Author's Note: Well this took far longer than I wanted to finish, but I did! And before I get an inbox full of hate, there is a sequel in the works slowly of course but it's there. I wish I could say life will get easier and I'll have more time to write but that's highly unlikely and I wish I COULD have more time to write but for now slow but steady I suppose. I hope this chapter is as well loved and emotional as it was for me when I was writing it, I've also come to the epiphany these clusterfuck love stories are loosely based off my love life...It was a sad traumatic realization that ended in me eating my emotions into a carton of Ben & Jerry's T_T. Well enough about me, ENJOY!

x0x0x0

Tally

Song: Rihanna - Stay

Christmas morning was not exactly what anyone had expected, Natalia and Daniel were still sleeping as well as Betty who was sleeping off her night's drinking but Tyler had gone out with DJ to the ski slopes for an early morning ride, leaving Alex and her mother alone for a few short moments before the chaos of a Meade family reunion began again. The two women sat at the kitchen island a warm mug of coffee in each woman's grasp as they bid good bye to Allison who was going to head into the countryside to spend the holiday with her family.

"Joyeux Noël Allison, Paul est prêt à vous accompagner à la maison, je vais voir dans une semaine.(Merry Christmas Allison, Paul is waiting to escort you home, I'll see you in a week.)" Alex dismissed her maid cordially, not surprised at all to see the young woman surprised to hear that the chauffeur was waiting for her, or the week long vacation.

"Mais Madame- (But Madame)." The humble girl tried to argue but Alex gave the young blonde a look that dared her to argue and though her face reddened in embarrassment she nodded and graciously accepted the ride. "Merci beaucoup, Joyeux Noel. (Thank you very much, Merry Christmas.)" And with that the two Meade women were finally left alone when the click of the front door sounded through the hall, ringing softly in the kitchen.

"She's such a good worker, where did you find her?" Claire asked her daughter as she took a sip of her homemade Café au lait relishing the sweet confection while her eyes strayed to the plate of fresh made, warm, orange scones sitting at the center of the island.

"She was DJ's nanny when he was a baby, after we came back to France I asked around for good help and DJ's grandparents told me about Allison, she is still in school so I let her stay and she helps me about with cleaning and cooking when classes are in session and when they're out for the holiday I have her keep DJ preoccupied, he really likes having her around… It worries me." At the mention of the teenage boy's hormones both women laughed heavily before Alex looked at her mother suspiciously leaving the Meade Matriarch confused.

"Yes dear? Is there a problem?"

"I heard a commotion last night after we all went to bed, was everything all right?" Alex gave her mother a look that warned the woman not to lie and instantly Claire let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.

"Oh dear, I was wondering when this was going to come up, I was hoping it wouldn't. Alexandra you need to understand how drunk Betty was. I couldn't even get a coherent thought out of her, first off we found her in Natalia and Daniel's bedroom standing there crying. I thought she had gotten into a fight with Tyler but when I brought her down here for some coffee she started spouting off about New York, about the past, about Daniel and I was really concerned, did her and Daniel get into an argument?" Alex let out a sigh, she knew her mother wasn't an idiot but she also knew that the woman wasn't going to willingly accept what was in front of her and what had been in front of her all these years.

"Her and Daniel have a lot of issues mom, none of which I think are going to be solved anytime soon." Alex said with a shrug, she didn't need to know the details or inner workings of either Daniel's or Betty's relationship to know that it was nothing more than a front for the other what Alex couldn't seem to understand was why they were both just so damn pigheaded.

"Is there something I need to know Alexandra.?" Claire Meade asked with an air of suspicion.

"Trust me Mother, I don't even think they know." Alex said and with that the conversation went silent and both women were left to their own devices as they ate their morning pastries.

The rest of the weekend went unnaturally tense, Betty had apologized profusely for her drinking and it had been shrugged off but not only was Daniel avoiding her, it seemed now that Tyler was doing everything within him to keep from even touching Betty. He would eat earlier or later, run off with DJ he would even fall asleep before her or take an extensively long shower and Betty couldn't help but feel the rush of relief when they were all finally leaving and heading back to their own lives, hoping to find some sort of semblance of normalcy again.

