Nathan lets out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, I’m figuring that out.”
He leans back, shaking his head like he’s trying to shake off the weight of my words. Then he looks at me again, more flustered than angry now. “Are you still in love with him?”
That question makes my breath catch.
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
Nathan goes still. The hurt in his eyes flashes fast, but it lands like a punch.
“You don’t know?” He repeats, slower this time. “Kenna, we’ve been together for months. You’ve let me into your world, mostly. I’ve been patient. I try to give you your space and understand. What the hell are we doing here if you don’t know if you’re still in love with your ex?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. He’s not wrong, and the silence feels louder than any answer I could give.
He exhales, rubbing a hand down his jaw. “Is that why I haven’t met Cohen?”
My stomach twists. “Nathan…”
“No, seriously.” His voice sharpens but doesn’t rise. “I’ve met your parents, had beers with your brothers. Your sisters practically interrogated me over dinner. I’ve shown up, done everything right. But I haven’t even met your son. And honestly, I don’t know...maybe you don’t fully trust me with that part of your life. Or maybe it’s just because he’s not mine.”
The blood drains from my face, and I grip the edge of the bar for balance.
“That isn’t fair,” I mumble.
Nathan leans in closer. “Then tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you’re not still tangled up with Cole. That you’re not keeping me at arm’s length because he has a grip on your heart.”
I stare at him. My throat is tight, and I can’t say it. I can’t lie.
Nathan lets out a bitter laugh and shakes his head. “You can’t, can you?”
The silence between us turns hard, like stone.
“I don’t want to be your second place, Kenna,” he says, voice low. “I want a future with someone who sees me. Not someone who’s still staring at the past.”
His words crack something in me—not because I don’t care about him, but because I do. Just not in the way I should. Not in the way he deserves.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I whisper.
The way he is looking at me like that only makes it worse.
“You’re not a bad person,” he says. “But you’re not ready. And I’m done pretending that’s okay with me.”
That’s when the tension hits its peak—and Cole’s voice cuts through the din behind us.
“Everything okay here?”
The sound of Cole’s voice cuts through the bar like a whip. Calm. Low. But loaded.
Nathan turns slowly, tension rolling off him in waves. I instinctively shift, stepping back a little. I don’t fear either of them, but I suddenly feel like the air has been sucked out of the room.
Cole’s eyes flick between us. He’s standing just a few feet away with his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. His shoulders are tight. Alert. Ready.
“I didn’t realize this was a reunion,” Nathan mutters under his breath, jaw ticking.
“It wasn’t,” I say quickly, glancing between them. “Cole??—”
“You looked upset,” Cole says, his gaze locking on mine. There’s something gentler in his voice now. Quieter. Protective. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically, but it doesn’t feel true, and we all know it.
