8. Nate
Chapter eight
Nate
Becky storms into my office without warning. Her heels clack against the hardwood floor with a confidence that instantly grates on my nerves. I’m sitting behind my desk, reviewing a file, when the door opens without a knock, followed by Liz’s voice, sharp with authority.
“Excuse me, ma’am, you can’t barge in here. Mr. Kingston has appointments—”
Becky snaps, turning on Liz with a glare that’s all too familiar.
“Do you know who I am?”
I look up in time to see Liz’s eyes narrow, fire blazing behind them.
“I don’t care who you are. Everyone needs an appointment.”
A small smirk pulls at my lips. Liz doesn’t back down not for anyone, and certainly not for Becky. I’m pleased to see her stand her ground, even though she’s been distant since I told her nothing could happen between us. I hate that distance between us but seeing her protect my space like that it means something.
“Liz,” I say, interrupting before things escalate. “It’s fine. I’ll handle it.”
Liz turns to me, her gaze asking if I’m sure I don’t need help. I catch the glimmer of determination in her eyes, and for a moment, I feel a warmth spread through me. No woman has ever stood up for me like that, least of all Becky.
“I’ve got this,” I assure her, giving her a nod.
Liz gives Becky one last sharp look before stepping out of the office, closing the door behind her. I barely hold back a sigh of frustration as Becky crosses her arms. She narrows her eyes at me, like she’s got some kind of upper hand.
"You should fire her," Becky snaps, her voice dripping with disdain.
I stare at her incredulously. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, Nate. She was rude, and I won’t have my son being around someone like that."
I blink, trying to process her gall.
“You do not get to dictate who I fire and who I keep, Becky. Liz was only doing her job. And for the record, you don’t get a say in who’s in my life, or who Max can be around.”
Her face hardens, but I care nothing. I'm not about to let her come waltzing back into my life like she still has any say in how I run things. And that is whether it’s at work or at home.
“I’m Max’s mother, that should count for something,” she hisses. She acts entitled to control everything because of that.
I shake my head, leaning back in my chair.
“No one is disputing that, Becky. You are his biological mother. But you walked out on him, and on me. You don’t get to show up now and act like you’re in charge.”
She flinches, her face tightening for a second before she masks it with indifference.
“I didn’t walk out. I needed time.”
“Time?” I scoff, standing up.
“Four years is more than ‘time,’ Becky. You disappeared with your lover without looking back. Now you think you can waltz back into Max’s life just like that?”
She pouts, stepping closer to my desk, and I can tell she’s trying to play the victim card.
“That is in the past and that is why I came back to fix everything Nate. Max needs both of his parents to be happy. I know I made mistakes, but we can fix this. We can fix us for his sake.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. She doesn’t understand, she never has.
“Max’s happiness has always been my priority. But we—” I gesture between the two of us,
“We are done. Done. That is never going to happen again.”
“Why not?” Becky’s voice rises, and she steps closer, her perfume too sweet, too suffocating.
“I was stupid, I know that. Following Cole—” she spits out his name like it disgusts her now.
“It was the worst mistake of my life. I realize that now. Let’s be a family again, Nate. For Max.”
I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, trying to stay calm. I’ve had this conversation in my head so many times, preparing for the moment she’d try to weasel her way back in. But it still hits hard, hearing her say it.
“I don’t care about Cole, Becky." I open my eyes to meet her gaze.
“We can never get back together. It is over. I’ll make sure Max knows you’re back, when the time is right. And we’ll figure out an arrangement for you to see him, but that’s as far as this goes. You will see him only when I have prepared him, understand?”
She narrows her eyes, studying me like she doesn’t believe it.
“You haven’t moved on, Nate. That’s why you’re still avoiding me, isn’t it? You still love me.”
Her assumption almost makes me laugh out loud. The arrogance, the sheer audacity of her to think she still has any hold over me.
“Love you?” I step closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous low. “No Becky, I’ve moved on. In fact, I’m in a relationship now.”
