Chapter 19. Vulnerabilities

Miranda couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. Nathan was acting strange, and she couldn't put her finger on what it was. He was quieter than usual, lost in thought, and seemed to be avoiding her gaze. She had noticed the change in him earlier that morning when they were leaving the safe house. Nathan had been distant during the drive to their next location, barely speaking to her or the others in the car. Miranda had tried to engage him in conversation, but he had given short, terse answers before lapsing back into silence. As they arrived at the new safe house, Miranda watched as Nathan disappeared into his room without a word, leaving her to coordinate with the rest of the team. She tried not to take it personally, but the tension between them was palpable.Later that evening, as Miranda was going through her routine weapons check, Nathan entered the room. She tried to ignore him, focusing on her task, but he spoke up."Miranda, we need to talk," he said, his voice low