“Do you think buying a wedding dress will make Nathan marry you?”
“He promised long ago that he’d only ever marry me. Stop dreaming.”
On the drive, I glanced at the texts from Nina. Her words left me feeling drained. I circled Brookshire for hours, driving aimlessly. By the time I got home, it was past midnight, and the chilly autumn air had seeped into my bones.
To my surprise, the house was brightly lit when I opened the door.
Nathan was sitting on the couch. He stood and walked toward me. “Why are you back so late?”
“I went for a drive.”
I was leaving soon. I wanted one last look at the city where I’d spent so many years of my life.
He nodded, reaching out to pull me into his arms, but I instinctively stepped back.
His brows furrowed slightly. “Still upset?”
“I might’ve been too harsh earlier. If you don’t want to work, you don’t have to, okay?” He softened his tone. “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
I caught a hint of irony in his words but chose not to escalate things. “Okay. Your birthday is coming up—what’s the plan?”
It was only earlier today, when I glanced at the calendar, that I realized my planned departure was the day before his birthday. It also happened to be the anniversary of our relationship.
“Of course, I want to spend it at home with you—just the two of us.”
He reached out cautiously again. This time, when I didn’t pull away, he seemed to relax. Hugging me tightly, he mumbled, “Hannah, I feel like… something about you has changed lately.”
“You’re overthinking.” I gently stepped out of his embrace. “It’s a bit cold. I’m going to take a shower.”
In the past, he would’ve noticed immediately that my entire body was ice-cold. I wasn’t sure anymore who had changed—him or me.
“By the way, what happened to my toothbrush and mug?” he asked suddenly from behind me.
