Chapter 7

"Stop pacing around, Natalie. You are giving me a headache."

"Then go home, mom."

Natalie was walking back and forth in the living room with a frown on her face and does not seem to have any intention to stop anytime soon. Mrs. Kilper sat comfortably at the couch, sipping her tea like a royalty.

"How can I leave my daughter without giving her armor, weapon, and a horse before her love battle?"

"My love life isn't a battlefield, mom," Natalie snapped.

"Your crush life then," Mrs. Kilper generously corrected her own error, ignoring Natalie's glare. "I could clearly see that little Cole seems to fear you."

"He isn't."

"He is. Fear is not a good way to start a romantic relationship, Natalie," Mrs. Kilper scolded her daughter lightly.

"I know that, and again, mother, he doesn't fear me," Natalie insisted.

"Are you sure, daughter? Or have your desires clouded your eyes from the truth?"

"I'm not blind, mom!"

"Then stop acting like one!" Mrs. Kilper snapped and slammed down the cup on the coffee table.

"I am not acting like one!" Natalie stopped her pacing and stopped in front of her mother. Hand on her hips, Natalie gave her mother a fierce glare. "Stop insisting me of being what I'm not!"

Mrs. Kilper snorted in disgust. "Perhaps that is why your boyfriends left you! You are trying to control them, ignoring their complaints and you ignored it! They need a partner, not a mother!"

Natalie bites her lips, wanting to refute, yet her mother words seem like a key and zigzagged over her memories, unlocking everything that she had never wanted to examine in herself.

She reluctantly admitted that her ex-boyfriends had never liked it when she often asked where they were and who those girls that hang out with them were. She also loves making plans for them during their free time without consulting with her boyfriends. They had voiced their complaints to her, but she always just believed they were being secretive and hiding something from her.

Natalie had promised Trent that she would act like an equal to Cole, but look at her now! She keeps on asking where he was going if he left the house, and called him when he still not back home when it was already late at night.

Perhaps her mom was right and that Cole was afraid of her? And her boyfriends had left her because of it?

"Goodness gracious!" Natalie exclaimed in horror at the sudden realization. She never noticed how controlling she could be!

"Indeed," Mrs. Kilper agreed dryly. "You need to fix your bad habit."

"You aren't," Natalie hissed in retaliation but Mrs. Kilper just shrugged.

"Your father loves it when I babied him, so there's no need for me to change this part of me."

"Maybe I've yet to find a guy that is able to accept me for who am I."

"You have decided to give up on young Cole then?"

"No way!"

"Then you need to know you cannot be that way towards Cole. That poor boy will run away from your controlling tendencies."

Natalie could not refute her mother's words, because it was the truth. She had thickened her face around Cole to seduce him, even demanding his time and attention on her even if he was reluctant to. She was aware that he would try not to be around the apartment as much as he could because of her but she continues what she was doing, thinking that he will finally cave in and love her back.

But she got a feeling that he will flee from her one day if she continues being that way.

"I will leave you to plan what to do next." Mrs. Kilper stood up and grabbed her handbag.

Natalie quickly stood right in front of her mother to block her way. "Who's the one that told me that she would give me armor, a horse, and a weapon?"

"I did, dear."

"You did? Then what are they?"

"Why yes! Oh, I forgot to tell you?"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom. What's my armor?"

"Your clothes."

"My clothes?" Natalie echoed in confusion as she stared down at her tank top that bared her slim stomach and skinny jeans that showed her shapely legs.

Mrs. Kilper gave her daughter a wicked look. "Yes. I bet you are just like me when I was younger. I used to wear skimpy clothes to get your father's eyes on me."

Natalie just gave her an indifference expression, but that told Mrs. Kilper more than what Natalie tried to hide. They were mother and daughter after all.

"So... what? You want to tell me to wear something even skimpier?"

"No."

"No?"

Mrs. Kilper pointed at Natalie's bare stomach. "Wear more."

"What?" Natalie exclaimed in disbelief.

Mrs. Kilper clicked her tongue in impatience as she sat back down, knowing the conversation will be lengthy. "Being bold will make that shy boy run away. Wear more, but make them body fitting. That way, he would imagine what he could not see."

"Did I tell you before that you are quite smart when you want to?"

"Your grandfather often told me that when I manage to sneak out of the house when I'm grounded."

Natalie rolled her eyes, not surprised at all. Before her grandfather passed away, he often complained about how wild her daughter was and how often she angered him. "And what will be my horse?"

"Your horse will be Frank, who will help you to move from your current position!"

"Frank? Who is that?"

"Your brother's friend, remember?"

"I guess so. But why involve him?"

"I will explain later," Mrs. Kilper waved that question away. "Next, your battlefield will be your apartment to trap Cole into your net. You must only be at your apartment for sleeping only."

"Uh... how's that going to trap Cole? That's going to set us apart instead of bringing us together!"

Mrs.Kilper made a 'tsk' sound at Natalie. "Haven't you heard of this phase, absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

"Yes... but will that even work?" Natalie asked suspiciously. That was how long distance relationship hardly worked.

"Of course!"

Natalie sighed, lazy to bicker about it. "What about my weapon?"

"Your new attitude."

"I have to act like an ice queen or something?"

"No. You will act like a normal roommate would. You would greet him with your usual smile and not the extreme 'I want to seduce you' smile. You will not flirt with him. You must act like a normal friend."

"But that will make him think I gave up on him!" Natalie protested.

Mrs. Kilper looked thoughtful. "That's true. I guess we should change the plan a bit. You can stay at home during weekends, but no flirting. Be nice but remember, as a friend, not a mother."

"You want to try the route of the best friend is the best partner in your life?" Natalie questioned.

Mrs. Kilper shrugged. "That works for many of my friends."

Despite being doubtful, she still nodded to appease her mother but she will think more of it later. "What is it about Frank?"

Mrs. Kilper looked smug as she said, "Why, he would be your pretend date to make Cole jealous, of course!"

Natalie stared at her mother with wide eyes. "Jealous? Cole will get jealous?" She could not imagine that angelic, shy boy would ever feel that way!

"If he has even some feelings for you, then he will. However, this plan would not work if he has zero interest in you."

"But mom, he's shy and won't act aggressively at all! In fact, he stammers too! I bet he would just let me date Frank if he believes that's what I want!"

"I am confident in my ability to judge a person's character. I can see that Cole is usually a shy boy, but he has some fire in him that's yet to grow. When the time is right, he will show his strength."

Natalie stared at her mother with a blank look until Mrs. Kilper finally could not stand it. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I'm wondering if I should trust what you say, mom. You could be bullshitting."

Mrs. Kilper gave her daughter a glare as she stood up; no longer want to talk to this ungrateful daughter of hers. "Do whatever you want. But don't come crying to me when the boy continues to reject you."