Page 48 of Carnal Games

“Okay.”

“I’m also not mad at you.”

“Is this why you ignored me the entire week?”

He doesn’t laugh at my lame attempt at a joke. His eyes are serious despite his relaxed posture. Like whatever he’s about to say is very important to him. “I didn’t text or call you because I wanted to sort out my head before I talked to you, Iris. You know Kian came to the party.”

“I do,” I murmur, fighting the blush trying to creep up.

“We had a conversation,” he confesses, and a glint darkens his pupils. “It didn’t go well.”

The hurt that used to cross his features has been swallowed by hate and rivalry. There’s so much bad blood between them that I don’t think it can ever be repaired. “I’m sorry.”

“So, when you dumped the news on me, it caught me off guard. My first instinct was to demand you don’t go anywhere near him.”

Sharp agony squeezes my insides at hearing my worst fear come to life.

“Of course, I realized how irrational I sounded. I had no right to ask you to do that.”

I swallow and nervously question, “What are you asking now?”

“I’m not asking for anything.” He smiles softly. “I’ll support whatever decision you make because I’ll never let my personal feelings stand in the way of your career, Iris. I promise you that. My issues are my burden to bear. I shouldn’t bring you into the middle of them.”

I didn’t think it was possible to drown in guilt, yet here I am.

He’s putting aside his feelings for me, which must’ve taken a lot of courage. Nathan proves what it means to be a true friend. He’s shown me from the start.

Meanwhile, I’ve done nothing but dig the knife deeper and deeper into his back.

“So, go get that interview and kick ass.”

Tears burn my eyelids. “Oh, Nathan.”

“Bring back the crazy Iris,” he teases.

I laugh.

“The apartment is a peace offering. An apology for being an ass to you this week.”

“It’s unnecessary.” I shake my head. No way I’m moving here. “You have nothing to make up for.”

A smug grin tilts his mouth. “Trust me, you’re going to want this place.”

“Why?”

“Because I haven’t revealed the best part about it.”

“What?” My curiosity is highly piqued by his tone.

“Your neighbor is Kian.”

Chapter Thirteen

Iris

Nathan’s juicy bait had me hook, line, and sinker.

And he had no freaking clue.