Destined to be with you (MXM)

Chapter 4

The cold night air stung my skin as I walked away from the mansion, my backpack slung over one shoulder.

I had barely made it to the end of the driveway when I caught a familiar scent.

Citrus.

Before I even saw him, I knew who it was.

Nathan.

A moment later, I heard him clear his throat behind me.

I froze.

Slowly, I lowered my head, unable to face him.

"Going somewhere in the middle of the night?" he asked.

My grip tightened on my backpack strap.

"I'm leaving," I whispered.

The words broke apart as tears slipped down my cheeks.

"I don't want to cause any more trouble for Edward."

Nathan was silent for a moment.

Then he asked softly, "Where are you going?"

"Wimberly."

I swallowed hard.

"My mom's last wish was for me to come here and meet Edward. I've done that. Now it's time for me to leave."

"Do you have any family there?"

I shook my head.

"No. My grandparents died when I was seven. It was always just me and my mom. She didn't have any brothers or sisters either."

Nathan's expression tightened.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

The answer sounded pathetic, even to me.

"I'll find a part-time job. I'll finish school somehow."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable.

Strangely, just talking to him made me feel a little lighter.

Finally, Nathan shoved his hands into his pockets.

"If you're wondering why I'm standing outside at this hour," he said, "I had a feeling you'd try something like this."

My head snapped up.

"What?"

"I thought you might leave."

The porch lights from the neighboring houses cast a faint glow across his face. His green eyes seemed softer than usual.

"So I waited."

My chest tightened.

"You waited for me?"

Nathan shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Someone had to."

I stared at him, unable to understand why he cared.

"Don't leave, Ethan."

His voice was firm this time.

"I know things aren't easy right now, but give it some time."

I looked away.

"Elizabeth doesn't want me there."

"She's shocked."

"So is Justin."

"He's angry and confused."

Nathan stepped closer.

"They both think you're going to take Edward away from them."

I laughed bitterly.

"I'm nobody to Edward."

"That's not true."

His answer came immediately.

"Edward cares about you."

I blinked.

"How would you know that?"

"Because I've known him my whole life."

Nathan folded his arms.

"He's a good man, Ethan. If he didn't care, he wouldn't have fought for you to stay."

The lump in my throat became harder to swallow.

I thought back to the argument I'd overheard.

Edward had defended me.

He had chosen not to send me away.

Despite everything.

"Why do you want me to stay?" I asked quietly.

Nathan's eyes met mine.

"Because I don't want you getting hurt."

The answer caught me off guard.

Before I could respond, he pointed over his shoulder.

"My house is right there."

I glanced toward the neighboring property.

The realization hit me.

"You live next door?"

"Yep."

A small grin appeared on his face.

"I was sitting outside waiting because I knew you'd walk past eventually."

For the first time in weeks, a genuine smile tugged at my lips.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Nathan nodded toward the mansion.

"Now come on. Let's get you back inside."

I didn't argue.

I couldn't.

Not after he'd waited in the cold just for me.

As we started walking back toward the house, emotion suddenly overwhelmed me.

Before I could stop myself, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him.

Nathan stiffened in surprise.

The moment my face pressed against his chest, panic flooded through me.

What was I doing?

This was Nathan.

Not my best friend.

Not family.

Just Nathan.

For a second, I thought he would push me away.

Instead, a quiet chuckle escaped him.

Then his arms came around me.

Warm.

Safe.

Comforting.

I closed my eyes.

For those few seconds, all the loneliness inside me disappeared.

When reality returned, embarrassment hit me like a truck.

I immediately jumped back.

"Sorry," I blurted out.

Nathan laughed.

"Relax."

My face burned.

"And thank you... for everything."

His smile softened.

"Anytime, Ethan."

The next few weeks passed quietly.

I developed a routine.

Every morning, I left for school early before anyone else was awake.

I skipped breakfast at the mansion and ate lunch at school.

After classes, I stayed late in the library, avoiding the house for as long as possible.

When I finally returned, dinner was usually waiting for me in my room.

The maids were kind enough not to ask questions.

Occasionally, Edward called during lunch breaks.

He always asked the same thing.

"Do you need anything?"

And I always gave the same answer.

"No, thank you."

I appreciated everything he was doing for me, but I didn't want to make things harder for him.

So I kept my distance.

Most of my free time was spent studying.

I borrowed books from the library, completed homework assignments, and began researching universities.

Business Studies had quickly become my favorite subject.

For the first time since my mother's death, I was starting to think about my future.

My teachers noticed my efforts.

Several of them encouraged me to apply to prestigious universities after graduation.

Their confidence in me was reassuring.

For the first time in a long time, I began believing in myself again.

Of course, Nathan remained a problem.

A very attractive problem.

I often saw him from across campus.

Sometimes he was alone.

More often, he wasn't.

There was a blonde girl who seemed permanently attached to his arm.

She followed him everywhere.

The sight bothered me far more than it should have.

Every time I saw them together, an unpleasant feeling twisted in my chest.

Jealousy.

I hated it.

Nathan wasn't mine.

He never would be.

So whenever I caught myself staring, I quickly looked away.

Meanwhile, Thea had become one of my closest friends.

I helped her with a research project for one of her classes, and she repeatedly invited me to hang out at her house with Tim and Martin.

Every time, I politely declined.

I wasn't ready for that.

Most days, we worked together in the library or met in the Arts Club after school.

Life wasn't perfect.

But it was becoming manageable.

One afternoon, everything changed.

Near the end of the day, my Calculus teacher, Miss Clarissa, stopped me before I left.

"Ethan, could you come to my office for a moment?"

Instantly, my stomach dropped.

Had I done something wrong?

Was there a problem with my grades?

Nervous, I followed her to her office.

After I sat down, she smiled warmly.

"Don't worry. You're not in trouble."

I immediately relaxed.

"Good."

Miss Clarissa folded her hands on her desk.

"Actually, I need your help."

"My help?"

"Yes."

She opened a folder.

"There's a junior student who is struggling with Calculus and Business Studies. His grades have dropped significantly, and his parents are concerned."

She looked at me expectantly.

"I was hoping you'd be willing to tutor him."

The offer surprised me.

It was a chance to strengthen my university applications and earn some experience.

"Of course," I said. "I'd be happy to help."

Miss Clarissa smiled.

"Wonderful."

She picked up her phone and made a quick call.

"Can you come to my office, please?"

A few minutes later, the door opened.

I nearly fell out of my chair.

Nathan walked in.

The smug grin on his face told me he was enjoying this far too much.

"Hi, Ethan," he said.

"I hear you're my new tutor."

I stared at him.

Nathan?

The Nathan Miller?

Failing Calculus?

Miss Clarissa looked between us.

"Oh, good. You already know each other."

Nathan's grin widened.

"You could say that."

I narrowed my eyes.

He looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"Perfect," Miss Clarissa said. "Then introductions won't be necessary."

Nathan leaned casually against the wall.

"Nope. Ethan's become pretty famous around school."

I groaned internally.

This was a disaster.

A complete disaster.

Because ever since that night outside the mansion, I had been doing everything possible to avoid Nathan.

And now fate had apparently decided to punish me.

I was going to be spending hours alone with the one person I couldn't stop thinking about.

As Nathan flashed me another teasing smile, only one thought crossed my mind.

Why does life keep making this harder for me?