Chapter 338: Can I Trust Him?

Kayla's POV

The whole car went dead silent for half a second…like everyone was waiting for the first person to snap out of the confusion…before chaos exploded.

I leaned forward between the seats, eyes wide. “Wait, you’re an officer? Like, an actual police captain?”

Holly’s mouth dropped open. “What the—? Nathan? Captain?! Like a real police captain or captain of the football team?”

I rolled my eyes at how ridiculous her outburst was. Captain of the football team? Really Holly?

David just gripped the wheel tighter, looking like he was two seconds away from throwing Nathan out himself.

Nathan tried to sink lower in his seat, avoiding everyone’s stares. “It’s… not what it looks like,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Can we just—”

The officer outside wasn’t having any of it. He leaned closer to the window, voice sharp with concern and a hint of annoyance.

“Captain, where have you been? We haven’t seen you reporting since last night. The whole station’s been blowing up your phone. The chief's losing his mind wondering if you got kidnapped or something.”

Nathan winced and finally turned to face the cop, keeping his voice low like he could make this whole thing disappear. “Officer Ramirez, not now. I’ll explain later. Just…let us go. It’s personal. I’ll come back to the station before you know it.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This guy who claimed he was homeless and jobless was actually a freaking captain?

My brain was short-circuiting.

Before I could stop myself, I blurted out the window at the officer, “Excuse me, Officer? Is Nathan actually homeless? He told us he lost his job and got kicked out by his landlord. Is any of that true? Is his name even Nathan?”

The cop…Ramirez…looked at me like I’d grown a second head, then burst out laughing, a deep belly laugh that made his shoulders shake.

“Homeless? Captain Nathan? Ma’am, how can our captain be homeless? Aside from being one of the best captains on the force and a rebel, he’s the only son of Mr. Eduardo Vargas…the business tycoon that basically owns half the new developments in the city. His family controls most of the real estate around here. The man could buy the whole block if he wanted. Homeless? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all week.”

My jaw literally dropped. Holly let out a dramatic gasp beside me, clutching my arm like we were in a soap opera.

What?!

Nathan shot the officer a desperate look. “Ramirez, keep quiet, man. Nobody asked you to run a background check. Can’t you read the room?”

But it was too late. The damage was done.

Holly was practically bouncing in her seat now, her earlier embarrassment completely forgotten. “I knew it! I knew he was a good guy! See? Aren’t cops the best? I told you guys there was something trustworthy about him. He’s not some random creep…he’s Captain freaking Nathan! With a rich daddy! This is like a movie, Kay!”

David muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “rich daddy my ass” under his breath, still glaring daggers at Nathan.

I was in total shock, my mind reeling. Tycoon son? Police captain? The same guy who’d been begging for a place to crash and claiming he was broke?

What the actual hell was going on?

Officer Ramirez finally straightened up, still chuckling as he tapped the roof of the car. “Alright, Captain. I’ll let the chief know you’re alive. But you better show up soon or he’s sending a search party.”

He gave us all one last amused look before heading back to his patrol car. The flashing lights turned off, and he drove away, leaving us in stunned silence.

The second the cop was gone, I whipped around to Nathan, heart pounding with a mix of anger, confusion, and leftover adrenaline.

“Really?! Officer Nathan? How’s that for a first impression? Just get out of my car.”

“You heard the lady,” David said, like he had been waiting for that all day. “Leave, Mr Captain.”

Holly made an exasperated sigh and threw her hands up. “Can you both just chill for one second?”

David was about to respond but I beat him to it.

“Did you hear this guy, Hols? He fucking lied! Why did he do that? I want him out. Now!”

Nathan turned in his seat, looking way too calm for someone who’d just been exposed. “Kayla, wait. I was wrong and I’m sorry. It was funny at first, and I was intrigued by you. I just got carried away along the line, but hear me out, ok?” he said, making a puppy face that doesn’t fit his occupation in any way.

When I didn’t respond, he continued.

“I can help you. Don’t you want to get away from the person stalking you? I’m a cop…a captain. Won’t I be in the best position to help you get justice or whatever you want?”

His words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to go off, and my stomach twisted with a fresh wave of dread mixed with something dangerously close to hope.

Can I? Should I? Trust him?