Page 125 of Freefall

I grab a package of chicken and a bag of green beans, dropping both onto the counter. “You don’t see how that's a problem? You don't see an issue with tracking me without my permission in the first place?”

“No.”

He says it with so much conviction, and yet it’s so hard to believe.

“No?” I repeat, grabbing a knife and slicing into the plastic around the chicken.

“No, Harper. I don’t see how it’s a problem to be concerned about the whereabouts of my child and my…”

The knife clatters onto the counter as I spin around. “Your what, Nate? What am I to you? Because a few nights ago I poured my heart out and you said you needed more time.” I turn back to the counter, bracing my hands against the edge. I don’t know how long I stay like that, but when I finally speak again, my words are so soft, I can barely hear them over the thudding of my heart.

“I think you need help.”

“I need help?” His voice is still calm, but it has a dark edge to it now.

“This obsessive need to control everything around you…it’s not healthy.”

A sarcastic laugh tumbles out of him. “What about you? Was making your point so important that you had to act like a desperate teenager to get my attention?”

His words are icy, pricking at my skin with every syllable as the heat of his body grows closer. The contradiction makes my head spin. I shove the chicken away and turn to face him.

“Why are you even here, Nate?” I snap. “I’m fine. Daisy is fine. Everyone is safe, so why the hell are you still standing in my house?”

“Your house.” He laughs again. “I guess she’ll always be your daughter too. You made sure of that. All of this…” He gestures around the kitchen. “It was all pretend. Like Jace said, right?”

I see the regret hit him the second the words leave his mouth, but it's too late. The ache burrows deep in my chest, in the special place I keep reserved for when the people I love most disappoint me.

Because that's all this has been.

One big, fat disappointment.

“Leave my brother out of this,” I hiss. “He has nothing to do with us.”

I brush past Nate, yank open a cabinet, and pull out a cutting board.

“You know, when I realized you were tracking me, all I could think was that you were right. We did need more time.” I set the board down harder than necessary. “But now it’s so clear. I don’t know how I even convinced myself we could work. We don’t need time, Nate.” I finally allow myself to look up at him. “It was never going to work.”

“Harper.”

“You can’t even kiss me,” I yell. “Not once. I’ve initiated it every single time.”

“Maybe so, but I haven’t touched another woman since you came back into my life.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you had a man here the other day when Jace showed up the first time. I’ve let it go until now⁠—”

“Oh, you’ve let it go?” I snap. “How generous of you.”

“Harp—”

“I told you TJ is a friend and a colleague. He came over to borrow a lens for his camera. Look, Nate. I’m not naive enough to believe in a perfect relationship, but there’s flawed, and then there’s whatever the fuck we are.”

He doesn’t try to stop me this time. He stands there taking every hit like a boxer throwing the fight.

“Did you ever even stop to think about how we met? Outside of a therapist’s office, where we both proceeded to deny ourselves the help we so clearly needed and started an all-consuming relationship instead? You don’t think that tells you something?”

“I didn’t need therapy,” he says softly. “All I needed was you.”