Straight Until You

Chapter 7 — Denial

Nathaniel Anderson had attended charity galas with politicians, business dinners with investors, and networking events filled with people worth millions of dollars.

None of those situations had ever made him nervous.

Standing outside the Reyes family home somehow felt worse.

Which was ridiculous.

Actually ridiculous.

Nathaniel sat inside his car staring at the warmly lit house while questioning every decision that had brought him there.

Jordan and Dylan certainly were not helping.

His phone buzzed relentlessly in his hand.

💚 Jordan

Are you alive yet?

🧡 Dylan

Blink twice if Mateo threatened you already.

💙 Nathaniel

I haven’t gone inside yet.

💚 Jordan

Coward.

💙 Nathaniel

You both described him like a mafia boss.

🧡 Dylan

That’s because he IS terrifying.

💚 Jordan

Remember us fondly when you disappear.

💙 Nathaniel

You’re both dramatic.

🧡 Dylan

Nathaniel.

🧡 Dylan

Mateo Reyes once made a guy apologize without raising his voice.

💚 Jordan

That somehow sounds scarier.

💙 Nathaniel

I hate both of you.

🧡 Dylan

Wear black.

💙 Nathaniel

Why?

🧡 Dylan

Feels respectful for a funeral.

Nathaniel locked his phone slowly.

Annoyed.

Mostly because they were making him nervous on purpose.

A knock against his car window nearly made him jump.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Nathaniel looked up immediately.

And froze.

Because Asher stood outside the passenger door wearing dark sweatpants and a loose black hoodie with slightly damp curls falling across his forehead.

Comfortable.

Relaxed.

Dangerously attractive.

Nathaniel forgot how functioning normally worked for a second.

Again.

Asher raised one eyebrow slowly.

Asher: “Are you planning to sit in your car all night?”

Nathaniel blinked once before quickly unlocking the door.

Caught immediately.

Nathaniel: “I was mentally preparing.”

Asher looked unimpressed.

Still.

Honestly impressive at this point.

Asher: “For dinner?”

Nathaniel stepped out of the car while grabbing the wine bottle from the passenger seat.

Nathaniel: “Your brothers have a reputation.”

Asher snorted softly before he could stop himself.

Nathaniel smiled instantly.

Hopeless.

Absolutely hopeless.

Asher: “Luca talks too much.”

Nathaniel: “And Mateo?”

Asher looked toward the house briefly.

Then back at Nathaniel.

Something softer crossed his expression for half a second.

Protective.

Fond.

Dangerous.

Asher: “Mateo only threatens people when he cares.”

Nathaniel froze slightly.

Because somehow—

that explanation made perfect sense.

And honestly?

It made Mateo even scarier.

⸻

The second Nathaniel stepped inside the Reyes house, another feeling hit him immediately.

Warmth.

Not physical warmth.

Real warmth.

Music played somewhere deeper in the house while laughter echoed from the kitchen. Family photos covered almost every wall, mismatched blankets were thrown across the couch, and the entire place looked lived in instead of carefully designed for appearances.

Nathaniel noticed all of it instantly.

Because despite growing up wealthy, his own house rarely felt this relaxed.

This alive.

Before he could process the feeling properly, a voice suddenly called from the kitchen.

Luca: “IS THE RICH BOY HOT?”

Nathaniel nearly choked instantly.

Asher closed his eyes briefly beside him.

Asher: “You’re embarrassing.”

Luca appeared seconds later carrying a soda while grinning like an actual menace.

Nathaniel immediately understood why Asher looked permanently exhausted around him.

Luca: “Oh.”

Luca looked Nathaniel up and down dramatically.

Then nodded approvingly.

Luca: “Okay, he’s prettier than expected.”

Nathaniel nearly walked directly back outside.

Asher looked mortified instantly.

Asher: “Luca.”

Luca: “What? I’m being welcoming.”

A deeper voice interrupted from the living room.

Calm.

Quiet.

Dangerous.

Mateo: “You’re being annoying.”

Nathaniel looked up automatically.

And immediately understood why Jordan and Dylan feared Mateo Reyes.

The man sat sprawled comfortably across the couch wearing a black T-shirt with tattoos visible along both arms. He looked relaxed.

Which somehow made him more intimidating.

Because Mateo carried himself like someone who never needed to prove he was dangerous.

Nathaniel straightened automatically.

Mateo studied him silently for several seconds.

Evaluating.

Calculating.

Nathaniel felt strangely exposed under that stare.

Then finally—

Mateo: “You’re late.”

Nathaniel blinked.

Immediately confused.

Nathaniel: “I’m three minutes early.”

Mateo continued staring at him.

Then unexpectedly nodded once.

Mateo: “Good.”

Silence.

Nathaniel genuinely had no idea whether he had passed some kind of test.

Luca looked delighted by his confusion.

Psychotic behavior honestly.

⸻

Mrs. Reyes walked into the room moments later drying her hands with a kitchen towel.

The second she spotted Nathaniel, her expression softened warmly.

Mrs. Reyes: “So you’re Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel smiled politely.