The holiday had gone well by Meade standards as no scandals, fights, or homicides had occurred but for Betty the woman had only felt more and more alienated as the days had passed and she found herself constantly wishing she had instead spent her Christmas with her family and not here. With her family, Betty would have been the funny one, would have been the one everyone was dying to see, maybe it sounded petty of her but the young Hispanic woman didn't like the fact that everyone even Tyler had seemed so infatuated with Natalia. As she stood in her bedroom hastily throwing her clothes no concern for folding or making sure everything fit, Betty was stewing in her all too obvious shallow hatred for the young heiress.

"I'm so funny, I'm so beautiful, I can buy small countries if I feel like it, woop dee freaking do." Betty said with a dramatic point of her finger before continuing her silent bickering and mocking of one Natalia Macias. The woman hadn't bothered going down for breakfast as she felt progressively more and more unwanted and though she knew Claire had nothing but good intentions the constant look of concern was really starting to bother Betty. She knew she had messed up when she had gotten so drunk on Christmas Eve, how she hadn't blurted out being in love with Daniel, the woman would never understand but since that night it seemed that things were only getting worse and she couldn't wait to get the hell back to England.

"I hardly think I sound anything like that, and to be honest I would never buy a small country… Too much hassle." Betty's face instantly heated at the sound of a certain young heiress at her door. Of all the people it just had to be the one person that Betty would have rather never come in contact with again?

"Natalia… What makes you think I was talking about you?" Betty tried to defend herself, refusing to turn around to face the heiress she had in fact been mocking, instead focusing all her attention on hastily rolling up the clothes she had tossed into a suitcase to finish packing and just get the hell out of there. Tyler's luggage was already at the door and she had used this as the excuse to get out of eating with the Meades.

"Well you don't really seem to like me." Natalia shrugged, slowly stepping forward, closer to the woman who still refused to turn around and look at her.

"That's ridiculous I don't even know you."

"Do you think I'm an idiot? You totally hate me." With a deep sigh Betty finally turned around to see Natalia holding a cup of coffee and a croissant in her hands. Betty eyed them warily before crossing her arms.

"Daniel is special to me, I'm sorry if I have trouble trusting you even though he doesn't seem to in the least. I'm not hungry but thanks for the thought." Natalia raised an eyebrow before lifting the croissant to her lips and taking a defiant bite of the puff pastry.

"Who said this was for you? I'm just up here to let you know that the cabs are going to be here in five and that Tyler is waiting for you, he wanted to say good bye to his mother. As for Daniel, you aren't the only one who cares for him, you don't know the ins and outs of what we've been through, and if he were so special to you why is it that I've never seen you around? Why hasn't he ever told me anything about you? I don't know everything you guys have been through but I'm not stupid enough to ignore the fact that you're both pretty damn involved with one another. If you want him, take him but don't do it just because you're miserable in your relationship. If and when you're ready to be the woman he needs and deserves I'll gladly take a step down but until that moment you let him have his fun." Betty was at a loss for words, she had never been told anything quite like what the young heiress had thrown at her. So Natalia knew that Betty loved Daniel? Could it be then that he still loved her? Despite his lack of interest in her very presence this entire weekend? Despite the cold, hateful words he had thrown at her? Was it really possible that Daniel could still feel an inkling of what it was they had shared with one another this past year?

"Trust me Betty, I have no illusions as to what we are but don't think that I'll give him up just because you show up at the door, be damn willing to fight for him because Daniel deserves nothing less than that." With that the woman left Betty to her half packed luggage and headed down the stairs, finishing off the croissant and coffee on her way down.

Once back in the kitchen she was met by the Meade matron who gave Natalia a warm smile.

"Is she well?"

"Super, I let her know about the cabs she should be down soon."

"Did she take the breakfast I sent up?"

"She said it was great." Natalia said with a charming smile as Claire Meade embraced the young heiress in a warm hug and kissed her cheek.

"Finally Daniel got it right." To this Natalia laughed as the women made their way out of the kitchen and out to the main hall where Daniel was already waiting for Natalia and the woman couldn't help the warm grin that spread across her features as she felt Natalia leave her side only to fall into Daniel's embrace her chin resting on the man's chest as he gazed down at the young woman.

"Glad to hear you think so mother." Daniel said with a wry grin letting her know that he had caught her but his mother merely shrugged her shoulders as she watched her son lean down to brush his lips against his girlfriend's for the briefest of moments before pulling away and grinning at his mother in a way she hadn't seen in quite some time.

