Nathan nodded with a smile. “Yeah, most of the time. My cousin drops by and stays for a few days every now and then.”


    I nodded, cradling my coffee cup. I blew away the floating bits before taking a sip. The


    aroma was light and pleasant.


    (23)


    With just the two of us alone, the air was thick with tension, almost electric with unspoken


    feelings.


    No matter what we said, nothing could cut through the intimacy wrapping around us. I nced up at Nathan.


    He was staring at me,pletely lost. In his eyes, I caught a glimpse of a lonely beast that


    had been waiting in the dark for ages, cautious, nervous, but burning with longing.


    I knew Nathan had been in love with me for years. Even just my shadow had found a ce


    in his heart.


    For some reason, a trace of sadness flickered in Nathan’s eyes. He dropped his head, his fingers running along the armrest, as if trying to steady his emotions.


    But he still couldn’t pull himself together. When he looked at me again, his eyes were


    rimmed red, like he was on the verge of tears.


    “Victoria… I…” Nathan’s voice went hoarse, and then he gave a self–deprecatingugh. “I


    never thought… you’d actually show up at my ce.”


    I took a sip of my coffee and let out a littleugh. “Why the long face? We’re friends now,


    you know.<i>” </i>


    Nathan drew in a shaky breath and said, “Turns out, if you hold onto something long


    enough, sometimes the universe really does answer you.” I froze,


    Nathan looked down and let out a small, self–mockingugh. “You know that saying if you keep picturing something, it’ll probablye true? What do you think?”


    I smiled. “Maybe, But that kind of thing never seems to work for me.”


    Nathan’s eyes grew darker, his fingers inteced as emotion flickered across his face. “Are


    08:37 Fri, 22 Aug W


    Chapter <i>273 </i>


    you talking about loving Jared? He didn’t feel the same way about you?”


    ? ??, 69%


    “No,” I denied right away. “I just tried so hard to be a good wife, but in the end, I failed and


    ended up being resented.”


    Nathan stared at me, his gaze overflowing with sympathy. “That’s because you wanted his approval so badly, you forgot to appreciate yourself.” His words cut deep.


    I nodded. “Maybe. When you push too hard, things just don’t work out.”


    “Now that you’re divorced, what are you nning to do next?” Nathan let out a quiet sigh


    of relief, his tone much lighter as the conversation shifted.


    I remembered he’d asked me about that before, and back then I told him I was going to


    throw myself into work.


    “Honestly, I’m just trying to live in the moment and not stress about what’s ahead,” I replied, giving a slightly different answer this time. The more I dwelt on things, the more


    anxious I got.


    Nathan watched me for a few seconds before saying, “Seeing you so unaffected by the


    divorce really puts my mind at ease.”


    I smiled. “I was the one who wanted out, so there’s no way I’m letting any negativity stick to


    me.”


    Nathan pressed his lips together and nodded. After a brief pause, he asked, “Victoria, would you want to grab dinner with me sometime?”


    I smiled and said, “Of course. I actually want to get out more, meet new people, and see what opportunities are out there.”


    “About that stock thing you mentionedst time, do you still need any help with it?” Nathan


    asked.


    I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll probably ask you for advice. I’m thinking about putting some money


    into something else.”


    “What kind of investment?” Nathan asked.


    I replied, “Ideally, something that ties in with my work. I n to work with Jared for


    another year, then strike out on my own.”


    Nathan nodded. “Alright, I’ll keep an eye out for opportunities in that area for you?


    Lonce heard a blogger say that instead of focusing on how to take care of a man, women should pay attention to what made men sessful and leverage men’s strengths to level <ol><li>up. </li></ol>


    Nathan didn’t get to where he was for nothing. There was definitely a lot I could learn from him, so whenever I was with him, it was time to switch on my learning mode,


    “It’s gettingte. I should head out,” I said, ncing at my phone before standing up to


    leave.


    Nathan hurried after me and said, “I’lle pick you up early tomorrow morning, okay?”


    I turned to look at him, and his eyes were still a little red behind his sses. I knew his crush


    on me had him all tangled up, and he just couldn’t control those wild emotions.


    “Victoria…” Nathan murmured as he pulled me into a hug, burying his face in the crook of


    my neck.