Chapter 299

“Nathan!” I called after his fading form.

I dashed after him, my shoes pounding loudly on the cobblestones. “Wait!” Tears blurred my vision, but the draw of his retreating figure guided me forward.

He turned into a narrow alley, and seizing my chance, I cornered him. “Nathan!” I choked out, voice thick with emotion. “Don’t just walk away from me like that.”

He spun around, the intensity of his gaze locking onto mine. The color of golden hour gave his face a warm glow like honey, but his eyes looked distance and full of angst.

“Do you know what it’s like?” I said, a tear rolling down my cheek. “One minute you’re distant, and the next you’re stepping in to protect me. It’s like emotional whiplash, and I can’t handle it anymore.”

He looked taken aback, perhaps not expecting such an outpouring. His lips quivered, searching for the right words, but I wasn’t done.

“I miss you,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I miss us. I miss feeling your presence next to me, the warmth, the laughter... everything.” Taking a shaky breath, I met his eyes, needing to know. “Do you even love me anymore?”

Nathan’s face softened, the walls he had built around himself seemingly crumbling before my eyes. In one swift motion, he closed the distance between us and pulled me into his embrace.

I buried my face in his chest, the familiar scent of him flooding my senses. His heart raced against my ear, and the warmth of his body was a balm to my aching soul.

He rested his chin on my head, his voice low and filled with raw emotion. “I do love you, Olivia. So much. I’m just... I’m struggling with things inside. It’s hard for me to find the words, to even understand my own emotions.”

I pulled away slightly, our faces inches apart. “But why, Nathan? Why did the situation with Aurora set you off like that? It’s unlike you to react so explosively.” I paused, searching his face. “It feels like there’s something you’re not telling me.”

He looked away, pain evident in his eyes. The weight of unspoken truths hung heavy between us, the tension palpable.

“I... I can’t talk about it right now, Liv,” he murmured. “But someday, I promise, I’ll tell you everything.”

The desperation in my voice was unmistakable. “And when is ‘someday’? I need you to tell me now. I can’t keep feeling like I’m being left in the dark, like there’s this huge chasm between us when things were so perfect for so long.”

Nathan opened his mouth, but before he could reply, a distant voice shattered the intensity of our moment.

“Alpha Nathan!” someone yelled. “We need you! Jim’s been hurt!”

Nathan’s head snapped towards the sound, torn between the urgency in the call and our unfinished conversation. He looked down at me, the internal conflict evident in his eyes. “I have to go, Olivia.”

There was something in the way he said it—an unspoken plea for understanding. He gently cupped my face and pressed a tender kiss to my forehead. That little gesture alone filled me with warmth. “I promise we’ll talk soon, okay?”

And just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the sunset as quickly as our moment had come.

…

After the day’s events, coming home without Nathan by my side was like a punch to the gut. The setting sun cast a muted glow through the windows, blanketing the room in shades of orange and pink.

“Hey there, worker lady,” Clint called from the other room. “Everything go okay today?”

I followed the sound of his voice to find him getting up from the rocking chair in the living room. He seemed to be struggling a bit, and I rushed over to him, helping him steady himself.

“Oh, don’t worry about old me,” he said, patting my hand. “Arthritis. That’s all.”

I blinked up at Clint, opening my mouth but closing it again. His ‘arthritis’ had been much worse since his injuries. At his age, I doubted that he would ever fully recover. But he was a proud man, and I wouldn’t point it out. Nodding, I forced a smile. “Today was good. How’re the twins?”

“Sleeping,” Clint said with a victorious grin that caused the crow’s feet to wrinkle around his eyes. “Only took me two hours.”

“Geez, Clint,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “You must be exhausted.”

“Nah,” he assured me. “You’re the one who needs to rest. And Nathan…” His voice trailed off. We hadn’t talked about it; it was clear that neither of us knew how to broach the subject.

I smiled slightly and shook my head. “Don’t worry about old me,” I repeated with a smirk. “Goodnight, Clint.”

“‘Night, Livvy.”

I watched as Clint left, his dark form fading as he hobbled across the lawn. A tear came to my eyes as I remembered how he had looked on the night of the attack, but I blinked it away. He was better now. We were better. And our town, like the baker said, would be right as rain soon. I just hoped that I could say the same about my relationship with Nathan.

With a sigh, I walked to the kitchen, not particularly hungry but knowing I needed to eat.

With a sigh, I prepared a simple salad, trying to distract myself from the growing void in my chest. Each bite felt bland, every swallow a reminder of the distance that had grown between Nathan and me. I missed him, missed the simple joy of sharing a meal, talking about our day, the easy banter that used to flow between us.

I toyed with the food on my plate, wondering how I could make it right again. Could I even make it right? What could I possibly say or do to mend the deep chasm that had formed between us?

Lost in thought, I almost didn’t hear the soft knock on the door. Startled, I placed my fork down and pushed my chair back, making my way to the entrance.

Through the peephole, a familiar face stared back—Layla. My heart skipped a beat, confusion and apprehension replacing the former melancholy. What was she doing here?

I opened the door hesitantly, steeling myself for whatever she might say. “Layla, Nathan isn’t here,” I began, assuming she was looking for him.

But she shook her head, her blonde locks swaying with the motion. “I know,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I came to talk to you. Woman to woman.”

I frowned, the weight of her words and her somber expression giving me pause. What did she have to say to me?

My worst fears all came to mind: that Nathan had been seeing her behind my back somehow all this time, that she was coming here to come clean about it. But I pushed those thoughts away temporarily, wanting to give both of them the benefit of the doubt.

“Alright, come in,” I said, opening the door wider for her.

She stepped into the living room, her fingers wringing the straps of her purse nervously. “Thank you,” she said, her wide eyes darting around the room before landing back on me.

We took a seat on the couch, the silence between us thick and charged. Layla seemed to be struggling with something internally, her gaze dropping to her hands as they twisted and turned in her lap.

After what felt like an eternity, I broke the silence. “What did you want to talk about?”

She took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling dramatically. “Olivia, there’s something I’ve been holding onto, something I haven’t been honest about. And I feel that it’s time I tell you the truth.”

My heartbeat picked up, a rush of adrenaline surging through me. I felt almost sick, like my worst fears really were coming to fruition. I wanted to run and hide, but I knew that I was in too deep. I had to hear her out.

“What is it, Layla?”

She looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “It’s about the baby,” she began, her voice trembling.

My stomach churned, the knot of anxiety within me growing tighter. “What about the baby?”

She inhaled shakily, her gaze fixed on mine, filled with a mixture of sadness, guilt, and determination.

“He’s Nathan’s,” she whispered. “Biologically.”