"We'll be celebrating New Year's in England but don't worry mother, come the new year I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of each other, give the Modies my love." Daniel teased his former employees before Natalia gave a small wave to Mrs. Meade and with one more good bye to his sister, Daniel and Natalia were out the door and in a cab heading towards the private airport for their jet.

It didn't take Betty much longer to make an appearance everything about her looked tired and defeated as she wore a simple pair of black leggings and a long blue tunic with a black cardigan for warmth. Plastering a grin on for the remaining guests in the house Betty made her way down the rest of the stairs surprised to find that finally Tyler had taken the time to be kind to her as he grabbed the suitcase from her hand gently, pressed a kiss to her cheek and his mother's promising to call when they were home and confirming their trip to New York for New Year's. Nodding their heads, Claire walked Betty to the dear a warm grin on her face.

"You have no idea how happy I am to know that both my boys found such good women, I only hope they treat you both as the treasures that you are." Betty could feel the tears well in her eyes.

"Mrs. Meade-"

"None of that nonsense, I told you dear, you are as much my child as Daniel or Tyler or Alex you don't have to call me mother but Claire at the very least, after so many years I think it's time you realize you are always going to be family." Before Betty had a chance to say anything else Tyler was back at their sides, a hand gently grasping Betty's as he informed them of the taxi's presence. Nothing else was said between the women as they headed towards the front door of the Parisian estate with a final good bye they were in a cab of their own heading back towards London, not one word spoken and no contact made, save for the hand grasped tightly around Betty's doing nothing but sending the young woman into unease.

A few hours later and finally the couple was back in their London flat, the silence had remained with them the entire trip and though Betty knew there were a million things stirring she just didn't know where to start and what had brought this on. The woman walked up the steps to their flat and decided that if she couldn't get Tyler to talk than Betty would just have to make it impossible for him to ignore her.

"So after dinner I was thinking maybe we take some time for just us to-"

"-Talk about how long you and Daniel had been fucking? Don't look at me that way, you really think I couldn't hear you two going at each other's throats?" Betty's blood turned to ice as she turned to face her boyfriend with a look of nothing less than terror. How could it be that even when they had no longer slept together, Daniel was still ruining her relationship? "I don't want to talk, I don't want you to touch me as a matter of fact I really don't feel like dealing with this right now. I need a few days to think so please don't follow me, don't look for me, don't ask where I'm going because right now what I need is time away from you to sort this out. Do you think you can handle that Betty?" Nodding her head dumbly Betty watched as Tyler turned around with the suitcase he had never let go of and walk down the hallway away from their home leaving Betty with a heavy weight on her chest and a lump in her throat as she stood their staring at his disappearing figure.

"I should really go home you do realize I have other lives that depend on me." Natalia said with a grin as her lips pressed to Daniel's one more time trying to sneak out of the man's bed only to find herself wrapped up not only by the older man's arms but the sheets as well.

"I think your friends wouldn't mind feeding the cats a few more days." Laughing at the man's attempt of distracting her, the young heiress merely shook her head.

"I wasn't even going to go to France with you and you groped me into it but you can't grope me into forgetting my babies, it's not like you won't stop by to see me, it's not like I won't be back here on New Year's, I have to go." Natalia tried to rationalize with Daniel prying his arms from around her but unable to do much else when his lips made there way to her pulse point and began a gentle assault.

"You had fun."

"Yeah it was great; it was great to get daggers thrown at me by your ex and brother's current girlfriend." The mere mention of Betty turned Daniel's blood to ice as he looked up at Natalia dumbstruck, giving the woman the time to roll out from beneath him completely neutral to the fact that she was walking around picking up her clothes as naked as the day she was born.

"She isn't my ex, she's."

"The affair you told me about? I figured as much as soon as she saw me step in and you do everything within your power to keep from even looking in her direction, I told you before, I'm not an idiot and I'm telling you one more time don't confuse this with what you're looking for from someone else Daniel." Natalia wanted to say it hurt to be used by someone like Daniel was trying to use her but the reality was that Natalia had great experience in using people to fill the void which was why she knew best how those sorts of things ended and it was why she wasn't looking to waste anymore time.

"It's done."

"According to who? You? Her? Your brother? Look Daniel, I told you I just wanted to have fun and you said you understood that, do you really though? I'm not a replacement I won't be one I'm not going to let you cheat either one of us with that kind of deal. I like you Daniel but I'm not going to fill any voids left by anyone for you. I'll be here New Year's Eve like I said I would for Chinese and wine because I like it when you feed me but I think you need time to think this through.

