Chapter 17:
After spending some time at Hazel’s office, I decided to head back to my apartment. My body felt heavy with exhaustion, every muscle aching from the weight of the day I needed rest–desperately!!
When I arrived home, I found my car still parked in the basement, untouched. I took the elevator up to the ninth floor, my thoughts drifting as the numbers blinked before me })
The moment I stepped into the hallway, my gaze instinctively flickered toward Nathan’s unit. His door was tightly shut, a stark contrast to the usual warmth that radiated from it
Was he mad at me?!!
I hadn’t done anything wrong–at least, I didn’t think so. I had only told the truth. That he was just my neighbor.)
But then, why did I feel this strange tug of guilt in my chest?)
Okay, fine. I admit it. Nathan is nice–really nice. His presence has this inexplicable way of making me feel at ease, like the world isn’t as heavy when he’s around
I hesitated in front of his door, my fingers hovering over the doorbell. The floor was quiet, no paparazzi lurking around. I could do this. Before I could press the button, the door swung open.)!
Nathan stood there, his expression unreadable. There was no teasing gnn, no amused glint in his eyes. Just nothing.
“HI said, my voice laced with uncertainty
“What?” His tone was flat.
My heart clenched.
Where was the Nathan who always found a way to make me laugh? The one who throw indiculous phrases at me just to get a reaction? The one who never looked at me with anything less than warmth?
Something about his indifference shattered me in a way I wasn’t prepared for:||
Tears welled in my eyes before I could stop them I didn’t know why, but I hated this tension between us. I hated that he wasn’t being himself with me
Nathan let out a deep breath and, without a word, stepped aside silently inviting me in 3
But instead of moving, my tears fell harder
The moment they did; Nathan’s expression shifted. In the next second, his arms were around me, his warmth seeping into my cold skin
“Hey, don’t cry,” he murmured, his large hand stroking my hair with a tendemess that made my heart ache
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry” I sobbed against his chest “Tjust=“”
Nathan shushed me softly pulling me closer
I didn’t even know what I was apologizing for. Maybe for pushing him away, for creating this invisible distance between us. Maybe because, deep down, I knew he didn’t deserve it.
He tilted my chin up, his gaze gentler now–just as I had longed for
My breath hitched when he leaned in, his lips mere inches from mine. I could feel his breath against my damp skin, sending a shiver down my spine.X
And then, without thinking, I closed my eyes.X
His lips met mine, slow and soft, as if he were savoring the moment. The kiss was warm, soothing, and yet, it sent fire through my veins. My sobs faded, replaced by the rapid beat of my heart
The world around me blurred, leaving only the intoxicating sensation of Nathan’s lips moving against mine, gentle yet firm, coaxing me into surrender
When he pulled away, I found myself breathless, my fingers still curled against his shirt as if reluctant to let go.
What’s happening to me?:
“Feel better?” Nathan asked, his voice low and husky “Want hot chocolate? Or milk?
His casual question made my heart stutter
“Yeah thanks,” I murmured.
Nathan nodded, heading toward the kitchen. But I remained frozen in the middle of the living room, my fingers brushing my lips in disbelief
We just kissed.
And it wasn’t just a kiss.!!
It was something more!
Nathan always had a way of pulling me back from the storm raging in my life. With him, I wasn’t drowning in the chaos of my reality -I was simply here, in this moment, feeling something I wasn’t sure I was ready to name.!!
My gaze wandered to the couch, where a pile of clothes lay scattered. Was he heading to work? He once told me he only went in when it was important
Was I interrupting him?
Was I interrupting him?
I tried to brush the thought away, but my eyes landed on something else–a lanyard sitting on the table.
Curious, I stepped closer, my fingers reaching for the ID card attached to it. My breath caught the moment I read the name.
My body went rigid.
I knew this name?
I knew this face.
Nathan.
Cero X
The realization crashed over
er me, and when I turned around, Nathan was already there, watching me.
“Sharon-”
“Can you explain this, Nathan?” My voice trembled slightly as I held up the lanyard.
Nathan exhaled slowly, not rushing to snatch it from my hand. Instead, he calmly handed me the glass of milk he had just prepared.
I took it but my gaze never left his.
His next words were quiet, almost resigned. “I think you already figured it out.”
“You’re. Cero? I barely recognized my own voice..
Nathan nodded. “Yeah.7
My stomach twisted…
The clothes on the couch–the same ones he wore when we met at Hazel’s office. The way he had been avoiding job. The way he carried himself in both personas, so different yet so unmistakably him.
q questions about his
It was all true…
And then another realization hit me..
“Was it because of that awful news that you told me to stay away?
Nathan’s jaw clenched. He took a step forward, his presence commanding, but his touch was gentle as he brushed a stray my cheek.X
tear
ar from
“I swear,” he murmured, his voice dark with an edge of something dangerous. “I’ll make them pay for making you feel like you had to push me away.
A shiver ran down my spine
“They?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper!!
He nodded. “Grace. And her affair”
The air left my lungs.!
Grace.
She was behind the story that tarnished my name.
Nathan knew!
And I had no doubt he would do something about its
“I’ll show you,” he said, guiding me toward a room next to his bedroom.
The door opened, revealing an entire space filled with high end electronic equipment, screens displaying various feeds
It was undeniable now.
Nathan wasn’t just my neighbor
He wasn’t just the annoying, charming man who had somehow become my safe place.X
He was Cero.i
“Nathan” I called, making him turn to me with that soft gaze a again.
That gaze I had missed.
“What?” he asked
I hesitated, then blurted. “Do you have two personalities?”
It was a ridiculous question, but I needed to ask.
The Nathan I knew was warm, lively, and annoyingly cheerful. But Cero? He was sharp, calculating, and dangerously mysterious!
Nathan laughed, a rich, amused sound that sent warmth through my chest
“Let’s just say that, honey he teased, winking
I rolled my eyes, but my heart wasn’t fooled
Because now, I knew!
Nathan and Cero were one and the same.
