Page 83 of Harmony

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“So what happened after Willow got hurt. I thought we were getting closer that night then you pulled away.”

He looks to the ceiling, taking a deep breath. “I was disappointed in you. I thought we were getting somewhere too. I knew you pretended to hate me back then. We had a connection that couldn’t be denied. Fuck, Chase teased me mercilessly for it. Then I found out you lied. You helped Willow escape.”

“You were angry.”

He shakes his head. “I wanted to be, but I couldn’t. She’s your best friend. You were being loyal to her. It was a punch in the gut that you didn’t trust me. That and I was really worried you almost drowned, so to find out it was all part of some sort of plan made me feel like a fool.”

Reaching up, I cup his cheek. “I really did almost drown. That wasn’t part of a plan. You saved my life.”

Leaning in quickly, he pecks a kiss to my lips. “Fuck. Had I not been so far in my head, this might have all gone differently.”

I shake my head. “No. It would have only made it harder. I would have still done what I did and we would’ve only been hurt more because I would have had you and still had to give you up. We still wouldn’t have been able to tell you the plan because you would never agree to it.”

“Fuck no. I never want to see you in danger.”

“Exactly. It wasn’t your decision to make. Thinking you hated me only made the decision easier to make. Why not use your hatred of me as my in? The whole school already knew you picked on me relentlessly. They would have never bought it otherwise.”

“Even pretending to hate you, I couldn’t stand you being hurt. Fuck, I couldn’t stay away from you,” he says, squeezing me tight.

“That’s why they made you a target. They saw how you were with me. Said I was the only one who could infiltrate. Between Jared, Tiffany, and Mr. Kendall, they kept a close eye on us. Nate, they recorded us together.”

“What do you mean?” He frowns.

“Remember when we had sex in the locker room?” I ask, continuing after he nods. “They recorded us. We have a sex tape, Nate.”

Nate cringes. “I hope it was good at least,” he says, making me slap his chest. “Don’t worry. The tape will be found and wiped out of existence and the people will pay for what they did.”

Leaning up, I press my lips to his. “That should scare me, but it only makes me feel protected. Safe.”

“That’s all I want. To see you happy.”

The next kiss he presses is harder. Within a breath, he pushes his tongue into my mouth. I cling to him just as desperately. I shift so I’m straddling his hips, but stop when he hisses.

“Are you okay?”

He pulls my lips back into his. “Bruised or broken rib. I’m fine.”

I try to pull back, my eyes wide, but he doesn’t let me move an inch.

“I’m fine. I need this. I need to know you’re really here with me.”

“Nate, you’re hurt.”

“Fuck it,” he murmurs before he flips me so I’m on my back.

He wheezes out a breath but starts kissing down my neck when he can breathe again.

My mind is warring. I want to check on him, but I also kind of need this.

Then it dawns on me. I never returned his feelings.

“Nate. Wait. Stop.”

He pauses, leaning up with concern in his eyes.

“I love you, Nate.”

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