Chapter 399

Olivia

The sun was hanging high in the sky by the time Nathan and I veered away from the park. Alvin’s statue loomed in the center, and I couldn’t fully pull my eyes away.

“I can’t believe you did that,” I murmured as we pushed Elliot and Aurora in their stroller, still dressed in our funeral clothes. “That was a really sweet gesture, Nathan.”

Nathan offered me a small smile and gave my hand a squeeze. “I couldn’t just bury him and be done with it,” he said quietly. “At the end of the day, he was our best friend.”

I paused to look at him. His face had brightened ever so slightly, as though a slight weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that the funeral was over. But there was still that faraway look in his eyes, and I knew that it would be a long time before either of us healed from this whole ordeal.

“Can I be honest?” I asked as we passed beneath a tall oak tree.

“Always,” Nathan replied.

I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully, before I continued. “Is it bad that I don’t… fully forgive him?” I found myself asking. I bit my lip, thinking for a moment. “I mean… All of the things he did, the vengeance he felt in his heart, all because I didn’t love him like that—”

“Of course what he did in the end will never make up for those things,” Nathan interrupted, turning to look at me. “And that’s okay. You don’t need to forgive him for all of the bad things. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t appreciate the good.”

His words were a slight balm to the torment of emotions I had been feeling recently. It was true; I still couldn’t fully forgive Alvin for everything that he did.

He pushed us all away, alienated us, and worked with the people who wanted to take us down. And, as I had just learned, he had worked with Jenifer and Ryan at the same time.

That broke my heart.

But I still loved him. He was still the boy I grew up with, the boy I had called a friend. And no matter how long ago that was, no matter how much had happened in between then and now, I would never forget that.

We walked for a while longer in silence, just taking in the view of the park. Autumn was already on its way, and the leaves were a vibrant landscape of reds and oranges. It felt as though this year had gone by so quickly.

I glanced at Nathan, noticing how he was still staring off into the distance. I knew that it wasn’t just about the funeral; it was about another loss. The loss of an uncle who never was; the last vestige of a family gone wrong, and yet all of it had been a lie. He was grieving for that, too.

“Hey,” I began softly, reaching out to touch his arm, “are you okay?”

Nathan’s gaze met mine, and he offered a faint smile. “I’m…” He paused, and I could tell he was grappling between telling the truth and putting up his usual facade. It seemed as though he was leaning toward the facade, but then he seemed to soften the longer he looked at me.

“I’m devastated,” he finally admitted. “I thought Edward was real. I thought that maybe, just maybe, I would have a second chance with a family that has been nothing but chaos. And it was all a lie.”

I looked into his blue-green eyes for a moment, feeling tears welling up in my own. “I know,” I murmured as I rubbed his arm. “Jenifer had a lot of people fooled.”

He nodded, his eyes searching mine as if seeking solace. “I should have listened to you,” he admitted with a bit of a chuckle. “But, hey, I think I learned something from all of this. So that’s something, right?”

I tilted my head, curious about what he had to say. “What did you learn?”

Nathan took a deep breath, his words measured. “I realized that I need to confront my past, face my demons,” he explained. “I’ve been holding onto so much pain and guilt, and it’s been eating away at me. I think... I think I do need therapy after all, Liv.”

His admission caught me by surprise, and my heart swelled with pride and love for him. Despite everything we had been through, Nathan was still open to seeking help. That was a huge step for both of us, and for our growing family.

“That’s… awesome, Nathan,” I said with a smile. “That’s a huge step.”

He nodded, and there was a new hint of determination in his gaze. “I realized the importance of opening up when I uncovered that repressed memory during my coma. Who knows what else might be buried deep inside of this thing?” he said, tapping the side of his head.

I paused for a moment, taken aback by his words. “Uncovering repressed memories can be overwhelming, though,” I pointed out. “You’re sure you want to do this? I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

Much to my surprise, Nathan only took both of my hands in his and gave them a squeeze. “I want to heal, Liv, not just for myself, but for you and our family.”

A smile spread across my face, and I reached up to brush a stray strand of hair from his forehead. “I’ll support you every step of the way,” I said. “I think this could be good for you.”

We continued our walk in silence, but the silence was more comfortable now. I was proud of Nathan, really. This was a big change from just a month ago, and even though it took tragedy to bring the change about, I was still glad that the change had come at all.

As we walked, however, Nathan’s eyes drifted to my left hand, where my engagement ring still sat. The stone always caught the light of the sun in such a beautiful way, and today was no different.

He reached for my hand and gently turned it, his eyes fixed on the ring.

“You know,” he began, his voice taking on a more contemplative tone, “I’ve been thinking about something else, too.”

“What is it?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Nathan took a deep breath, and as his eyes caught the light, I could see a glimmer of something there that almost looked like excitement. “I’m tired of waiting,” he said. “We’re always waiting for the ‘right time’; for the drama to end, for the dust to settle. But I want to marry you sooner, rather than later.”

“What are you saying?” I asked cautiously. My heart began to race a little, although I wasn’t quite sure why.

He chuckled under his breath, then met my eyes. There w as nothing but sincerity in his gaze. “Let’s start planning our wedding,” he murmured, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Now.”

My heart fluttered at his words, and tears of joy welled up in my eyes. It felt like we had been engaged for so long, and yet we hadn’t had a single chance to get started on the preparations.

“Well?” Nathan pressed, his eyes softening a little more. “What do you say?”

I smiled, nodding excitedly as the tears began to spill from my ears. “Yes,” I said. “Yes, I think I’d like that.”