Nathan shoves his hands into his coat pockets. “It’s cool, you don’t have to explain. Some guys… they get under your skin, you know? Even when you think you’re over it, there’s just something aboutthem.Like your body remembers before your brain does.”
His voice is casual, but there’s something in it—like maybe he knows exactly what he’s talking about.
I glance over. “You too?”
Nathan shrugs one shoulder, not looking at me. “We all have that one, right?”
My chest tightens, but I nod. Because yeah. We do.
Nathan must notice, because he lets out a quiet laugh and looks back at me, eyes soft. “Yeah. Thought so.”
I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair. “I’m trying. I really thought I could—” I break off. Shake my head. “Sorry. You didn’t sign up to be someone’s emotional rebound therapy session.”
“Hey.” Nathan’s tone is warm, not pitiful. “I’m the one who swiped right too, remember?”
That gets a real smile out of me.
“I like talking to you,” he adds. “You’re funny. A little intense. But it’s a good intense.”
I laugh softly. “Yeah. That’s the Maddox charm.”
He nudges me with his shoulder as we start walkingagain. “Well, for what it’s worth, I don’t mind being the guy who helps you start moving forward. Even if I’m not the one you’re walking toward.”
I swallow hard, throat tight.
We walk another half block in silence before I slow down, hands tucked deep in my coat pockets, breath puffing in front of me in the cold night air.
“I appreciate tonight,” I say quietly, glancing over at Nathan. “I really do.”
He lifts a brow. “But?”
I give him a small, sheepish smile. “But I think I just figured out that this… going out, trying to flirt, putting myself out there—I think I did it to prove I wasn’t broken.”
Nathan tilts his head slightly, like he gets it.
“I’m not ready,” I admit. “Not for dating. Not for anything like that. It’s not what I need right now.”
He exhales, long and slow. “That’s actually a really healthy thing to realize.”
I let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah, well. Took me long enough.”
“I’ve gone on plenty of dates trying to forget someone,” he says, voice softer now. “Never worked.”
“Same,” I murmur. “Except this was my first. And probably my last—for a while.”
Nathan stops walking and faces me. “You don’t owe anyone your healing timeline, Luke. Least of all a guy you just met.”
I blink, kind of stunned by how cool he’s being about this.
He grins. “Besides, you’re hot. You’ll have a line when you’re ready.”
That pulls a genuine laugh out of me, and I shake my head. “Thanks for understanding.”
Nathan offers his hand. I shake it.
“Good luck, Luke,” he says, stepping back with a smile. “I think you’re gonna be just fine.”
I watch him walk away into the night, and for the first time in a long time… I believe it.
