I still, caught between realizing what he’s done and acknowledging how flawlessly he’s done it.
He waited for me to think I’d won. And now, he’s bargaining.
I laugh, nervous but still lighthearted, trying to brush it off as a joke. “I didn’t realize this was a negotiation.”
Nathaniel’s fingers curl under my chin, tilting my face up toward his.
“Hmm?” His voice is so unbothered—as if this were the most natural request in the world. His thumb strokes the curve of my jaw, feather-light. “You don’t expect me to suffer your absence the whole night, do you?”
I should say no, set some healthy boundaries.
But then his thumb drags over my bottom lip, eyes dark and knowing. “Come home to me after.”
Home.He always says it like there’s no alternative.
At my hesitation, he leans in, pressing his lips to my temple—soft, coaxing—before trailing down to my cheek. Then, finally, just barely ghosting over my mouth. A shiver rolls through me.
“I won’t sleep well without you,” he murmurs. “Can you really bear the thought of me tossing and turning, plagued by how much I miss you?”
I try to hold onto the thread of resistance, but then he presses a lingering kiss to the delicate hinge of my jaw, his breath warm against my skin.
“Just say yes, baby.”
I exhale shakily. “Okay.”
A grin breaks across his face—so genuine, so boyish that it would have been disarming if I didn’t already know how meticulously crafted his every move was.
“Perfect,” he says, voice warm with triumph. “Text me when you’re ready, baby. I’ll pick you up. I don’t like the idea of you walking alone at night.”
I hum in acknowledgment as I gather my things. “All right.”
Nathaniel watches me closely.
He’s pleased with himself, with me, with everything.
And when I’m done packing up, he stands along with me, stepping into my space. He leans in, catching my lips with his, his tongue slipping easily into my mouth.
As always, I melt against him.
He kisses me slow, deep—not demanding, but final.
A promise.
A claim.
When he finally pulls away, his thumb strokes my cheek as he whispers, “See you later, baby. I’ll be thinking about you.”
And then he sits again, calm and composed, as if he hasn’t just secured another quiet victory.
The walkto Sophie’s apartment is short, the crisp night air biting at my cheeks as I pull my coat tighter around myself. It feels good, though—just me, the hum of the city, and the sound of my own footsteps. An almost forgotten feeling.
Nathaniel let me go without a fight. That in itself was surprising. I’d half-expected him to insist on dropping me off—knowing full well he’d stay. But he didn’t.
I decide not to think too much about it.
Instead, I focus on the simple pleasure of moving through the city on my own. No lingering glances from classmates, no weight of expectation pressing against my skin. I let myself enjoy it.
When I arrive at Sophie’s building, I take the elevator up to her floor and walk down the short hallway before arriving at her door. I knock, and the muffled sounds of laughter and clinking bottles cut off.