"Natalia" Daniel started, wanting to argue with her, wanted to tell her that she had no idea what she was talking about but the words couldn't form on his lips and she wasn't bothering to stop and he could only watch helplessly as the woman dressed herself, stopping only long enough to plant a solid kiss on Daniel's lips, one that the man couldn't even think to reciprocate because he'd been for the first time in his life been told what to do in the relationship and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it.

The shutting of his front door was the only other indication to Daniel that Natalia had in fact left because she was convinced that he was still in love with Betty? That couldn't be it and he would make sure to make it clear as such when he saw her bright and early tomorrow morning as it was the man really didn't appreciate that he was having a woman ten years his junior tell him how he was feeling. For tonight though he'd simply let the woman win and rolled over onto his stomach intent on a good night's rest that involved actual sleep.

Betty had been a nervous wreck for almost a week now, it was New Year's Eve and Tyler still hadn't come around, she couldn't blame him but for the love of God it felt as though her heart was in the pit of her stomach, she spent her days pacing her house, cleaning and reorganizing, trying to eat but finding the smell of food made her nauseous. All she wanted was her boyfriend back, she wanted the chance to defend herself, she wanted the chance for them to fight for this not to let Daniel control their lives when he had been up and out of it for so long already.

Her heart ached though, it hung heavy at the memories of Christmas with Alex and the rest of the Meade clan. The way he looked at her; the pompous heiress on her almighty pedestal where no one could judge her, where she knew everything. Just the mere thought of the name Natalia Macias it made anger surge through Betty's veins like she had never known and the woman hardly felt the sting of her nails digging sharply enough into her palm to inflict blood it wasn't until the liquid was pooling in her hands that the woman finally felt the searing pain.

"Ugh." She muttered to herself as she rushed into the bathroom to mend her hands the pain was more than she cared to admit but Betty realized that when it came to anything related to Daniel her mind was far from clear and pain always seemed to be close by. Betty didn't know what she would do if her relationship was ruined all because of a man who in the end proved that no one was more important to him than himself.

The woman was so intent on tending to her wounds she never heard the opening of her front door and didn't even notice her could be boyfriend observing her as she dabbed oxygen peroxide into her hands trying her hardest not to wince.

"You always were a wuss." Tyler finally broke the silence watching as Betty nearly jumped out of her skin at his voice, the amusement was short lived though, as soon as she caught sight of the man Betty couldn't help but hang her head in shame.

"It's not like I don't deserve it though." The small sign of amusement fell from Tyler's face as he cleared his throat and pushed himself up from the doorframe he had been casually leaning on. Grabbing a gentle hold of her wrist Tyler led her out into the living room.

"I think it's time we finally talk about this." Betty could feel her throat closing up, she didn't want to talk about it because she knew where it would lead and though she hadn't thought about it before, she just couldn't continue to hurt Tyler anymore this wasn't fair to him and it was going to tear her heart out to have to do this. Tyler saw the emotions passing through her face but sat her gently on the sofa. "You know as well as I do this needs to happen."

"I just can't keep hurting you, I've already done so much, I can't keep doing this to you, you're so good and you're so kind, and I'm just trash." Betty finally broke down her walls, crying into her hands letting her emotions finally take control, letting the past year out. The guilt, the self loathing, her frustrations and her heartbreak; "I'm sorry I ever did this to you, I wish I could say we could go back in time but we can't and I can't take back this entire year I can't make any of this okay with an I love you, or an I promise not to do it ever again. Tyler I ruined everything we ever had because I let Daniel into our lives and I-"

"Just give me a second here Betty." Tyler said gently grabbing her flailing hands with one hand and softly pressed a finger to her chin lifting her face up to meet his. There lips met for a few seconds, gentle, not pressing, not expectant, simply a kiss, an expression of the love he felt for Betty and the love they shared. It was different though and as much as Betty wanted to cry she held back when Tyler pulled his lips from hers.

"I did this to myself."

"How?" Betty asked her boyfriend in astonishment, unsure of where exactly he was going with any of this.

