Hailee's POV
I took a deep breath before walking back into the dining hall. The smell of delicious meals and fresh bread filled the air, but I couldn't taste a thing. My thoughts were still tangled around Nathan's father's words.
He rejected them all because of you.
Nathan sat at the end of the long table, propped up in his chair with pillows, his mother fussing gently beside him. Oscar sat near him, talking fast, his small hands moving in excitement as he described the fountain in the garden. Then Nathan looked up and saw me. The smile that spread across his face was small but real, like sunlight breaking through clouds.
"You're here," he said quietly, relief in his voice.
I forced a smile and nodded, moving closer. "You didn't think I'd miss lunch, did you?"
His mother smiled too, patting the seat beside her. "Sit, dear. You must be tired from the trip."
