I stare at him for a long second, still feeling the sting on my cheek, still feeling the echo of Ezra’s hand against my skin, and the cool night air does nothing to dull the heat spreading across my face.
“I’ve never seen you before,” I say finally, because if I focus on him instead of what just happened, I won’t lose whatever control I have left.
Nathan tilts his head slightly, like he expected that question.
“I left when I was young,” he replies calmly, and his voice is steady and grounded in a way that feels deliberate, “my mother took me and we never looked back.”
There is no bitterness in his tone, no dramatic edge, just fact, and that somehow makes it feel heavier.
“You and Ezra,” I say slowly, studying his features more closely now and noticing the similarities in bone structur