"I tried to keep Daniel out of your life, our life when we both knew it would never happen, and maybe a part of me just wanted to finally-" Tyler cut himself off with a saddened laugh of defeat as he ran a hand over his tired face trying to figure out the way to get the words across without sounding as jealous of his older brother as he really was. Daniel had always had so much, the money, the parents, the education, the women, even Betty to a certain extent, it was everything Tyler had always wanted. Of course he'd loved his adoptive parents and never had any trouble with the fairer sex but just to know where he belonged it would have been nice and that was something no one could ever understand. Standing from the sofa they had been sitting, Tyler paced softly serving to only confuse Betty who watched him with a curious look on her face, the tears forgotten as she battled with herself whether to get up on check on him or to let him find his own words.

"I just wanted something he could never have and I dragged you into this stupid fight between me and him. I love you Betty, believe me I do and when this started maybe I didn't have the purest of intentions but I should have known better."

"What do you mean?" Betty asked, her mind trying to grasp everything Tyler had just thrown on her, of course she had known about Tyler and Daniel's silent competition with each other, every body in Europe and the American east coast could see it and she had always wondered why Tyler's sudden interest in her but could she be angry with him? Did she have the right to feel indignant to being but a ploy in a war of egos? Hardly.

Maybe the brothers used her against the other, maybe all they ever wanted to do was show each other up but in reality the emotions were there and in the end the heartbreak would be crushing.

"I could see it in Daniel's eyes, almost as soon as I had shown up in New York and I could see it in yours too, you guys just never saw it in one another I suppose but fate works in funny ways. We can't keep like this Betty."

"Tyler." Betty rushed up from her spot on the sofa to try and argue with him but the man hurriedly put distance between the two and held his hand out stopping her.

"I always knew something was funny, I could almost name the moment it happened but I wanted to believe it was just my guilt, I asked for it I know I did, I just never expected it to happen, I never expected this to hurt the way it does. You're amazing Betty and I may never be able to forgive this, I may never be able to trust or maybe even see you after this because the pain could very well kill me but I just want you to know, I don't hate you and I never could."

"What are you saying?" Betty asked with a pain in throat she had never felt before, not for Matt, not for her first boyfriend, not even for Daniel. This was a special kind of pain and Betty knew that this would be the greatest regret of her life no matter what else would happen, the pain seared into Tyler's eyes; it was crippling.

"I'm heading to New York solo, I'll tell my mom… And I'll be staying there, don't know for how long but I'll send for my things." As he spoke Betty could hear the soft break in his voice and it killed her.

"I'm so sorry I ruined this I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you." The woman began crying again with little care as to how she looked but once again Tyler was there wiping her tears and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"It isn't your fault, we might choose who we love but our heart will never let us fool ourselves. I love you baby girl, maybe I'll see you again someday." And with that Tyler turned around and headed out the door, closing the door to his home for the past two years, the click of the door deafening as he resisted that urge to barge back in and try to work it out and to try and console his now ex girlfriend.

No matter what, things would never be the same between the two and even if they would have tried Tyler knew that in the end the way she looked at him; it was love but the way she looked at Daniel… It was fate.

He felt his eyes water as the bitter thought escaped his mind and he stuffed his hands into his pocket doing his best to ignore the feel of the red velour box that had been waiting for an owner since Christmas Eve.

It would just have to keep waiting.

The tears had since dried on Betty's face as she had cried herself empty for a few hours and now she was simply left feeling completely confused. She had lost Tyler and the pain was unbelievable but one statement had left her feeling at a complete standstill.

Our heart will never let us fool ourselves.

He had accepted her cheating in a way she had never thought and had never been prepared for, all she had been expecting was the worst and true to his southern ways, he was nothing but a gentleman and all Betty could think about was Daniel, was about how regardless of everything they had always gone back to one another, something tied them and all she needed to know was… Was the string of fate still tying them together?

"So you're heading for New York next week? I'm sure you're mother is excited." Natalia said as her and Daniel sat on the couch, her long legs resting on his lap as she drank from her glass of red wine, the alcohol making her warm and the light headed bringing a grin to her face as she felt Daniel running his hands up her legs smoothly.

"She'd be more glad to know you were coming with me." Daniel teased making the woman roll her eyes but said nothing on the subject as she looked around the home. It was a mess but it made the woman smile to see the boxes piled up around the house, for some weeks now Daniel had been planning his move and Natalia was honestly happy to see the man so excited to be doing something he loved.

"Eh, I've always been a west coast girl, that California sun can't be beat." Natalia teased her boyfriend who frowned and let out a scoff.

"I'm sorry we don't all have spray tans and plastic surgery trying to fit into a place where the rent's too high and the weather's too hot."

