NATE’S POV“I’ll tell you everything,” I say, my breathing a little too unsteady.I know Elara.Once she makes up her mind, she doesn’t turn back. And with the way she spoke just now, she was ready to walk out of my life, again.Unless I give her what she wants.She’s changed.She doesn’t just say things anymore, she follows through.And right now, she’s following through on walking away.I need her to stay.Not just because of the deal we made.Not just because of the. I song that will be in jeopardy. How could it be just that?I never stopped loving her.“I’m listening,” she says, turning to face me, her arms crossed over her chest.“Can you take a seat?” I ask.I knew this moment would come eventually.Sooner or later, I had to tell her the truth.I just didn’t expect it to be today.Thank God I booked the entire coffee shop. And I know no one will be listening in on us. So I’m sure it’s a safe space for me tell her the truth. Elara hesitates for a second before pulling out the c
ELARA’S POV For some reason, my mother decided today was the perfect day for her and her two best friends to have a girls’ night. I didn’t want to go to the launch party with Nate, but now it seems like my only escape. Because I know my mom’s friends. Those two old ladies she calls her besties? They’re just like her, if not worse. And it’s already hard enough dealing with my mom alone. Sure, she’s been a little better lately, but those so-called friends of hers? They’re on a different level of blunt. No filter. No boundaries. I already know they won’t let me stay in my room and be by myself. They’ll pull me into their night, force me to sit with them, and if all three of them corner me, they’ll probably figure out my relationship with Nate is fake. And I can’t have that happening. With a huff, I pull on the dress I picked out for the event, keeping my makeup light and natural. Even though I never gave Nate a straight answer about going, he still texted me. I didn’t see it at f
ELARA'S POV "It’s so nice to meet you." I smile, trying my best not to seem too excited, even though I was."Nathan, long time no see, huh?" Sienna turns to Nate, who simply nods, taking a sip of his drink."I’ve been wanting to come say hello, but you both seemed a little busy with Valentina," she says, gesturing toward where Valentina is."Really?" I muse, tilting my head slightly."Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Nate. I wanted to say hi and finally introduce myself to his wife. I’m sure Nate hasn’t mentioned me, but we went to high school together. And after that, he decided to ghost everybody me included." she chuckled, "Oh, you did?" My brow lifts as I glance at Nate who just shrugged. confirming what she said. "I could tell you all about how much of a handful he was back then," she teases, "but I’m running out of time. Oh, and the other reason I came over, I have this new shoot coming up. I want to step out of my usual style, try something different, and do a couple’
NATE’S POV “You fucking bastard!” Elliot’s growl barely registers before his fist slams into my face. A sharp sting follows. Pain shoots through my jaw, but I barely react. Instinct tells me to fight back. To block the next hit, throw one of my own. But I don’t. I grit my teeth and take it. Because deep down, I know I deserve this. Elliot pulls back, his fist raised again. I brace myself, ready for the next blow. But it never comes. “Elliot! You need to stop this!” Elara’s voice rings through the night, sharper this time, desperate. “Stay out of this, El!” Elliot snarls, shaking her off. “I need to teach this fucking bastard a lesson.after everything he did you he deserve worse” But she doesn’t back down. She pushes in front of him, blocking his path to me. “Elliot, listen to me! You need to stop. We need to talk first. Let me explain.” She’s pleading, her hands gripping his arm. But Elliot is too blinded by his rage to hear her. His grip tightens around
NATE’S POV “She didn’t tell you?” Mrs. Westwood’s mouth drops open in shock. I shake my head, my chest tightening. “I thought since you two were giving each other a chance, she would have told you everything.” “She didn’t tell me anything about a miscarriage.” Mrs. Westwood sighs, rubbing her temple. “She didn’t? That’s… strange. I really thought she did.” She exhales heavily before meeting my gaze again. “Well, at least now you understand why Elliot acted the way he did. Please don’t take it to heart. I’ll make sure to explain everything to him.” “It’s fine, Mrs. Westwood. Elliot and I will fix our issues.” My voice comes out even, but inside, I feel like the floor has just been ripped out from under me. “That’s good to hear.” I barely register her words. My thoughts are tangled in one thing. Elara was pregnant. And she didn’t think to tell me? My jaw clenches. My hands curl into fists. I can feel my pulse hammering in my ears. She hid this from me. She lo
ELARA’S POVMy chest tightens, as though something heavy is pressing against it. My hands won’t stop trembling as I push open the front door.“Why did you tell him, Mom?” I yell, my voice cracking.“It’s my story to tell! I should choose who I tell and when I tell them. Why did you have to put yourself in my business?”Usually, my mom can’t help but meddle, always doing things I never ask for. But I thought she had stopped. I thought she’d finally let me handle my life the way I see fit.“I didn’t mean to tell him, Elara,” she states, her voice steady no hint of remorse to her words. “I had no idea you hadn’t told him. You said you two were working through your differences, giving the relationship another chance, didn’t you?” I had said that.“Then why in the world haven’t you told him about the child?” she presses, her tone firm. “How can you plan to start a new relationship based on lies? A relationship is—”“Good night, Mom,” I cut her off, not willing to hear another one of her l
ELARA’S POV I left my purse in the car but didn’t bother going back for it. Elliot was already walking ahead, and I hurried to catch up. He looked like he had just come from work, still dressed in slacks and a suit. I was wearing something similar, a blouse with rolled-up sleeves though I’d left my jacket in the car. We walked in silence to the old swing set at the corner of the neighborhood. It used to be our go-to spot whenever we got tired of Mom and her endless bickering. It felt oddly nostalgic being here again. Elliot sat on one of the swings, leaning back slightly he turned to me. “So…” he began, “I hear you’re back with that son of a bitch.” I frowned. “Nate’s mom isn’t a bitch, you know,” my tone is light. Elliot snorted. “You know that’s not what I meant.” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Let me rephrase. So, you’re back with that douchebag.” I sighed and gently pushed the swing with my feet, letting it sway slowly. “It’s… a long story,” I said.
