Rejected: A love story-Chapter 124: Nathan’s probably fine. He’s a busy guy. Maybe he’s just tied up with work
Nathan stared out the window of the jet, the city lights below fading into darkness as the plane climbed higher. His reflection stared back at him in the glass—cold, distant, and unfamiliar.
He clenched his fists, his mind racing. He felt betrayed, humiliated, and stupid. How could he have been so blind?
Natasha was always manipulative, always scheming. Why didn’t I see it? he thought bitterly. He had trusted her, believed her when she brought him that DNA test months ago. He had questioned it but he hadn’t investigated it after Leo looked so much like him.
He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "I just... accepted it," he muttered to himself. "Because he looked like me. Because she gave me a piece of paper, and I didn’t bother to check."
The memories came flooding back—Natasha handing him the test results, her calm assurance that Leo was his and his family never doubting her and telling him to take responsibility . He remembered the relief he felt at the time when he got closer to leo, the way he’d pushed aside his doubts because he wanted it to be true.
"But it was all a lie," he whispered, his voice tight.
He leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair. The betrayal cut deep, but what hurt even more was the thought of Leo. He loved that boy. He was Leo’s father in every way that mattered. But now... now he didn’t know what to do.
And then there was Fiona.
He pulled out his phone again, scrolling through his call log. All the missed calls to her stared back at him, unanswered.
"Where are you, Fiona?" he muttered, his thumb hovering over her name.
Frustration bubbled up inside him. He needed to hear her voice, to feel grounded, to remind himself that not everyone in his life was a liar. But she wasn’t there.
He tossed the phone onto the seat beside him, leaning forward and burying his face in his hands.
At the Bakery
The bell above the bakery door jingled as Fiona stepped outside, the cool evening air brushing against her skin. She stretched her arms, letting out a small sigh of relief. It had been a busy day, and she was glad to finally be done.
She reached into her jean pocket for her phone and frowned when she saw the screen. Several missed calls from Nathan.
Her heart skipped a beat. Nathan rarely called that many times in a row unless it was urgent. She quickly unlocked her phone and tried calling him back, but the line didn’t go through.
A wave of unease washed over her. She stared at the phone for a moment, then started typing out a text:
"Hey, Nathan. I just saw your missed calls. I was busy at the bakery and didn’t have my phone on me. Is everything okay? Call me back when you can."
She hit send and stared at the screen, hoping for a response, but nothing came.
"Fiona," Mike called from behind her, stepping out of the bakery. "I was thinking of heading out to grab some ice cream and snacks. Wanna come?"
Fiona turned to him and offered a small smile. "Thanks, Mike, but I think I’ll pass. Something came up, and I need to get home."
Mike frowned. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," she said softly, though her mind was elsewhere. "I’m fine. I just... I need to take care of something."
Mike nodded, giving her a quick wave before heading off alone on the streets.
Fiona walked quickly, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.
As she reached the corner, she pulled out her phone again and dialed Ella’s number.
Ella picked up almost immediately, her cheerful voice cutting through the tension in Fiona’s mind. "Fiona! Hey, what’s up?"
"Ella," Fiona said, her tone urgent. "Put Caleb on the phone."
Ella paused, confused. "What? Why? Are you okay?"
"Ella, just give Caleb the phone," Fiona said, her voice firmer this time.
There was a moment of hesitation before Ella sighed. "Fine. Hold on."
A few seconds later, Caleb’s voice came through the line. "Fiona? What’s going on?"
"Caleb," she said quickly, glancing around as she crossed the street. "Did Nathan call you?"
"No," Caleb said, his tone casual "Why? Did something happen?"
Fiona bit her lip, her unease growing. "I don’t know. He called me a bunch of times, but I didn’t have my phone with me. I tried calling him back, but I can’t get through. Something feels off."
Caleb’s tone softened. "Hey, don’t worry. Nathan’s probably fine. He’s a busy guy. Maybe he’s just tied up with work."
"Caleb," Fiona interrupted, her voice trembling slightly. "Please. Just check on him for me. Call him, text him—whatever it takes. I need to know he’s okay."
There was a brief pause before Caleb replied, "Alright. I’ll try to reach him. Don’t stress yourself out, okay?"
"Thanks, Caleb," Fiona said, her voice softening. "I’ll call you later."
She hung up and slipped her phone back into her pocket, her steps quickening as she made her way home.
She was a few meters away from her apartment when she saw Nathan sitting on the steps, his elbows were resting on his knees, and his head bowed.
"Nathan?" she called softly, and hurriedly went to him
He looked up at her, and the sight of his face made her heart ache. He looked exhausted, his eyes heavy with something she couldn’t quite place—anger, sadness? She couldn’t tell.
"Fiona," he said quietly, his voice rough.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping closer. "I tried calling you back. I sent you a text."
Nathan stood slowly, towering over her, but there was no aggression in his posture—just weariness. "I"m just glad you’re here" he said simply.
Fiona frowned, her concern deepening. "Nathan, what’s going on? You look... I don’t know, you look like something’s wrong."
"Did something happen?" She asked, worried.
"Can we go inside?" He asked instead.
"Sure, hold on." She took her keys from her bag and quickly opened the door. She locked it as they both entered
She moved closer to him, her voice soft. "Talk to me. What happened?"
Nathan stared at her for a moment, his jaw then he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Leo... he fainted today."
Fiona’s eyes widened. "What? Is he okay? Where is he?"
"He’s at the hospital," Nathan said. "He’s stable now, but he needed a blood transfusion."
Fiona nodded quickly. "That’s good, right? He’s getting what he needs?"
Nathan’s eyes locked onto hers, and she saw the pain in them. "I offered to donate," he said quietly. "But I’m not a match."
Fiona frowned, confused. "What do you mean? You’re his father."
Nathan’s voice cracked as he said the words. "No, Fiona. I’m not."
Fiona stared at him, stunned.
"What?".
"I’m not his biological father," Nathan said, his voice trembling with anger and hurt. "The hospital ran tests. My blood type doesn’t match his, which means he was never mine."
Fiona’s hand flew to her mouth, her heart breaking for him. "Nathan..."
Fiona stepped closer, her hand reaching out to hug him. "Nathan, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now."
Nathan hugged her back, having no intention of breaking the hug anytime sooner. "You know what’s worse?" he said bitterly. "I love him. I love that boy like he’s my own. And now... now I don’t know what to do."
Fiona’s eyes softened, her voice steady. "Nathan, you are his father. Maybe not biologically, but in every other way that matters. You’ve been there for him, That doesn’t change because of a test."
Nathan shook his head, his frustration bubbling over. "But Natasha lied to me. She lied about everything. And now, I don’t even know what’s real anymore. I don’t know who I can trust."
"You can trust me," she said quietly.
Nathan stared at her, his expression softening just slightly. "I called you so many times," he said. "I needed to hear your voice. I needed... I don’t know, I needed something to hold onto."
Fiona felt her chest tighten, guilt washing over her. "I’m sorry," she said quickly. "I didn’t have my phone with me."
Nathan shook his head. "It’s not your fault. I just... I didn’t know where else to go."
"It’s absolutely fine, you’re here now. That’s what matters."
Nathan didn’t say a word, just kept on hugging her.
"Do you want a glass of water?" She asked gently and he shook his head.
"No, I just want to be like this. With you."
