Page 118 of Forsaken Oath

I’m falling for him.

No, that’s not quite right either.

I already fell.

Completely and utterly in love.

Oh, god, I’m in love with him.

It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

This feeling, this depth of emotion, is unfamiliar territory for me. Loving him—being lovedby him—feels as natural as breathing. But a small, stubborn part of me resists, unused to this kind of soul-deep happiness. Afraid it can’t possibly last.

I shake my head, dismissing the thought. I refuse to let my fears and doubts taint this perfect, shining moment. Beau has proven himself, time and again. He's not going anywhere.

And for the first time in a long time, I’m not scared.

A knock at the front door jolts me from my reverie. I glance at the clock, frowning. Beau and I are meeting in a little while, and no one knocks that politely here. Curious, I pad to the door and peek through the peephole.

Nate stands on the front porch, hands clasped behind his back and head tilted so he’s looking across my lawn, toward his house.

I hesitate, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Things have been a little weird between us lately, kind of strained and distant.

I know he was really busy doing something for Levi, so maybe it’s just all in my head. I shrug it off and remind myself that he’s my best friend, and he’s had my back for years.

I paste a smile on my face and open the door. “Nate, hey. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

He turns to face me, his expression unreadable. "We need to talk, Eloise."

I cross my arms over my chest, immediately defensive. I don’t even know why, but it feels like he’s about to scold me.

“Alright. Come in.” I open the door wider and gesture for him to step inside.

“Got a call today. Said they recognized you in Stoneview a few weeks ago,” he says, walking past me and stopping just inside of the entryway.

I shake my head a little, trying to figure out where this is going. “What’s the problem? It was a Gauntlet race.”

Nate drags a hand over his chin, his expression hard. “See, the thing is, baby?—”

“Don’t call me baby.” The words are out before I can stop them, sharper than I intended. It feels worse than usual—like a betrayal to myself. I can still hear Beau’s voice in my ear, telling me what a good girl I was, how brave I was. I didn’t mind whenhecalled me baby.

Nate clenches his jaw, nodding slowly. “The thing is,Thorne, I got a video today. Didn’t click on it. Felt like one of those spammy virus links people send, you know? But then some things were brought to my attention, and I’ve got a feeling?—”

“Nate, what’s going on?” I cut him off, grabbing my stuff and heading toward the door. “I’ve got places to be, so can we pick this up later? You can show me the video then.”

I give him a pointed look, silently signaling that it’s time for him to leave. I’ve walked out with him still in my house before, but that’s when I was coming right back. Today, I’m not sure when I’ll be back. And if I have my way, it won’t be for several hours and a handful of orgasms.

“Yeah, Thorne, we can watch your amateur porn video with that fuckboy from the Alley together later,” he says dryly.

Everything inside me freezes. The air in my lungs feels trapped as I slowly pivot, taking my time to face him. It’s like I’m moving through molasses. “What did you just say?”

He crosses his arms and strolls toward me with a deliberate slowness, a cruel smirk twisting his mouth. For the first time inmy life, I’m on the receiving end of Nate Thomas’s malice, and I don’t fucking like it.

The sight of it snaps me out of my haze. It’s a lifeboat in the quicksand.

“You better wipe that expression off your face, Nate, or we’re gonna have problems,” I warn, planting a hand on my hip and meeting his gaze head-on.

“Oh, we’re gonna have problems, are we?” he mocks, rocking back on his heels, his brows raised. His laughter is sharp and biting.

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