Page 51 of Deadline for Love

When I finished, I entered the kitchen, where I discovered Nathan preparing breakfast and looking handsome as always. I had to rub my eyes to ensure I wasn’t imagining the scene, but when I was certain, I couldn’t help but smile and greet him.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked straight away.

“Yeah, but where have you been?”

He placed a cup of coffee on the table and smiled gently at me, his eyes infinitely tired.

“I couldn’t sleep... Actually, I take sleeping pills, but I didn’t want to bother you like the other night.”

His explanation made me blush, as he still didn’t remember that he wasn’t just using me as a pillow… But I didn’t like that he couldn’t sleep now either.

“Do you need the sleeping pills so badly?”

He nodded and then moved to sit in front of me as he served us our sandwiches.

“It’s okay then, don’t worry about it. I don’t mind if you snuggle me.”

My reply made him laugh, making me smile, too. “Are you sure about that, Bella?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Nathan raised his hand and hid his grin now, but I could still see his dimples.

“That’s not part of your wicked plan, is it?” I asked warily but in an amused tone.

“No, but it is now.”

I took a sip of my coffee and then started eating to get a grip on the butterflies in my stomach. I could already feel my heart pounding with every sweet comment he made.

“I started taking sleeping pills after... my sister was murdered... I kept having nightmares,” Nathan started to say after we’d finished eating. Seeing him so exhausted, I had that tight feeling in my chest again.

“I blame myself for what happened. I keep thinking I could have prevented it if I’d listened to her.” His voice sounded brittle but suddenly turned firm and harsh. His posture tensed, and his hand clenched into a fist. “If I catch that guy who took her from us. Then I’ll—” he stopped himself, realizing the coldness in his voice. His eyes and tone radiated sheer bloodlust.

My eyes widened in shock after his sentence; I knew from his expression what he wanted to say—he’d kill him.

“I started training to protect my loved ones, and I hope I can protect you too.”

I was slightly confused and nodded, still not over how Nathan had talked. And he noticed, too, trying to talk about work to get off the subject altogether—but I wouldn’t be able to forget that previous conversation.

I would be lying if I didn’t think that him tagging along with Nia and I was a bad idea. We were talking to the victims’ families, and I knew the interviews were distressing.

Anna Thompson had a little brother who had also been very emotional about the death of his sister. He prepared a little something about Anna that he wanted me to include in my article, and I did. It was a short five-lines on how much he missed his sister and how eager he was to see her again.

“Don’t worry, she’ll always be with you,” I promised, pointing to his chest. “In your heart—and she will always watch over you in heaven.”

I noticed that my words comforted the little boy, and I also caught Nathan’s gaze on us; he cracked a sad smile as he watched us.

Seeing him like that broke my heart; his eyes were filled with sadness, remorse, and anger, just like the families, although the sadness drowned out every other emotion.

It had been a very bleak and oppressive mood that silenced even Nia. She didn’t utter a word at work... Both families expressed their gratitude for the interview and thanked me for my time and the respect I had given their daughters. I received family pictures and accepted them to include in the article. They also provided details about the girls’ friends, whom I would contact later. It was a sorrowful time in which we all found ourselves, and so far, we had not found any family members of Sabrina Smith...

The days passed, with lots of research, interviews, and long nights. I had gotten used to living with Nathan, and we finally figured out our sleeping situation. Generally, we just accepted the fact that we’d wake, wrapped in each other’s arms.

Every day, Nathan and I stopped by my apartment, but luckily, we didn’t find any letters, and my neighbor hadn’t been seeing anybody at night. I hadn’t received any new letters at work either. I didn’t know whether it was a good or bad sign, but I was sure of one thing—the sender was planning something.

In the middle of the week, Mr. Morgan called me to discuss what he had found in my car. Indeed, the hair lying on my hood belonged to the victims. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find any other clues to help the case. Mr. Morgan asked me to be vigilant. He apologized for not believing me, but he was still lost as to how the letters actually connected to the case. I felt relieved about his statement and promised to tell him if I had figured something out. On the same day he called, I had my car back. It was nice to get back some independence, but I knew I’d miss driving with Nathan. We hardly ever saw each other because of work. It was bizarre how impactful his presence in my life had become in such a short time.

On my day off, Nathan and I went out of town and stayed in Riverdale for the weekend to celebrate our wedding. Of course, it was all just a show. but he used to live here with his family, so he showed me the places where he spent his time. His parentsno longer lived in Riverdale but had moved shortly after their daughter’s death, unable to stay in the town that held such horrible memories. Neither he nor his family deserved this loss. No one deserved that.

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