"Bitter are we?" Natalia said with a laugh, letting out a slight yell when she saw Daniel shift trying to gain control over her but she merely waved her wine glass at him and laughed when he set it down before heading back to his attack only to be stopped by the ringing door bell.

"Food!" The woman said with a grin rolling out from underneath Daniel and grabbing his wallet sticking her tongue out at him playfully as she fixed the shirt she was wearing trying her best to look presentable but when you were wearing nothing but your boyfriend's dress shirt it was kind of difficult and before Daniel could stop her the woman was opening the door, only to be stopped dead in her amusement by the face on the other end. "Betty?"

Betty swallowed thickly as she locked eyes with Natalia who for once didn't seem to know what to do as Daniel crashed into her, his arms wrapping around her waist and stabbing Betty's heart as she watched the slight distraction in Natalia when Daniel's lips pressed to her cheek and he whispered something in her ear.

"This is a bad time." Her voice seemed to finally catch Daniel's attention as his eyes finally snapped to the door and the woman standing there. Immediately he let go of Natalia who crossed her arms over her chest and handed Daniel back his wallet.

"Natalia why don't you go pour us some more wine I just need to talk to Betty a second." Natalia nodded her head reluctantly almost and was surprised that before she turned her chin was being lifted and her lips were being covered tenderly by Daniel's but no matter how sweet the kiss, Natalia knew it was but a cruel show of malice on her boyfriend's part and if there was one thing Natalia didn't want to be was in the way of someone's heart. Walking away, the heiress couldn't help but head into the bedroom for her clothes as the sound of the front door closing echoed through the empty loft.

"What are you doing here Betty?"

"You said you loved me, is that true? Do you really?" The woman asked desperately, her heart already constricted painfully tight at the sight she had witnessed, let alone the kisses Natalia had been showered with.

"Really? Right now? You're going to try this right now? Why? Where's Tyler?" Daniel had long ago lost his patience for this game, he was tired of the I love you's swept under the rug only okay when nobody could hear, when no one could see how he felt, Daniel had been free for months now and she was going to drag him back into this twisted game of lying and cheating? He couldn't do it again, he only ever lost.

"Can you please just answer this for me Daniel? Just this last time." Betty's voice was cracking, her eyes filled with tears, ready to fall, she just wanted to know, would there ever be something for them that didn't involve lies?

"I did love you, I loved you when I though you loved me-"

"But I do love you!" Betty argued.

"Why? Because now I'm the toy you can't have? Because the tables have turned and now I have someone to come home to? Because somebody saw past my glory days and stuck it through with me? I don't love you Betty, I can't love someone who doesn't even know the meaning of the word. I won't be a secret anymore, I won't let you belittle what I felt, I won't dream of you and most importantly I won't be bothering you anymore. I'm moving on, I'm done. London was a failure, maybe I'm a failure and I let you down time and again but you always reminded me of that but don't worry I won't be repaying the favor. I think our time together has run its course."

"Please don't do this Daniel, think this through." Betty begged but the look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. He had effectively cut himself off from her and all that was left was the pain she had caused thrown back at her tenfold.

"I did and this is what's best, I'll make sure not to bother you or Tyler again. Goodbye Betty." And before anything else could be said Daniel turned his back on Betty, the pain in his chest burning but it had to be done, she already proven to him that all he would ever be was his past and all she needed was something better than him.

When the door shut in her face, Betty heard the soft click of the lock and the tears that had been so bravely held in were once again falling as she made her way into the elevator, everything had fallen apart and all Betty could do was blame herself and pray that the new year brought her new hope.

"Natalia?" Daniel called as he walked into the kitchen to find the wine in its same spot and even more surprised to find his girlfriend in her clothes and shoes looking ready to leave. "Is something wrong?"

"Why was she here?" Natalia asked, "And tell me the truth."

"The truth is it doesn't matter, the truth is that any dreams I had with her, it's all gone. I can't be with a woman who can't accept me, who can't love me, who makes me feel like I'm a failure as a man. Natalia look at me and believe me when I say, maybe Betty ruined me before I knew you but right now, the truth is I think I love you." He tried to take a step towards Natalia but before he could reach her she was throwing her purse at him and walking further out of his distance.

