Chapter 18
Raine
The scent of coffee and sea salt clings to the morning air as I wipe down the worn countertop, the quiet hum of the café a comfort I’ve started clinging to.
It’s been a week since I left, since I walked away from everything—Emmett, the past, the chaos.
But no matter how far I run, he lingers in my thoughts, a shadow I can’t escape.
I chose this place because it’s quiet, tucked away from the world I used to know.
A coastal town where the waves drown out the noise in my head, where no one knows my name unless I let them.
I work here now, at this little café with its chipped blue paint and the kind of customers who don’t ask too many questions.
It’s safe. Simple. A lie I tell myself every morning when I open my eyes.
The bell above the door jingles, pulling me from my thoughts. I force a smile as an older couple walks in, shaking off the chill of the ocean breeze. I take their order, my hands steady, my voice light. I’m good at pretending.
But today, something feels different. There’s an itch at the base of my spine, a weight pressing against my chest. I shake it off, tell myself it’s nothing. Just paranoia. Just another ghost of the past I’m trying to outrun.
Until I see him.
He’s standing across the street, leaning against a lamppost like he has all the time in the world. Dark jeans, worn leather jacket, those piercing eyes locked right on me. My breath catches, my fingers tightening around the coffee pot in my hands.
Emmett.
For a moment, neither of us moves. The café fades away, the customers, the chatter, the clatter of dishes. It’s just us, standing on opposite sides of a life I thought I’d left behind.
Then he starts walking.
Panic grips me. I turn sharply, nearly knocking over a tray of pastries as I duck into the back room. My heart pounds against my ribs. He found me. Of course he did. I was stupid to think he wouldn’t.
"Raine."
His voice is closer than I expect, and when I spin around, he’s standing in the doorway. Too close. Too familiar. Too much.
I lift my chin. "What are you doing here?"
His gaze flickers, a storm brewing in his expression. "You already know the answer to that."
I swallow hard. "I don’t want you here."
A muscle in his jaw ticks, but he doesn’t move. Doesn’t let me push him away so easily. "That’s too bad. Because I’m not leaving."
The weight of his presence is suffocating, dragging me under waves I swore I’d never drown in again. I tell myself I should fight harder, should tell him to go. But the truth is, I don’t know if I want him to.
And that might be the most dangerous part of all.
I take a step back, my breath shallow. "You don’t get to show up like this."
Emmett’s expression remains unreadable, but there’s something fierce in his eyes, something unrelenting. "I had to find you."
"Why?" My voice wavers, betraying me. "So you could drag me back? Tie up another loose end?"
His gaze hardens. "You really think that’s all this is?"
I don’t answer. I can’t. Because if I say it out loud, it makes it real.
He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. "You left, Raine. But did you ever stop to ask yourself why you’re still looking over your shoulder? Why you haven’t felt free, even here?"
My fingers curl into fists. "Because I know how this works. The past doesn’t just disappear."
Emmett takes a slow step closer. "Neither do the people who love you."
My heart stutters, but I shake my head, forcing the walls back up. "I don’t need saving."
"I’m not here to save you, Raine. I’m here because I don’t want to live in a world where you’re not in it."
His words slice through me, clean and deep. My throat tightens, but I hold my ground. "That doesn’t change anything."
"It changes everything." His voice drops lower, rougher. "Because I’m not leaving. Not until you hear me out."
The weight of his promise settles between us, thick and unyielding. I should push him away, make him leave. But I don’t.
Because a part of me—maybe the most dangerous part—wants to hear what he has to say.
A crash from the front of the café shatters the moment, making me jump. A voice curses, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.
Emmett reacts instantly, stepping in front of me, his body tense. "Stay here."
But I don’t listen.
Because deep down, I know. My past has finally caught up to me.
I freeze, heart hammering as Emmett shifts in front of me, his entire body coiled and ready. The café is too small, too exposed. Whoever just caused that commotion is close—too close.
Another crash. A chair scraping against the floor. Then heavy footsteps moving toward us. My stomach twists as the café’s front door swings open violently, the bell above it rattling like an alarm.
And then I see him.
Nathan.
The man who once swore he loved me. The man who betrayed me, handed me over to Dante like I was nothing more than a debt to be paid.
His grin widens as he steps further into the café, his gaze never leaving mine. "Still as stubborn as ever, Raine."
My breath catches. His voice—it drags me back to memories I buried deep, nights filled with fear, the weight of unseen chains.
Emmett’s stance hardens, his fists flexing at his sides. "Who the hell are you?"
Nathan chuckles, slow and deliberate. "She never told you?" His eyes flick back to me, amusement dancing in their depths. "Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You always did like pretending, Raine."
Emmett is in front of me in an instant. "She doesn’t owe you a damn thing."
Nathan’s smile turns razor-sharp. "We’ll see about that."
The tension is suffocating, the air thick with the promise of violence. Emmett shifts his stance, ready for a fight, and I realize something.
This isn’t over.
Not yet.
Nathan takes another step forward, eyes locked on me like a predator sizing up its prey. "You look good, Raine. Running seems to suit you."
I steel my spine, refusing to let the tremor in my hands show. "I have nothing to say to you."
His smirk deepens. "That’s funny, because I have plenty to say to you. You left without a word, sweetheart. After everything we went through, I’d say that’s a little cold."
Emmett shifts beside me, his body practically vibrating with restrained fury. "She doesn’t owe you an explanation. And if you don’t back off in the next five seconds, you’ll regret ever walking through that door."
Nathan laughs, slow and deliberate. "Easy there, tough guy. I’m not here for a fight. I just came to talk."
Emmett doesn’t move. "You’re lying."
Nathan’s gaze flickers with amusement. "You think you know me? Think you understand what’s between me and Raine?" He shakes his head. "You don’t have a damn clue."
I grip the edge of the counter, my nails digging into the wood. "Whatever this is, whatever you think we had—it’s over."
Nathan’s smirk fades, and for the first time, something dark flickers in his expression. "That’s what you keep telling yourself. But you and I both know the past doesn’t just disappear."
A cold shiver runs down my spine. He’s right about that much.
Emmett steps closer to me, his presence grounding. "Get out, Nathan. Now."
Nathan looks between us, his smirk returning. "I’ll go, for now. But Raine, sweetheart—you and I aren’t finished."
He turns on his heel, walking out of the café as casually as he came, leaving a trail of tension behind him. The second the door swings shut, I finally exhale.
Emmett turns to me, his expression unreadable. "Are you okay?"
I nod, but I know he sees through the lie. Because the truth is, I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay again.