I blinked, about to turn.
“Don’t look now,” he murmured.
Then he leaned in and kissed my forehead.
It wasn’t long, or dramatic. Just soft. Like it belonged there.
My chest fluttered.
I smiled. Then grinned.
He smirked. “Now look.”
I turned, casually, like it was nothing.
Sienna was walking away, fast, heels clacking against the stone path. Her shoulders were stiff. Her head didn’t turn once.
“She saw?” I asked.
“She saw,” Nate said. “Let her think what she wants.”
He stood and slipped his hands into his pockets.
“But be careful, Evie. You dig too far, and you won’t just make enemies.”
I looked up at him, the smile fading slowly from my face.
“I don’t want to find out what happened to Liliana,” he said quietly. “By having it happen to you.”
That stopped me.
I blinked, caught off guard by the weight in his voice. It wasn’t a warning. It felt closer to a plea.
“Thanks,” I murmured, unsure what else to say. Then I turned and walked away before he could see the confusion on my face.
Later