ELARA’S POV I stay frozen, contemplating whether I should tell my brother the truth or keep quiet. “I guess I have my answer then,” Elliot broke the silence before I could. “Elliot—” I began, but he cut me off. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’ll find out whatever it is,” he said. From the tone in his voice, I could tell he wasn’t joking. When Elliot wants to know something, he doesn’t stop until he gets the answers. I think I just made things worse. “I’ve sent you the address… again. I hope you can make it,” Sienna said over the phone. For the past few days, we’d been talking and making arrangements for the shoot. Just telling her I wanted to cancel last minute didn’t seem right. She seemed so excited about it. I had given her my word, so canceling now felt impossible. “I’ll be there,” I said. “But Sienna, I don’t think Nate will be able to make it, so we might end up with a solo shoot.” Since our last encounter, Nate and I hadn’t crossed paths, not even o
NATE’S POV With every sob that tore from her throat, the fire in my chest burned hotter. My fists clenched, the need to destroy the bastards who did this nearly choking me. But I couldn’t leave her. Not like this. Not when she was shaking in my arms. That snake tattoo— it’s enough for me to find them and the plate number on the van. “There, there…” I murmured, cradling her gently. “You’re okay. You’re safe now, El.” Another sob escaped her, ragged and broken. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” I whispered, pressing my lips against her temple. Her trembling hands clung to my shirt, her tears soaking through the white fabric like guilt I couldn’t wash away. “He was… he was going to take me,” she choked out. “But he didn’t,” I said firmly. “He didn’t. I’m here now. Everything’s going to be fine.” But the words were more for me than for her. Because the truth was… if I had arrived even a minute later, they would’ve taken her. They weren’t bluffing. Even if the didn’t look
ELARA’S POV “New architect?” “Yes.” “Congratulations,” I say, my voice pitched a little too high. “Thanks el” “I’m going to show, him around the apartments, so he could get some insight on the place- you should come along” “I’m afraid I can’t today, i need to find new, lamps and vases and I have somethings to take care of” I leave without, waiting for a response. The thought of nico being the new, artichet felt a little odd but I don’t think much of it. ***** The first store I went to had nothing I wanted, The second is worse. By the time I’m walking into the third vintage shop, the sky has turned a dark, angry grey. I hadn’t even noticed how long I’d been searching how long I’ve been trying to distract myself from the fact that Nico is likely going to start working with me. But I don’t have time to dwell on it. The sharp slaps of rain start just as I’m walking back to my car. Within seconds, I’m soaked. Water trails down my back, my pants cling to my legs, an
ELARA’S POV The drive to the site is quiet, no music, no calls. Just the hum of the engine and the slow, sharp creep of the headache pulsing behind my eyes. “You’re late,” Kyle greets me the second I step inside, his usual frown in place. “Again.” I almost smile. His grumbling’s basically part of our routine now. We don’t even have a fixed schedule for my visits here, but he complains every time, and I let him. Maybe because I find it a little amusing. Maybe because he hasn’t been around much lately, thanks to the whole architect mess. These days, it’s mostly me and the new designer… or Rob. “Good morning to you too, Kyle.” “It’s twelve in the afternoon.” “It’s all the same, Kyle.” I roll my eyes with a small smile. “The items you ordered were already delivered.” “Already? I thought they weren’t coming until twelve-thirty?” “Well, they turned out to be efficient and punctual—unlike somebody else.” “Somebody else has other jobs to handle, you know.” I follow him through the e
ELARA’S POVIt’s been a week since I last saw Nate— or heard from him.It’s nothing new. We’ve gone years without talking before.So going a week without his appearance should not feel like this.It's not new to me, plus all the times I've seen him, I couldn’t stand being around him; I always end up getting mad at him for the stupid things he does. but its not his first time going MIABut this time… this time feels different.Maybe it’s because of how we left things.After all he said, I knew I was wrong for once, but then again, I was frozen in place. His words echoing in my head, repeating like a broken recordI couldn’t shut off. I couldn’t stop.And I couldn’t even bring myself to text him.Or call.Or try to clear things up.It was like my whole body locked up.I couldn’t.I just couldn’t.And for the rest of the week I culd even search up his name on my contacts.“El?”Elliot’s voice cut through the silence, snapping me out of my haze.“Yes?” I blink, sitting a little straight
