Chapter 7: Pieces Of Truth
984 Words
Evelyn sat motionless on the park bench, her fingers clutching the worn leather of her journal, but she hadn’t written a single word. The ink pen trembled between her fingertips like a truth begging to spill, but she was too afraid of what it would say. Her mind was a battlefield now, where memories of Nate’s charm collided with the cold, creeping certainty that everything had been a performance.
The wind teased her curls as children laughed in the distance. Life around her moved on, as if her own world hadn’t cracked beneath her feet. It had been three days since she’d confronted Nate about the lies she uncovered in The Unseen Depths, but instead of answers, he’d offered riddles—twisted half-truths wrapped in apologies.
"I was trying to protect you."
"There are things you don’t understand, Evelyn."
"I never wanted to hurt you."
And yet, he had.
“Miss?” A voice broke her thoughts. She looked up to see an older woman holding out a set of keys. “You dropped these.”
Evelyn forced a polite smile and accepted them. “Thank you.”
The woman gave her a knowing glance. “Whatever it is you’re battling, don’t let it swallow you whole.”
She walked away before Evelyn could respond. But the words lingered, unsettling her more than they should have. Because Evelyn was starting to feel like she was being swallowed—by grief, by confusion, by the aching memory of who Nate had pretended to be.
Later that night, Evelyn found herself standing outside Nate’s apartment again, her hand hovering near the buzzer. She hated herself for coming, but there was something clawing at her insides—a hunger for the whole truth. If she didn’t get it, she feared it would rot her from the inside out.
She buzzed.
Nothing.
She buzzed again, longer this time. A full minute passed before the intercom crackled. “Evelyn?”
His voice. Calm. Unshaken.
“It’s me,” she said.
A long pause. Then the door clicked open.
His apartment was darker than usual, lit only by the soft glow of a lamp near the bookshelf. He stood near it, shirt half-buttoned, as if he hadn’t expected anyone, least of all her.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.
“Then why did you let me in?”
Nate looked at her for a long moment. “Because part of me hoped you’d come.”
“I want answers,” she said, stepping in. “Real ones. No riddles. No cryptic lines. Just the truth.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You think the truth is going to make any of this easier?”
“No. But I deserve it.”
He hesitated, then walked over to the small bar and poured himself a drink. He didn’t offer her one.
“Fine,” he said. “You want the truth? Here it is—I didn’t come into your life by accident. I was sent.”
Evelyn felt her breath catch. “Sent? By who?”
He turned to face her, drink in hand. “Your father.”
Her jaw clenched. “That’s impossible.”
“Is it?” Nate raised an eyebrow. “Your father was involved in things, Evelyn. Dangerous things. And he made enemies. People who wanted leverage. You were the leverage.”
“No.” Her voice was a whisper now, cracking beneath the weight of the revelation.
“Yes,” he said. “But something changed. I fell for you. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I broke the rules.”
Tears burned behind her eyes. “You used me.”
“I protected you.”
“Don’t twist this!”
“I’m not twisting anything. Your father disappeared for a reason. He didn’t just vanish. He ran. And he left you behind to pay the price.”
Evelyn shook her head slowly, as if denial could undo the words she was hearing. “You’re lying.”
“I wish I was.”
She took a step back, suddenly nauseated. Her father—who she'd idolized even in his absence—had always been a mystery. Now she was starting to understand why.
“You should leave,” Nate said gently. “There’s more coming. And if you stay close to me, you’ll be caught in it.”
“No,” she snapped. “You don’t get to play protector now. Not after all this. You want me gone? Fine. But don’t pretend it’s to save me.”
He said nothing. Just watched her turn, her heels clicking sharply against the tile as she left.
---
The night air hit her like a slap—sharp, bracing, real. Evelyn didn’t go home. She walked, street after street, her mind on fire. For every truth Nate gave her, three more questions bloomed.
But it was one thing she knew for sure now—this wasn’t just about heartbreak anymore. This was about a past she didn’t understand and a future she had to fight for. Alone, if she had to.
She ended up at a diner, half-empty, neon lights buzzing faintly overhead. She slid into a booth and ordered black coffee. Her hands were still shaking.
“You okay?” a voice asked gently.
She looked up—and blinked.
Luca.
He stood there in a faded gray hoodie and jeans, like fate had placed him in her path again. His eyes, warm and searching, met hers.
“No,” she said honestly. “But I’m working on it.”
He slid into the booth across from her. “Then I’ll work on it with you.”
Evelyn stared at him for a long time, her heart thudding in her chest.
For the first time in weeks, she felt something she hadn’t dared to feel in a long time.
Hope.
- Writer
