Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 234

Chapter 234: Him

Hailee’s POV

Sleep wouldn’t come easily.

No matter how many times I turned on the bed or how tightly I wrapped the blanket around myself, my mind refused to rest. Every time I closed my eyes, his face appeared—Nathan.

And the thoughts I had about him weren’t the kind I should be having. They were warm, dangerous, and far too vivid for someone I was trying so hard to forget. After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, exhaustion finally won. My eyelids grew heavy, and I slipped into sleep, but it wasn’t the peaceful kind.

It started with a voice.

Soft. Familiar.

"Hailee."

My heart skipped. I knew that voice too well. When I opened my eyes, the world around me shimmered faintly, caught between light and shadow. And lying in front of me, so close I could feel his warmth, was Nathan.

My breath hitched. "Nathan..." I whispered, almost afraid to say his name out loud.

He smiled, that slow, boyish grin that always managed to undo me, that made something deep in me tremble. His eyes caught mine, steady and unreadable, the same deep green I used to lose myself in.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. The dream felt too real—the way his hair fell across his forehead, the curve of his mouth, the faint scent of pine and smoke that clung to him.

"This is a dream, right?" I breathed, my voice trembling as I searched his face for an answer.

Nathan didn’t answer. He only looked at me, really looked at me, with that same unshakable intensity that had once made me believe he could see everything I tried to hide. His silence said it all.

It was a dream.

But it felt real enough to hurt.

I swallowed, my pulse racing. The air between us felt thick, heavy, charged with something I couldn’t name. His presence filled the space around me, and though I knew this wasn’t real, my body reacted as if it was—heart pounding, breath quickening, every nerve awake.

"Why are you here?" I whispered.

Nathan didn’t move. His gaze stayed on me, steady and unreadable, though a flicker of something—pain, maybe—crossed his features. "You called me," he said softly.

My heart twisted. "I didn’t."

"You did," he murmured, his voice dropping lower. "Even when you sleep, Hailee, you think of me."

I wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong. But the words wouldn’t come. Because deep down, I knew he was right. I had thought of him—too many times, too many nights. No matter how hard I tried to shut him out, he always found his way back into my mind.

He moved closer, until my body reacted instantly to the nearness. I could feel the warmth radiating from him, the faint brush of his sleeve against my arm.

"You shouldn’t be here," I whispered.

He tilted his head, his lips curling into a ghost of a smile. "And yet, you don’t want me to leave."

I hated how right he was. The words struck something raw inside me, and I turned away, refusing to meet his eyes. "You think you know everything."

Nathan’s voice softened. "I know you."

That did it. I looked at him sharply, anger flickering through me like a spark catching flame. "No, you don’t. Not anymore."

He didn’t flinch. He only leaned closer, his expression unreadable. "Then tell me," he said quietly. "Tell me who you are now."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. How could I explain the person I’d become—the girl who still dreamed of the man whose heart she broke? How could I tell him that I hated him and missed him in the same breath?

My throat tightened. "I hurt you," I said finally. The words came out like a confession.

Nathan’s eyes darkened. "I know."

"You don’t," I snapped, the anger breaking through at last. "You think you do, but you don’t. I destroyed everything, Nathan."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, there was something raw in his gaze. "And yet, I still love you."

His words landed like a blow. My breath caught, fury and longing tangling together until I didn’t know which hurt more. "Stop," I whispered.

"I can’t."

I shook my head, stepping back, trying to put distance between us. But he followed, every movement calm, controlled, as if he already knew I wouldn’t really push him away.

"Why do you keep coming back?" I asked, my voice breaking. "Why can’t you just let me go?"

Nathan’s jaw tightened. "Because I can’t."

"Why?"

He hesitated. "Because you’re the only thing that ever made sense."

My heart clenched. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. His voice carried that same sincerity that had once melted every wall I’d built. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him it wasn’t enough—but when he moved closer, I couldn’t move.

He reached out, his fingers brushing a strand of hair away from my face. The touch was feather-light, but it sent a shiver through me. My instinct screamed to step away, but my heart betrayed me. I stayed still.

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