"Dammit Daniel! I told you, didn't I tell you?! I don't want this I don't want us to lie to each other I asked you if you could do this! Why are you doing this, do you enjoy ruining good things?!" Daniel had never seen Natalia act like this and he was left to wonder if all women were just as psychotic as the other, he had just let her know he was falling in love and she was yelling at him? What had he done wrong now?!

"Natalia I don't understand what you want me to say I am being honest with you, Betty was nothing like you, I never felt right and you never let me feel guilty you understand what my life was like growing up and you don't throw it in my face and I am not going to apologize for how I feel about you!" Natalia let out an aggravated sigh as she threw herself on the couch her face buried in her hands as she grabbed fistfuls of hair trying to figure out the mess she had managed to get herself into.

"They told me I was getting in over my head, Lucas, Almeda, even Sam damn it! When my ex boyfriend calls me up-"

"You still talk to your ex?" Daniel interrupted and Natalia couldn't help the cold stare she gave him.

"Are you kidding me? You're mistress just came knocking on your front door and you're upset that my ex calls me because he's reading about me in the tabloids!? I have spent my entire life dodging press can you explain to me why it is that the entire continent is suddenly interested in your new lady love? How long Daniel? How long do you think it will take until my face is plastered everywhere, give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk the hell out of that door and forget you ever came into my life!" Natalia shouted angrily at Daniel, lifting herself from the sofa slightly only to plop back down and run her fingers through her hair tightly wondering how the hell everything in her life always managed to get so twisted, it had to be some sort of genetic defect.

The woman watched warily as Daniel rounded the sofa but he seemed to respect her current mood with him and stayed opposite of the coffee table his eyes pleading with her, confused with her mood but willing to fight for this, for her to make this something special because no matter how hard she fought him, Daniel knew that when they were together she was happy, maybe even as happy as she made him.

Daniel could list off the reasons that he was falling in love, all the ways he would fight for Natalia no matter what she said but he could see the flight in her eyes, he could see that she wouldn't believe a damn word he said no matter how true and it was in that instant Daniel saw how it was that her first true love had haunted her even to this day. So with a deep sigh of resignation his shoulders dropped and his head hung low, now wasn't the time to bring this up, Natalia was right about one thing: They were moving fast and Daniel wanted this to last so he would forfeit this fight, would he let her go? Hell no. But if there was one thing Daniel could bank on was Natalia's sense of humor.

"I'm devilishly good looking-"he started, catching Natalia's suddenly incredulous look, almost getting ready to yell but he didn't give her the chance. "I'm dangerously charming." He watched the snort of disbelief as she rolled her eyes to turn her head but no matter how hard she tried Daniel watched the way her lips twitched up and though she said nothing smart back the fact that she was still sitting told Daniel he was winning this one.

Rounding around the couch to catch her eyes once again Daniel didn't fail to catch the way her eyes looked up at him notably softer than they had been just mere seconds ago.

"And best of all. I deliver."

"Pig." Natalia scoffed at him with a soft roll of her eyes as she started to stand no doubt getting ready to leave but like clockwork there was another knock on his door and Daniel thanked his lucky stars for the impeccable timing of his take out service as he beat Natalia to the door holding up a finger for the girl to wait a moment with one hand while casually paying the delivery man with the other and grabbing his order before closing the door and waving the bag at Natalia.

"The best food you've ever tasted, what were you thinking naughty girl?" He teased Natalia and though she let out a soft scoff Daniel saw the resignation in her eyes as he placed their dinner on the dining room table before swiftly walking up to the younger woman and wrapping an arm tightly around her waist, thankful that she didn't fight him, her hands resting on his chest softly as he dipped his head low for a sweet chaste kiss.

"Stay for dinner at least, I can never eat all those egg rolls." He said with a laugh and Natalia nodded softly though a frown formed on her face.

"I don't like being used Daniel and I don't want to be a weapon you use against anyone, I'm not sure where we stand but what happened with Betty, first and last time, understood?" And for the first time Daniel could see the hurt in Natalia's eyes over his actions and he could have kicked himself for having let Betty ruin what was supposed to have been their night away from everything.

"Never again." And though there was a lump in the woman's throat, the feeling in her stomach telling her not to give in, Natalia found that with Daniel it was frighteningly simple to give into his requests and so with no other word being spoken, their lips met softly, unaware to the world around, focused only on one another, trying to fill a void that never seemed to have enough, a hungry all consuming hole in their souls desperate for comfort, acceptance, love. A missing part of their souls desperately trying to match a love long ago found… And lost.