Chapter 3 #2
His name slips from my lips before I can stop it, barely more than a whisper, but loud enough that his sharp eyes lock onto mine.
For a moment, the room feels suspended in time, like the air itself has thickened and drawn tight around us.
Alaska nudges my knee, but I barely register her as the world narrows to the man standing in the doorway, neither of us looking away until Fletcher’s voice, casual and oblivious, cuts through the tension like a dull blade. “Wait, you two know each other?”
I force myself to look away from Nathan, taking a deep breath and trying to pull together a smile that feels like it might crack under the pressure.
This cannot be happening. He cannot be here, after everything I’ve already been through, everything I’m going through.
“We—” My voice falters, not knowing what to say, but I recover quickly.
“We’ve met before. A long time ago.” I refuse to put labels on something that is anything but an amicable relationship.
Nathan doesn’t contradict me, but his jaw ticks, the muscle tightening like he’s holding something back.
I chance a glance at him, but his expression is trained into something unreadable, the storm in his blue eyes carefully contained.
“Mighty small world. Why didn’t you say you knew Thea, Nathan?
” Fletcher asks, an eyebrow raised in question.
Nathan’s lips press into a thin line before he exhales sharply, his shoulders stiff.
“Didn’t think it was the same Thea,” he says, his voice quiet but pointed, each word landing like a stone in the silence.
My stomach twists—a piece of me is grateful he’s going along with my plan to act like we don’t know each other as well as we really do.
But the other part? Makes me absolutely livid that he’s acting cool and detached, like he wasn’t sure it was me even though he knows damn well what he’s responsible for.
Even though if anyone deserves to act that way, it’s me.
Alaska then moves from me back over to Nathan, and begs for his attention which he quickly obliges to, likely to distract himself with anything but the elephant in the room.
It’s a graceful exit from the moment. Dylan, who’s been uncharacteristically quiet, finally pipes up, her tone light and teasing.
“Well, this explains why you looked like you’d seen a ghost when he walked in.
Guess you weren’t expecting to run into an old friend.
At least this takes away the need for awkward introductions.
” She was only right on one of those statements, because this is still awkward as fuck.
“Friends,” I huff under my breath. “Right.”
“What was that?” Dylan asks, and I’m thankful she didn’t catch it.
I shake my head. “Nothing. I was just agreeing with you.” I smile, but I can see she doesn’t completely believe me.
Nathan straightens, brushing his hands against his jeans, and his gaze flicks to mine for the briefest moment.
There’s a question in his eyes, a silent plea, but I can’t answer it.
Not here, not now. Quite possibly never.
It would raise too many questions and feelings that are already threatening to spill over in me.
Instead, I force myself to look at Fletcher and then Dylan, keeping my tone as even as I can. “Let’s get moving, shall we?”
We’ve been on the road for a while now, and are about halfway back to Dylan and Fletcher’s house.
Dylan switched with Fletcher to drive, despite his protests and Nathan’s offers.
Which means I’m stuck in the back seat with him, Alaska a buffer between the two of us.
We haven’t said a word to each other since he came blowing back into my life, unexpected and entirely unwanted.
I had pretended to be asleep just to avoid any more conversation and questions about how we know each other, but I know whether I want them to or not, they’ll come and I’ll be forced to answer.
I can feel his eyes on me every couple of minutes, like he’s trying to figure out what to say—or maybe what not to say.
He knows I’m not asleep, he’s always been good at noticing my tells.
It’s absolutely unbearable, but I refuse to acknowledge it.
That is, until the truck hits a bump and it jostles me enough that I have to adjust. Dylan glances at me in the rearview mirror, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and fatigue.
“Glad you’re awake, sleeping beauty. We need to talk to you before we get back.
” And here it comes… “We’re happy to have you closer, but we didn’t really think about what happens when we get back. ”
“What does that mean?” I ask, dread seeping into my gut.
She grimaces at me, which doesn’t help the swirling anxiety taking over my body.
“We didn’t really anticipate having to host anyone.
Didn’t think that far ahead. The guest room is no longer a guest room.
We converted it to a library and office…
so we don’t have space for you to stay while you get back on your feet… but—”
I have a feeling I know exactly what they’re going to suggest next and I will take no part in it.
“I’ll stay in a hotel, it’s fine.” But I can’t afford to do that.
I haven’t been working and until the divorce finalizes between Lucas and I, I won’t have anything unless I get a job.
Fuck. She must see the conflict in my face as her gaze darts between me in the rearview, and the interstate.
“She can stay with me. I have a few extra bedrooms.” Fuck. No. But it’s too late because Dylan is already beaming in the mirror at Nathan’s words.
“That’s exactly what I was going to say, not to impose my invite on you, Nathan, but I figured you have no use for all the extra space—well, unless you’re involved in things we don’t know about.
But it’ll be perfect because it means you guys can catch up and we will all be close enough to hang out together. ”
Great. I force a tight smile, trying to keep my irritation under control because this is something Dylan doesn’t know about and I would rather keep the trauma dumping to a minimum. “That’s really not necessary. I can figure something out.”
Nathan, of course, doesn’t miss a beat. “It’s no trouble, really.
The house is way too quiet, and it’ll be nice having someone around.
I’m not there during the day much anyway due to work.
You can stay as long as you need.” The worst part isn’t the offer itself—it’s the way he says it, casual and sincere, like he’s doing me some huge favor when I know it’s only to his advantage.
To try and earn back our friendship. And the way Dylan’s practically glowing with approval in the mirror doesn’t help.
She thinks she’s helping in doing me a favor, doing the right thing by making everything as smooth as possible for me, but this… this is not the right thing.
“Nathan,” I say sharply, turning to look at him for the first time since we got in the truck. His gaze meets mine, holding me in place like he’s a fucking siren. “I appreciate it, but I really don’t think—”
“It’s already settled.” Dylan cuts in cheerfully, her voice an irritating contrast to my rising panic.
“You’ll stay with Nathan for now. At least until you figure out your next steps.
We’ll help where we can, too.” Damn her.
If it wasn’t for everything she’s also endured in the last year, how long it’s taken for her to get back to her normal self, I would have no issue shitting on this idea.
But she’s so happy with it I can’t bring myself to ruin it, so I just say, “I’ll think about it. ”
Nathan leans back, resting his arm casually on the edge of the seat.
“It’s settled,” he echoes, and I can hear the smug undertone in his voice even if his face remains annoyingly neutral.
I turn back toward the window, clenching my jaw as I stare out at the passing scenery.
The sinking feeling in my stomach only grows.
This was supposed to be a clean break, a fresh start.
Except the memories that resurface with his presence are anything but.
Dylan changes the subject, chattering about things I don’t care enough to pay attention to at the moment.
All I can focus on is the reality of what’s waiting for me. The house. The memories.
Him.
And there’s no escaping any of it now. Even if I stayed somewhere else, it’s evident that I won't escape him unless I want to end my friendship with Dylan—because they’re friends with Nathan, too.
I am so. Utterly. Fucked.