Harleigh
The next morning,Celeste and Miles left together to get breakfast.
Zane glared at their car as it disappeared down the street.
“Why are you acting so weird?” Chloe said, and he threw her a dirty look before storming off toward Nix’s car.
“Was it something I said?” She chuckled, but no one else laughed. “Harleigh Wren, don’t be a stranger.” She came over and hugged me. “You’ve got my number, use it.”
Oddly, her and Celeste had also traded numbers. But they had hit it off, the two of them more similar than I’d ever realized.
“Thank you.” I hugged her back before Nix grew impatient and tugged me into his arms.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” he said to Kye and Chloe.
“Clo is right.” Kye grinned as if the past was already erased between us and everything was normal again. “It’s good to have you back, B.” The two of them got in Nix’s car leaving me, Nix, and Nate.
“I’ll… uh, wait in the car,” he said.
“I fucking hate this,” Nix breathed, pulling me into his arms. “I should be the one driving you home, not Miller.”
“It’s just a ride home.”
His eyes narrowed, swirling with anger. “Still don’t like it. You’re mine, B. Last night was… fuck, it was everything.”
It had been. Falling asleep in his arms, sleepy and sated. Waking up to his intense gray eyes watching me, kissing him good morning, feeling the heat of his body pressed against mine.
I couldn’t remember sleeping that well in a really long time.
“This is our reality, Nix. I live here now. And you—”
“Don’t.” He huffed. “Don’t worry, B, I haven’t forgotten where I come from.”
“Please.” I tugged on his hoodie. “Don’t do this. I don’t want us to argue before I have to go back there.”
“Shit, B. I’m sorry.” He dipped his head, touching it to mine, and breathing me in. “I know this isn’t going to be easy. I just need you to stick with me, Birdie. Can you do that?”
I slid my hands up his chest, fighting back the tears burning the backs of my eyes, and nodded.
“Now kiss me like you mean it,” he said, his voice low and husky, hitting me straight in the stomach. “I want to be able to taste you all day.”
Our lips met as silent tears rolled down my cheeks. God, I hated this. I didn’t want to say goodbye. Not now, not ever. But things were different. And I didn’t doubt Michael would go to great lengths to keep us apart if he’d already intervened last year.
Nix pulled away first, kissing me once. Twice. Dropping a final kiss on my forehead. “Text me as soon as you can, okay?”
I nodded, stepping back and wrapping my arms around myself, trying to hold in my tears. My broken bloody heart.
It wasn’t fair.
Nothing about this was.
And as I watched him walk backwards to his car, his eyes never once leaving mine, the harsh truth slammed into me.
I’d spent the last nine months hating him and it was nothing but a dirty lie.
The sun was cresting on the horizon, as Nate pulled up outside my father’s estate.
“Thanks for the ride, and for… everything.” I unbuckled my belt.