Nathaniel: “Yes ma’am.”

Luca gasped dramatically.

Luca: “Oh my God, he has manners.”

Mateo looked mildly surprised too.

Rude honestly.

Mrs. Reyes laughed softly before taking the wine bottle from Nathaniel’s hands.

Mrs. Reyes: “Well aren’t you sweet.”

Nathaniel smiled again.

Then paused.

Because Asher was watching him strangely now.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Nathaniel: “What?”

Asher shrugged casually.

Too casually.

Asher: “Nothing.”

Liar.

Definitely a liar.

⸻

Dinner became chaos almost immediately.

Luca talked enough for four people while Mateo added occasional dry comments that somehow made everyone laugh harder. Mrs. Reyes kept trying to feed Nathaniel more food despite only knowing him for thirty minutes.

And somehow—

Nathaniel found himself relaxing.

Which should not have happened.

Not with Mateo still quietly watching him from across the table like he was evaluating a potential threat.

At one point, Luca leaned dramatically across the table.

A terrible sign.

Luca: “Okay, important question.”

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes immediately.

Nathaniel: “That tone makes me nervous.”

Luca: “Good.”

Asher sighed deeply beside him.

Already exhausted.

Luca: “How obsessed are you exactly?”

Nathaniel nearly inhaled water incorrectly.

Across from him, Mateo looked interested immediately.

Even worse.

Nathaniel: “I’m not obsessed.”

Luca laughed loudly.

Disrespectfully.

Luca: “Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel frowned.

Nathaniel: “You’ve known me for two hours.”

Luca: “And yet somehow I already know you’d throw yourself in front of traffic for him.”

Silence exploded across the table.

Mrs. Reyes covered her smile immediately.

Traitorous behavior honestly.

Asher looked seconds away from death.

Nathaniel recovered first.

Barely.

Nathaniel: “That feels dramatic.”

Mateo finally spoke again.

Quiet.

Calm.

Terrifying.

Mateo: “You keep checking where he is every thirty seconds.”

Nathaniel froze instantly.

Because—

shit.

He had been.

Without realizing it.

Asher looked at him properly then.

Really looked at him.

And suddenly Nathaniel felt nervous for an entirely different reason.

⸻

Asher genuinely did not know what to do anymore.

Because Nathaniel fit into his house too naturally.

He laughed with Luca.

Helped his mother clear plates without needing to be asked.

Listened carefully when Mateo spoke instead of trying to impress him.

Nothing about him felt fake tonight.

That was the problem.

Asher had spent days convincing himself Nathaniel Anderson was just another charming rich boy looking for entertainment.

Now?

Now Nathaniel stood in his kitchen drying dishes beside his mother while smiling softly at something Luca said.

And somehow—

Asher couldn’t stop watching him.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

⸻

Later that evening, Nathaniel ended up outside beside the garage while Asher searched his pockets for keys he had apparently forgotten again.

Cool night air settled around them while muffled music echoed faintly from inside the house.

For once, neither spoke immediately.

Surprisingly—

the silence felt easy.

Nathaniel leaned lightly against the garage wall while watching Asher search through his hoodie pockets.

Again.

Asher noticed immediately.

Of course he did.

Asher: “You’re staring.”

Nathaniel smiled slightly.

Hopelessly.

Nathaniel: “You keep saying that like it’s going to stop me.”

Asher shook his head softly before finally finding the keys.

Then unexpectedly—

his expression changed.

The teasing faded slightly.

Something quieter replaced it.

Asher: “You didn’t have to try so hard tonight.”

Nathaniel frowned immediately.

Nathaniel: “What do you mean?”

Asher looked toward the driveway instead of him.

Asher: “Most people act different around Mateo.”

Nathaniel understood instantly.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because Asher thought he had been pretending.

The realization bothered Nathaniel more than expected.

Nathaniel stepped closer instinctively.

Not too close.

Just enough.

Nathaniel: “I wasn’t pretending.”

Asher looked back at him slowly.

Their eyes met in the quiet darkness.

And suddenly everything shifted.

The teasing.

The flirting.

The easy jokes.

All of it faded beneath something heavier.

Softer.

More dangerous.

Nathaniel’s chest tightened unexpectedly.

Because for the first time since this entire thing started—

the bet felt wrong.

Not funny.

Not harmless.

Wrong.

Because standing here beside Asher suddenly felt real in a way Nathaniel had never prepared for.

And worst of all—

he didn’t want it to stop.

Then the back door suddenly opened.

Both of them jumped apart instantly.

Luca stood there holding chips while staring between them dramatically.

Silence.

Then—

Luca: “OH MY GOD.”

Asher closed his eyes immediately.

Nathaniel wanted to disappear.

Briefly.

Luca: “You were having a moment.”

Asher: “Go away.”

Luca: “No, wait, I need Mateo to see this.”

Nathaniel froze instantly.

Absolutely not.

Inside the house, Mateo’s voice called calmly from somewhere near the kitchen.

Mateo: “See what?”

Luca looked delighted.

A nightmare honestly.

An actual nightmare.