Page 69 of Twisted Truths

“No, he doesn’t hate you. He’s hurting, Hadley.”

A fresh wave of tears roll down my cheeks. “I care about him more than anyone I’ve ever cared for.” Guilt swirls in my stomach, and I hastily add, “Except for Madeline.”

“It’s okay,” Gabriel reassures me. He tries to comfort me by wrapping me in his embrace, but I push him away.

“It’s not okay.” I shake my head. “None of this is okay. I’m your Chosen, yet I kissed Nash yesterday, and … and I slept in his bed last night.”

Gabriel’s brow raises. “You slept in his bed?”

My cheeks heat at my admission. “We only talked, but I shared things about … about my family, and I tried to tell him about us and Franklin.” Not hard enough. I should have tried harder.

He sighs. “We’re no longer a part of the Circle. We’ve been exiled, and I have no plans to return. I release you of the burden of being my Chosen, but please know that I will continue to protect you. Not out of a sense of obligation, but because I care for you like a sister. I will always love Madeline, and you are a part of her.”

My breathing hitches. “You release me?”

“I release you,” he confirms, slipping a mobile phone from his pocket. “Go find Nash and talk to him. Don’t wait for the perfect words, just be honest. He’ll respect that. I need to make a phone call.”

My eyes widen. Mobile phones are prohibited at the Circle, and he hasn’t left since we got here. Gabriel just offers me a small smile and a wink as he helps me to my feet.

“It’s time to set this plan into motion. We have a baby to save, and a murder to solve.”

He pulls me in for a brief hug, and this time I let him.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

It feelsweird to be walking through Zara and Nash’s childhood home. There are pictures on the walls of happier times, which only makes my heart ache even more. This house is filled with ghosts for Nash, and right now he feels like he has no one. Or no one he trusts.

I don’t open any doors. It feels like an invasion of privacy, but I do listen at them, trying to figure out where Nash has gone, but the house is silent, not giving away any of its secrets. Once I’ve exhausted any possibility of finding Nash inside, I push open the back door and step out onto the deck.

The sun is shining, and I lift my face marvelling at how the warmth hits my cheeks but does nothing to heat the cold that has enveloped my body since Nash found out about his nephew. I worry he’s done something reckless, like go after Franklin, but then I hear sounds coming from an old barn beside the main house.

I cross the yard and hesitate, unsure of the reception I’m going to receive. He has every right to be mad at me.

When I finally work up the courage to push open the door, my mouth immediately goes dry.

Nash stands with his back to me, the low light from the loft windows carving shadows along the rippling muscles cording his back. His shirt is tossed over a bench, forgotten, his grey sweatpants slung low over his waist. He’s lifting weights, each movement of his arms sending another ripple down his spine.

I can’t tear my gaze away.

I’m still standing there, stunned at the sight in front of mewhen he finishes his set and turns around. A frown immediately mars his features, and his eyes shutter. He grabs a towel that’s hanging off a stationary bike and rubs it over his face. “What do you want, Hadley?” His tone is resigned.

My hand comes up to play with my locket. “I was hoping we could talk?”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Nash, I’m sorry.”

“So am I,” he mutters. I flinch at the harshness of his words as he drops onto the weight bench and leans forward, his elbows braced on his knees. “How could you keep my nephew from me?”

“I was scared.”

He scoffs. “Of me?”

I shake my head. “Of what happened to Zara. The last thing I promised her was I would keep her son safe, and when I found out about her murder, I?—”

“You what? Thought he’d be safer in a fucking cult than with his own flesh and blood?” The venom in his voice causes me to take a step back. He shakes his head. “You let me believe I could trust you, but you’re just as bad as them.”

“Nash—”