My fingers close around the device, suddenly heavy like a loaded weapon. Turning it on makes my stomach twist into a hard, cold knot. Still, I punch in the code, watching the screen light up—bright, innocent, unaware of the damage it might carry.
My hands are stiff as I tap into my email. A few new messages flash across the screen.
Then I see them.
I open the folder. The images load slowly, like they’re daring me to look.
Wordlessly, I hand the phone to Alice. My heart is pounding so hard I can barely hear anything else.
“Nathan, you know who's this one? That was Landlon—the real estate guy she was working with. He’s been trying to get close to her for months. She told me she thought he was delaying her contract with misspellings just to see her often. He was always flirting, always overstepping. Morris put him in his place before Isabel since he doesn’t get the message.”
I stare at her, my mind spinning. “You’re telling me she wasn’t...?”
“She was just trying to get through a tough situation. Landlon’s been pushing her for a while now, and Isabel’s been trying to keep it professional, but he just won’t back off. That smile? It wasn’t a sign of affection. It was a signal to Morris when it got too much to handle without making a scene.”
The knot in my chest loosens, just a fraction, but the guilt still stings. “I never gave her the chance to explain. I just... assumed.”
Alice sighs, a touch of sadness in her voice. “You jumped to conclusions because you’re afraid, Nathan. You’re scared of what your injury means, what kind of life you’re going to have now. And you pushed her away to protect yourself. But you’re hurting her in the process. You’ve got to fix this. You have a chance here, but only if you’re brave enough to take it.”
I clench my jaw, the weight of everything I’ve done sitting heavy on my shoulders. “But what if she doesn’t want me anymore?”
Alice gives me a hard, pointed look. “If you think that’s true, then you’re even more of an idiot than I thought. Isabel loves you, Nathan. She’s been here every day, sitting by your side. She’s barely left this room, except to have tea. She’s stuck by you through all of this, and now you want to let her go because of a misunderstanding?”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “I pushed her away because she deserves to be happy even without me. I may not be able to walk anymore and I think deep down I wanted to believe those pictures were real to give me strength to let her go.”
Alice shakes her head, her expression softening. “You’re a fool if you think that. She’s not happy without you, Nathan. And right now, you need to stop pushing her away. If you love her, you fight for her. But you’ve got to stop hiding behind your pride and insecurities.”
“I can’t,” I admit with a whisper. “Not until I know I can be back on my feet.”
“It’s your call to make.” She rolls her eyes as I said the biggest bullshit ever!
Chapter 28
Isabel
I pace the quiet hallway, trying to calm down, to be rational—but my heart is thundering and my thoughts are anything but calm.
Nathan can’t call off our wedding.
He won’t.
He can’t possibly believe I would just leave him like this. That I’d run off and let him go through everything alone. What the hell are you thinking, Nathan? What’s your game here?
I press the heel of my palm to my chest, right where it aches. This can’t be fake. It wasn’t fake. What we shared… it was real. It meant something. The way he touched me, the way he whispered my name, the way his eyes searched mine like he was trying to memorize my soul.
So what the hell changed?
“Is everything okay?” Morris brings over some food and chocolate. My stomach knot and I have to hold my breath.
“Yeah, sure.” I lie.
Alice approaches and looks disappointed. She briefly hugs me before eyeing Morris’ tray.
“How’s he?” I ask her.
“He’s more stubborn than you, but you two need to talk. The nurse is giving him some painkillers.”
My vision blurs. I’m not ready to back down and annul our marriage. I hug her tighter and spin around to head back to his room.