Silence takes over, and then only thing I can hear is my beating heart and the sound of cars, passing through the streets. “I checked into the guys,” he said quietly breaking the silence. “It seemed they got the wrong house. And… well, they aren’t any threat. In the end, it was just like you predicted.” I couldn’t utter a single word. Only stared — like something had gotten hold of my tongue and refused to let go. “I guess my mess-ups were worse than I thought,” he let out a chuckle, but it came out hollow. Sad. His face didn’t show much, but his eyes… his eyes gave him away. “I’m sorry for the inconveniences I’ve caused. I know there are a lot of them,” he continued. “There isn’t anything I can do to make it up to you… right?” I swallowed a lump I didn’t even know was there. My mouth had gone dry. I was out of words. Heck could even think of anything to say “Nate…” “No. El, you don’t have to say anything. I understand.” But you don’t’ I wanted to say but I co
ELARA’S POV He stood there like everything was fine. I didn’t know what made me angrier: the fact that he was still smiling after what he did, or the fact that a part of me still reacted to him. Still felt something when I saw that smile. I wanted to turn around. I wanted to walk right past him and pretend he didn’t exist. But I couldn’t. Not this time. I stepped closer, heels clicking against the pavement like warning shots. He straightened up when he saw me coming, and I swear, he had the audacity to look relieved. Relieved! I stopped just short of him, eyes locked onto his. “El,” he waved. “Why are you here, Nate?” I snapped. “Did your minions tell you I found the tail you sent to follow me, and now you’re doing it yourself, or what?” “Minions?” “Don’t play dumb with me, Nate. I know you sent that guard or whatever to tail me,” I spat, running my hand through my hair with zero care who might be watching. “I don’t know why I keep thinking you’ll ever chang
ELARA’S POV Nico’s words struck something in me. I hated that he was right. Hated it even more that I couldn’t argue back. But can I really blame him? I let this happen. Asher said he was told to keep an eye on Mrs. Hales. Only one person would call me that. Nate. Mimi called him my husband too. Of course it was him. Who else would have the money, the reach, or the nerve? He said he was changing. Said he wanted to be better. And after Mimi called me, and told me what he did… a little part of me wanted believe that he was maybe changing. But then he does this? Hiring someone to follow me without saying a word? He’s going back to doing that again. Acting like he knows what’s best for me. “Asher, right?” I ask calmly, even though my chest feels like it’s twisting in on itself. He nods, eyes down, clearly uncomfortable. “You can go.” I hand him his ID card. “What do you mean he can go?” Nico snaps, cutting through the moment like a blade. His fists are cle
ELARA’S POV “Why were you following us?” Nico barked, tightening his grip around the stranger’s throat. The man shoved at Nico’s arm, trying to break free, but before he could get a good grip, Nico slammed him back against the wall again. His fist connected with the guy’s jaw, knocking the sunglasses clean off his face. Even though he was muscular, the man looked young. Maybe nineteen, maybe even younger. “I. Was. Not. Following you!” he spat, trying to wriggle out of Nico’s hold, but Nico was stronger and his grip firm. “Who sent you?” Nico growled, jaw tight as the man’s face began turning red. “Call the cops, El,” Nico ordered, My hands fumbled with my bag as I scrambled for my phone, nerves making my fingers clumsy. “Wait!" i pause,"Please, it’s not what you think,” he forced out, voice tight. Nico’s grip didn’t waver. His arm locked the guy in place, pinning him hard against the wall. He opened his mouth again, tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. “P
ELARA’S POV I simply stared at him, no words coming out. I was still trying to process why he was here. Now, of all times — after being gone for what felt like forever. It had been months, and the last time we saw each other, we didn’t exactly part on good terms. At least, that’s how I remembered it. “It’s been a while, El,” he said, his smirk widening as he lowered himself into the chair across from mine. He pushed a cup across the table. “Have the coffee. It’s just the way you like it in june- full of ice, lots of milk, and extra whipped cream.” My gaze dropped to the cup in front of me. It was sweating lightly, the ice already beginning to melt. As tempting as it looked, I didn’t take a sip. Instead, I reached out and moved it to the side of my desk. “Thank you for the coffee,” I said, forcing a small smile. “It’s been a while, Nico. Where have you been?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral. He leaned back in his chair, one arm slung casually over the side. “Well, you know… bus