Her jaw drops, and for the first time, she is caught off guard. But then she starts laughing an incredulous, mocking laugh.
“Oh, please. You’re bluffing. I’ve been in Ocean Bay for over a week now. If you were in a relationship, I would have heard about it by now. Everyone in this town gossips.”
I clench my teeth, anger rising in my chest. I don’t owe her any explanation. But before I can respond, the door swings open, and Liz steps in, holding a file.
“Nate, I have the—” She pauses, seeing Becky still in the room, and the tension instantly thickens.
And then it hits me my way out of this mess. Without thinking, I step forward, wrapping my arm around Liz’s waist and pulling her to my side.
“Actually, you’re wrong, Becky,” I say, my voice steady.
“This is Liz. My girlfriend.”
Liz freezes, her eyes widening in shock as she glances up at me. I can feel her stiffen, clearly taken off guard, but to my relief, she doesn’t pull away.
Becky stares at us, her face shifting from disbelief to confusion.
“Your... girlfriend?” she repeats, obviously thinking this is some kind of joke.
“That’s right,” I say, holding Liz a little tighter, as if to prove the point.
“And I’d appreciate it if you'd respect that.”
Becky laughs again, though this time it is more bitter than amused.
“Oh, please. You’re not fooling anyone. Nate Kingston doesn’t get involved with his staff.”
I grit my teeth, my hand still resting on Liz’s waist. I can feel the warmth of her body through her blouse, and it’s a danger that's distracting. But Becky’s smugness pushes me over the edge, and before I can stop myself, I lean down and press my lips to Liz’s.
The moment our lips touch, everything else fades away. Becky’s presence, the office, the entire world it all disappears. There’s Liz, soft and warm against me, her breath catching as she melts into the kiss. My heart races, and for a split second, I forget why I did it. All I know is that it feels right, too right. Time seems to stand still as the kiss deepens, my hand tightening around her waist as she moves closer.
But then, as suddenly as it started, it ends. A loud slam echoes through the room, jolting both of us back to reality. Becky is gone, the door banging shut behind her.
Liz pulls away from me, her eyes wide, her breath shaky. For a moment, neither of us says anything, the tension hanging thick in the air.
What the hell just happened?
We stare at each other, the realization of what I’ve done crashing down on us like a tidal wave. The kiss... It wasn’t just for show. It was real. And it felt like everything I've been denying myself for weeks.
Liz blinks, her lips parted slightly, and I can still feel the heat of her body against mine. My heart is pounding in my chest. And I know—I know—that something has shifted between us, something that I cannot take back.
“I... I’m sorry,” I mutter, stepping back, my mind racing to catch up with what just happened.
Liz’s breath hitches as she tries to say something, but the words seem stuck in her throat. She looks as stunned as I feel.
Liz stares at me, her eyes flashing with anger and confusion. I don’t blame her. After what I just did, I owe her more than a simple explanation.
She crosses her arms, standing firm in front of me.
"Nate, what the hell was that? You kissed me... What were you thinking?"
I run a hand through my hair, my mind still reeling from the kiss. The feel of her lips against mine is still fresh, messing with my head in ways I hadn’t expected. The kiss, brief as it was, is the best I’ve ever had. I can’t push it out of my mind, but I need to, for both our sakes.
"I’m sorry," I say, my voice low and strained.
"I didn’t know what else to do. Becky was pushing, she’s been trying to worm her way back into my life, and I panicked. I thought... I thought if I made it clear that I’ve moved on, that I’m with someone else, she’d finally back off."
Liz blinks, her expression softening slightly as she processes my words.
"So, you’re saying this was to get Becky off your back? Who is she anyways?"
I nod, feeling more pathetic by the second.
"My ex-wife and, yes, that’s exactly what it was. I didn’t mean to pull you into it, and I’m really sorry about the kiss... I shouldn’t have done that."
Liz looks away for a moment, clearly deep in thought.
"I need some details about what she is doing here. I thought you were divorced, Nate."
