Before I can ask anything, he lifts my chin and kisses me. Soft. Gentle. Enough to undo me completely. I go from pouting to touching his mouth and feeling the small tug in my chest as he deepens the kiss and pulls away too soon.
“Good night, Ella,” he whispers against my lips.
And then he’s gone, leaving me at the door with my thoughts spiraling, not just about killers and detectives and shadows in the night, but about Nathan.
Where is he rushing off to? What secrets is he hiding?
And why does Taylor Pierce, the man hunting someone, always seem to be on his phone?
Chapter 25
Nathan
The door clicks shut behind me, the sound echoing.
I lean against it for a moment, hand still on the knob, trying to steady the mess in my chest. The smell of sugar and espresso still lingers on me—Ella. I can still smell her. She’s the scent of warmth I cannot even begin to explain.
I should have gone in. God, I wanted to. Still do.
But the moment her door closed, the guilt came crawling back. Not the simple kind — the kind that gnaws at your ribs, whispering that you have no right to want anything, not when you’ve already lost everything that ever mattered.
I walk into my apartment. My phone buzzes.
Taylor Pierce:I sent you an email. I think you’re going to want to see this.
I pull up my inbox. Nothing new.
I refresh—still nothing.
I tap the screen again, too fast, too distracted… and the sort order flips from newest to oldest.
And I see them. Old emails between Maddison and me.
New Constellation.
Re: New Constellation.
The air goes thin.
I haven’t seen those subject lines in over a decade, but my fingers still remember typing them. My chest pulls. Against every rational thought, I click.
Her words fill the screen — frozen, like artifacts.
Inbox: StarGirl17
Hey babe,
Dad’s on full patrol. This is my secret line. Delete after you read.
I can’t sleep without replaying the sound of your heart under my ear.
– Maddison
I swallow hard and scroll down.
Sent: Nathan Alexander-Reign
I’ll never delete you. I’m printing every word in my head until I’m back with you.
