Chapter 178

Harper's POV

He studies me, his eyes full of suspicion and affection all tangled together. He looks like he’s waiting for the punchline, but there isn’t one.

“I was also thinking,” I add after a moment, “about what I said to Theo. I haven’t said it to you or Mason yet. Not because it’s not true, but because it would feel wrong to say it now. Like I’m only saying it because I told him.”

Nathan’s expression shifts. Softer now.

“I want it to be right when I say it to you both,” I continue, voice barely above a whisper. “Not something that feels like a reflex. I want you to know I mean it completely. Not because I felt obligated.”

He doesn’t speak right away. He just holds me tighter, rubbing a slow circle into my hip. His silence feels like understanding. That’s what I love about Nathan