My face hung over Nathan’s, trying to make sense of his words. He had made a shocking revelation. If he feared having no family in the future, then Mr. Sinclair must be having an affair, or maybe our blackmailer had made use of that scandalous information for themself.
“Your parents are getting a divorce? So, Mr. Sinclair is involved with another woman?” I asked him straightforwardly.
Nathan rested his arm over his eyes. He seemed to be hiding from the embarrassing and heartbreaking truth. “Who knows what he is up to? He denied the allegation and reacted with anger when I brought it up. It made him so mad that he used harsh words for me. Doesn’t that make him guilty of something?”
“What did he say?” I tried my luck again. Nathan was in a generous, over-sharing mood. It must be rare or very new because there was no mention of it in Frank’s book. I had enough time to read that whole thing during the past few days. The book portrayed my fiancé as a robot with unpredictable temper tantrums. He was said to have no other emotions. I couldn’t find the soft and human part of Nathan I witnessed with my own eyes anywhere in that so-called self-help Nathan expert book.
Frank wasn’t entirely at fault for painting Nathan as a monster. The latter had only shown the former his inhumane side. It was one of the things I needed to teach my fiancé. He needed to be more kind towards people, especially his employees so that someone doesn’t poison him in his sleep.
Nathan remained silent for a long while, stretching my curiosity to its maximum. I shook his body gently to get his attention. There was no harm in pushing him a little. He would either make me regret it or put my mind at ease with an answer. He slightly moved his arm, peeking through the small space. “Only the cruelest thing I have ever heard,” he said. I caressed Nathan’s arm, encouraging him to reveal himself to me. He was very broken but didn’t seem okay with showing his emotions. “Don’t ask me, Amelia. Vulnerability is equal to weakness. I called you here to distract myself from what happened three days ago. You’re making it worse by asking all these questions.” His voice contained a bit of annoyance but leaned more toward sadness.
“Who told you that?” I questioned. Nathan didn’t remove his hand and remained uninterested in what I had to say. I continued anyway. “Why are we so comfortable with showing our anger to others? That only damages our relationships, and it makes us less likable. Imagine if we showed our pain to others that often. It would be less damaging and help our close ones understand our feelings better. Have you ever considered that?”
That was enough to evoke a reaction from Nathan. He looked at me with those cold eyes, almost making it seem he wanted to punish me for uttering the truth. “You claim to be quite the expert. What have you ever obtained from opening yourself up to others?”
I lay flat on my back, harking back to the time of horrid memories. “It is more of a hit-or-miss thing. When I had opened up to the police about the mafia’s threats, they called me delusional, and when I was forced to open up to Mrs. Montgomery, your aunt, she gave me a life-changing opportunity. I never saw her after Mrs. Sinclair sent me away with Frank to get briefed about my job. Will she be at the engagement party?”
“Hm. Mother never told me that Aunt Rose was the one who had brought you to this house. It’s disappointing how much people hide from me. They think of me as a time-ticking bomb, ready to explode over the most meaningless things,” Nathan responded. “And yes, she will be present at the engagement party.” He answered right when I thought he had ignored my question.
“The problem is they don’t know who you are,” I pointed out. “On the first day of my arrival, your mother told me she was unsure about what you want and expect. She said she would be so thankful to me for helping her understand you better. If you keep bottling up your emotions and never share them with others, it will remain the same. Your anger is not your real self. It may reflect our worst selves. However, it doesn’t define our entire personality.”
Nathan rolled to my side and looked at me with a childlike excitement. “Can I keep you forever? You talk endlessly, yet your words don’t aggravate me as much as others. You’re quite the expert.”
I couldn’t help but blush at that compliment. Being my authentic self had only caused problems for me in the past. I was glad to see someone appreciate my genuineness.
“Maybe. If you lower your walls a little and allow me to come in, I might become yours forever,” I spoke my mind with a humorous touch.
“Does this mean nothing to you?” He said, grabbing my hand and showing me the big ring on it. “I thought you were mine already.”
“I thought this engagement was a test to create new emotions in your heart. Am I unaware of any recent changes?” I asked.
Nathan’s gaze intensified. “If my desire to confide in you is a sign of change, then yes,” he answered.
Internally, I was jumping joyfully. My words worked on him. He was listening and agreeing. That counts as massive progress. “Speak. I am all ears.”
A naughty smile spread across his face. My therapeutic words were making him more horny than relaxed. “When I start speaking, you won’t be able to shut me up.”
“Try me,” I said. I had a feeling he would take off my clothes quicker than opening his mouth to tell me what his father had said to upset him. “You can rely on me to make you feel better. I am always here to listen."
Nathan’s mouth slowly inched towards me. Closing my eyes, I closed the distance between our mouths swiftly.