Page 114 of Bound By Words

Nathan turned me toward him, pulling me into his chest and using his finger to tilt my chin upward. “We can leave if you want to. We can walk out that door now if this is too much for you. I don’t owe her a thing, and she doesn’t get to manipulate us to get what she wants.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the petite blonde woman cradling her distended stomach, watching the four of us somberly. I wanted to be mad at her, furious that she continued manipulating Nathan even after their relationship had dissipated. I knew how things ended bothered him and that he was concerned for her well-being, not because he still had feelings but because he was kind.

Nathan disliked manipulating or lying to people, and I knew she’d hurt him deeply by violating his boundaries. He’d been honest with me about what he wanted for his future. And while part of me would always mourn the child I’d never been given the privilege of meeting, I was at peace knowing I’d never be a mother. And I knew Nathan would support me as I tried to heal the broken pieces of my heart the miscarriage had left behind.

Talia stepped in beside us, laying her palm against my back as she talked to Nathan. “I’ll watch over Kelly while you take care of this. I see a few people I can introduce her to. You know Mar won’t let this go. If you don’t do this now, she’ll keep trying.”

“It’s alright if you want to talk to her,” I whispered as I reached up to cup his cheek. His jaw flexed underneath my palm, and I wanted to take all this stress away from him. “She has things she needs to say to you. I’ll be safe with Talia. If you want to, go speak to her.”

“But…” he trailed off as he closed his eyes, his chest heaving. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, trailing my thumb across his cheekbone.

“Fuck, I can’t believe she’s pulling this,” he sighed as his jaw clenched, shaking his head before looking at Talia. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”

I wanted to laugh at his possessive comment, but I knew it was only because he was concerned about my reaction to this situation. While it appeared to be an innocent cocktail party from the outside, I’d seen enough women wearing almost scandalously cut dresses and various people with collars around their necks to know this was just the precursor of what would come.

“I can scare away anyone undesirable with my resting bitch face. We’ll be fine.” She nodded toward where our hosts were still waiting for an answer. “Grayson seems to be watching her every move. I don’t think she’s going to try anything shady.”

Grayson nodded at me as I glanced over at him. I knew he was only trying to ensure his partner got the closure she needed. Maybe it’d help Nathan let go of his resentment toward Marisa. We both deserved to continue this relationship without the old baggage weighing us down.

“Look at me, stud,” I murmured, smiling at how his eyes softened when his gaze met mine. “Go say what you need to say, and then we can move on together.”

His eyes scanned my face, his jaw clenching before he nodded once, leaning forward to peck my lips. Nathan took a deep breath and released my hand, walking quickly toward Grayson, with Emory following close behind.

NATHAN

Boston

Talia tugged Kelly away from me, walking across the room to a group of people I recognized from some local munches. Even though I was hesitant to walk away from her in a room full of people unfamiliar to her, I knew she was right. I did need to put this in my past. Kelly was my future. And Talia introducing her to our wide circle of friends would hopefully make her feel secure that her place in my life was as a partner. And not the temporary kind.

“Let’s talk somewhere with a little more privacy,” Grayson suggested as he grasped Marisa’s hand and turned toward a hallway tucked off to the side of the expansive living room. Marisa clung to his arm as he took measured steps, slowing his stride for her benefit.

“You alright with this?” Emory whispered as we followed them down the hallway side by side.

“Don’t think I have an option at this point,” I hissed back as Grayson stopped at a closed door and pulled a key from his pocket, quickly unlocking it and pushing it open.

“I guess you hear what she wants, and we’ll decide if we leave afterward,” Em whispered before we reached the door, slipping in after the other two.

“Emory and I will stay here as representatives,” Grayson told us as he released Marisa’s hand, and she walked toward a set of windows along the edge of the large room that appeared to be Grayson’s office. “Care for a drink, Mr. Gage?”

Emory squeezed my arm as I turned to follow Marisa, giving me a loaded look that he’d be watching. I appreciated having him here. With both witnesses in the room, one being Marisa’s fiancé, I knew she’d likely behave herself. I just wasn’t sure if I cared to hear what she had to say.

“You wanted to speak to me?” I asked as I stepped around her toward the windows overlooking the expansive backyard. Grayson was able to offer her a much more lavish lifestyle than I ever would have been capable of doing. Why she was still fixated on me was baffling.

“I know you probably hate me, but I wanted to tell you that I was sorry,” Marisa spoke quietly, staring at the floor as she stood beside me, her voice soft. I couldn’t tell if she was playing up her submissive nature or if she was truly repentant.

“I don’t hate you. I want nothing to do with you. What you and Grace did was completely unacceptable. Period. End of discussion.”

“I know. It was absolutely terrible,” she agreed, finally looking at me. “But I needed to apologize to you personally.”

“To make yourself feel better?” I hissed, feeling guilty as she flinched, but I was tired of tempering my feelings to please others. “What exactly is the point of cornering me at a party you lured me to under false pretenses to do that? I’m here with someone else. I’ve moved on. And you need to do the same.”

“I know. I’ve moved on, too, but what I did to you and Grace was disgusting. I’m disgusted with myself. My first instinct was to blame it on the hormones, but that’s a cop-out. I was jealous. There isn’t any other reason than that. I wasn’t enough for you, and it made me jealous that you went to Grace for what I couldn’t give you.”

“Don’t make this about me. You went to other men to get what you needed outside our dynamic. And you wanted something you knew I would never give you,“ I said, nodding at her stomach. She’d known going in that children were not in my future. I hadn’t lied or misled her.

A large part of me was thankful for having done what I needed to protect myself so I wasn’t tied to Marisa’s manipulative behavior for the rest of my life. A smaller part was sad for her. That she’d been that desperate. She lied to and manipulated me, and likely Grayson too, to get what she wanted—a child.

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