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Chapter 8
My words made Nathaniel’s brows knit tight. It was as if he was afraid I’d say something else he didn’t wan another word, he grabbed Vanessa and walked away.
Julian broke the silence first. “That’s him, isn’t it? The man you spent three years searching for.”
her to hear. Without
I didn’t answer right away. It wasn’t surprising–everyone in our circle knew I’d been searching for Nathaniel. Of course Julian had
heard.
“Yeah,” I said finally.
Julian lit a cigarette, irritation flickering in his eyes. “So that’s why you were such a wreck back then.”
My brows drew together. “What kind of wreck?”
“You walked around like someone had died.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Well, now my fiancé is you.”
A slow smile curved his mouth. The usual carefree glint in his eyes was replaced by something sharper–more serious. “Belle, I’m not a saint. You can lean on me, use me as your lifeline if you have to. But we’re engaged now. You know what that means.”
There was jealousy in his voice–he didn’t need to spell it out.
We moved in together soon after.
On moving day, I spotted Nathaniel downstairs.
It had been a week since he’d left with Vanessa. For three years I couldn’t stop thinking about him, but somehow, in the span of one week, he hadn’t crossed my mind once.
His eyes were rimmed red; a mix of resentment and helplessness.
“A little over a year ago, I came back,” he said hoarsely. “I went to Portland to find you, but a man answered your phone. Julian, right?”
His voice hardened. “Belle, in that moment, I hated you. I was gone for barely a year and you’d already moved on. So I left again.”
His gaze dropped briefly before meeting mine again. “When I saw you at the wedding, I felt… this twisted sense of revenge. That’s why I
married Vanessa.”
I smiled faintly. “Want to know why Julian answered my phone that day?”
His eyes locked on mine; unblinking.
“I was diagnosed with depression,” I said evenly. “A year ago, I tried to end my life. I couldn’t find you, so I slit my wrists in the bathroom, thinking I’d join you.”
The words hit him like a physical blow. His tall frame seemed to fold in on itself.
“Julian was my doctor,” I continued. “He stayed by my side in the ICU for a week.”
Nathaniel stared at me, pale and stunned, as if the ground had shifted beneath him. For a long moment, he couldn’t speak.
Finally, his voice came, trembling. “Belle… will you wait for me? Vanessa’s pregnant. She saved my life once–I can’t leave her now. But after she gives birth, I’ll divorce her. I’ll make it right. I swear…”
Chapter 8