I take a breath and continue, explaining the situation from the beginning.
"Yes, we are. Becky showed up out of nowhere a week ago," I start.
"She’s been trying to get back into Max’s life, and she’s pushing to reconnect with me, too. She left without a word, Liz. Four years. Not a single call, not even to check on Max. He was just a sweet little toddler, and she didn’t even look in on him.
Now, she’s back and acting like she wants to be a part of his life again, our life again." My voice tightens, frustration bubbling to the surface.
Liz’s eyes narrow, and I can tell she’s starting to understand. "So, she thinks she can just waltz back in and pretend like nothing happened?"
"Exactly," I say, feeling a little more at ease now that I’m explaining.
"I know how Becky is persistent. She’s not going to give up easily, especially now that Max is older and more aware of what’s going on. I don’t want him to get confused; to think she’s suddenly going to be this great mom. I know that she’s always been more focused on herself, even when he was a baby. That’s why... that’s why I did what I did."
Liz gives a slow nod. Her anger seems to be fading into something more akin to understanding. But there's still tension between us.
"So, you’re hoping that by pretending to be with someone else, Becky will finally get the hint and leave you alone?"
"Yeah," I say, sighing.
"I know it might sound ridiculous, but I thought it was the only way. Becky listens to gossip. If the town starts talking, she’ll get the message."
Liz shifts her weight from one foot to the other, clearly still processing everything. Then she surprises me by asking, "But is that really going to be enough to make her back off?"
I hesitate, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Honestly? I don’t know. She might still have something up her sleeve. Becky’s always had her own agenda. But I thought it might be worth a shot."
Liz looks at me, her eyes searching mine. "So... what now?"
I swallow hard, feeling the weight of what I’m about to ask her.
"I know this is a lot to ask, but... could we keep up the act for a while? Pretend we’re together, especially when Becky’s around? I just... I don’t want her confusing Max, and if the town hears about us, she might finally back off."
The silence that follows my request feels heavy, and I brace myself for Liz to tell me that I’m out of my mind. I wouldn’t blame her if she did.
But instead, she surprises me again.
"Why are you doing all this for her?" she asks, her tone softer now, more curious than angry. "You clearly don’t want anything to do with her. Why let her push you around like this?"
I exhale slowly, trying to find the right words.
"I’m not doing it for her," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I’m doing it for Max. He comes first, always. And as much as I hate what Becky did, I don’t want to completely shut her out of his life.
I need to let her see Max because I want to keep things civil... for him. I would have gotten a restraining order by now if it weren’t for Max."
Liz watches me, and I can see the understanding in her eyes.
"I get it," she says quietly.
"I didn’t mean to drag you into this," I add quickly.
"You don’t have to agree to this fake relationship thing if you’re not comfortable with it. I shouldn’t have kissed you, and I’m sorry for putting you in that position."
For a long moment, Liz says nothing, her gaze drifting to the floor as she processes everything. I can feel the tension tightening in my chest, waiting for her response. I'm hoping she'll understand, but I don't want to push her into anything she doesn’t want.
And then, to my absolute shock, she looks up and says,
"I’ll do it."
I blink, my mind scrambling to catch up with her words. "You... you will?"
Liz shrugs, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Sure. I mean, if it helps keep Becky away and stops her from messing with Max, then I’m in. Besides, Ocean Bay could use a little gossip."
Her light tone eases some of the weight off my shoulders, and a sense of relief washes over me.
"Thank you, Liz. Really. I didn’t expect you to agree, but... I appreciate it."
Liz’s smile widens, though there is still a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.
"Just remember, Nate—this is temporary. We’re pretending, nothing more."
Her words shouldn’t sting, but they do. I nod, forcing a smile.
"Of course. Just pretending."
But as I watch her walk out of my office, something gnaws at me. Even though this arrangement is meant to be fake, I cannot deny the growing attraction I feel for her.
And pretending to be with her, even if it’s just for show, might be more dangerous than I ever anticipated.