Page 124 of Twisted Truths

The door opens, and Nash stands there, tired and dishevelled, his eyes locking onto mine like I’m the only thing tethering him to the ground.

I don’t hesitate.

The distance between us disappears in a second as I throwmyself into his arms just as he crosses the threshold. He catches me easily, and I wrap my arms and legs around him. I bury my face in his neck, and for the first time in two days, I can finally breathe again.

“I was so scared,” I whisper, my voice breaking.

“Me, too,” he says, holding me tighter. “God, Hadley. Me, too. I was terrified I’d never see you again.”

Gabriel closes the door and locks it. Clapping Nash on the shoulder as he passes, he heads back into the kitchen to finish making Franklin’s bottle.

Nash carries me over to the couch and sits with me straddling his lap. He holds me like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go. My fingers rest on his chest, and his heartbeat thunders against them, wild and unsteady.

I pull back just enough to look at him, cupping his cheeks, and whatever’s holding him together snaps.

His mouth finds mine in a clash of tongue and teeth. It’s fierce and aching and raw, like we’re both trying to make up for every second we spent apart. His hands tangle in my hair, and there’s only the press of his lips to mine, and the quiet, desperate promise that we made it. We’re safe.

“Nash…” I murmur, my lips lingering on his even after the kiss ends.

He brushes his fingers along the side of my face, exhaling shakily. “I was scared I was going to miss you. That I’d show up, and you’d be gone.”

I shake my head, tears welling in my eyes. “I wasn’t going anywhere without you.”

Nash laughs softly, but it’s the kind of laugh that cracks in the middle, like something inside him is breaking open.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. The whole time I was stuck there dealing with the cops, I kept seeing your face.”

He pulls back just enough to look at me. There’s a bruise on his cheekbone, and I run my finger over it.

“Somewhere in the middle of all the shit going on,” he says, his voice rough, “I realised something.”

Drawing in a sharp breath, I brace for the worst.

“I’m falling in love with you, Hadley.”

My heart stutters in my chest. I blink at him, trying to form a response, but words have escaped me.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” he rushes on, like he’s afraid he screwed everything up by saying it. “But it did, and I can’t stop it. I don’t want to.”

A smile tugs on my lips, and I press them to his. “I’m falling in love with you, too, Nash,” I tell him.

“For real?” he asks, brushing the tip of his nose against mine.

“For real,” I tell him.

Franklin chooses that moment to let out a soft, hiccup-squawk.

Isaac chuckles, bringing him over to us. I climb off Nash’s lap, and Isaac transfers Zara’s son into Nash’s arms. “I think someone wants his uncle.”

Nash looks down at Franklin like he’s never seen anything more fragile or alive. His fingers tremble a little as he adjusts his hold, but the second his nephew settles against his chest with a soft sigh, his shoulders loosen, and his face softens.

“Hey, buddy,” he murmurs. “You doing okay?”

Franklin makes a tiny noise, his little fists curled up near his chin.

I melt, the look on Nash’s face making my chest ache, grief and love tangled up so tightly, you couldn’t separate them if you tried.

No one says anything, lost in the moment.