Chapter 64
Nathan nodded, his expression patient. “That’s all I ask.”
Trying to change the subject, I offered, “I’ll ask the driver to take you home.”
Nathan stood, thanking everyone for their hospitality. As he headed for the door, Faith called out from the nursery.
“Don’t be a stranger, Nathan!”
He chuckled and waved before disappearing through the front door
The moment he was gone, Faith rushed into the room, dramatically handing the baby off to Dominic before throwing herself onto the couch beside me.
“Raina, that man is handsome,” she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You’d better not waste time. Go out with him!”
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “I don’t want a relationship right now,” I said firmly. “Not when everything is such a mess.”
Faith softened, her tone shifting from playful to understanding. “It’s okay to be scared,” she said gently. “But you don’t have to jump into anything serious. Take it slow, see how it goes.”
I nodded, though her words only added to the jumble of thoughts in my mind. “I need to get out of this dress,” I mumbled, standing up.
Once I was in my room, I immediately stripped off the emerald–green dress and tossed it onto the bed. The fabric still smelled faintly of the restaurant, a subtle reminder of the evening I wanted to forget.
I told myself I needed another shower, hoping the warm water would help me clear my head.
As the spray cascaded over me, I found my thoughts drifting to Nathan. His calm demeanor, the way he stepped in when I needed help, the way he looked at me as if I were the only person in the room.
And then, unbidden, I started comparing him to Alex.
Not once had Alex ever protected me the way Nathan had tonight. He’d been too consumed with his own anger, his own ego, to
see what I needed.
Nathan, on the other hand… he was thoughtful. Gentle.
But would he accept my children as his own?
The question caught me off guard, and I felt my chest tighten. I didn’t have an answer, and that scared me.
Shaking off the thought, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. I couldn’t think about this now—not when everything was still so complicated.
Later that night, as I climbed into bed, my phone buzzed with a new message.
Nathan: “Goodnight, Raina. I hope you sleep well. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.”
A small smile tugged at my lips despite my better judgment.
The next morning, I threw myself into work, determined to avoid any more emotional entanglements.
But, of course, Alex made that impossible.
He’d been texting me nonstop–apologies, explanations, and vague mentions of “something important” he needed to tell me.
By the time noon rolled around, I was ready to block his number for good.
