish I’d known how much you were hurting. I could have helped you get through it if you’d just opened up to me.”

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