Untouchable

0.48

Nathaniel’s POV

The air in Adrian’s dorm was thick with something unnameable. Tension, maybe. Regret. The unmistakable aftermath of something that had been building for too long and had finally—finally—exploded.

I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed as Ivy and Adrian shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She looked guilty. Adrian just looked irritated.

“I’ll bite,” I said, my voice even. “How long has this been going on?”

Ivy’s lips parted like she wanted to deny it, but Adrian spoke first. “It just happened.”

I raised a brow. “Right.”

Ivy rubbed her hands over her thighs, exhaling. “Nathaniel, I—” She stopped herself, chewing on her bottom lip before looking up at me. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

That almost made me laugh. “That’s the thing about things like this, isn’t it? They never mean to happen, but they do anyway.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

I could tell she meant it. But it didn’t change the fact that she had.

I wasn’t angry, though. Not really. Just… tired.

“I know,” I said simply. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck.”

Adrian had been quiet, watching me like I was a ticking time bomb. But I wasn’t going to explode. I had nothing to explode over—not when I knew deep down how this was always going to play out.

I turned my attention to him. “And you?”

He met my gaze, expression unreadable. “What about me?”

“You knew how I felt.”

His jaw clenched. “Yeah.”

“And you still went for her.”

He didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. “Yeah.”

I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. “At least you’re honest.”

Silence stretched between us, but Ivy was the one who broke it. “Nathaniel, I—”

I held up a hand. “You don’t have to explain.”

She blinked. “But—”

“I mean it,” I said. “I like you, Ivy. I do. But if this—” I gestured between her and Adrian. “—is what you want, then I’m not going to stand in the way of it.”

Adrian’s lips parted slightly, like he wasn’t expecting that. Like he was bracing for a fight instead of acceptance.

Ivy, though—her eyes softened. “You don’t hate me?”

I huffed out a breath. “No, Ivy. I don’t hate you.”

She let out something between a laugh and a sigh of relief.

I ran a hand through my hair. “But I think we both know I need some space.”

Her face fell just a little, but she nodded. “I get it.”

Adrian still hadn’t said much, but as I turned toward the door, he finally spoke. “Nathaniel.”

I stopped, glancing back at him.

“I didn’t do this to hurt you.”

I studied him for a moment before exhaling. “I know.”

Because despite everything, Adrian wasn’t the kind of person who did things just to spite someone. He was too stubborn, too closed off, too Adrian to make a move unless he meant it.

And I could see it now—the way he looked at Ivy. The way she looked back.

I gave them a small, wry smile. “Try not to make too much of a mess, yeah?”

Ivy bit her lip, like she wasn’t sure if she should laugh or apologize again. Adrian just nodded once.

I stepped out, shutting the door behind me.

It sucked, yeah. But in the end, I’d rather lose this fight than lose them.