Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One
Chapter 57: Miss Her

Chapter 57: Miss Her

Nathan’s POV

The door opened, and for a ridiculous moment, I hoped—actually hoped—that it would be Hailee stepping through. But the second I saw who it was, that fragile little hope shattered. It wasn’t her. It was Leo. My best friend.

He stepped in, looking like he hadn’t slept properly in days. His dark hair was a mess, his hoodie wrinkled, and his usual easy grin was nowhere to be seen—at first. Then he caught sight of me sitting up and scoffed, trying to mask the relief that clearly washed over him.

"Well, damn," he said, letting the door shut behind him. "I come all the way here and don’t even get a smile? What, not happy to see me?"

I gave him a tired look. "You’re not exactly what I was expecting."

He clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch. Wounded."

I rolled my eyes, but the smallest of smiles tugged at my lips. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you’re still in one piece, idiot," he said, walking over and dropping into the chair next to my bed. "You scared the crap out of everyone, man. They called me right after the accident—I was halfway to the training grounds and turned right back. Thought you’d gone and died on me."

I looked down at my hands resting over the thin blanket. "Didn’t mean to."

"Yeah, well," he sighed. "Try not to do it again."

There was a beat of silence, and then I asked the question I hadn’t even wanted to admit had been burning on my tongue since I woke up.

"Has... Hailee been here?"

Leo hesitated, his gaze flicking to the floor for a second before he looked at me again.

"I heard she came once," he said carefully. "But... your dad told her not to come back."

My brows pulled together. "What?"

"He didn’t shout or anything," Leo added quickly. "But you know how he is—calm, firm, final. He asked her never to come again."

I frowned, something in my chest tightening. Leo remained silent, watching me with that familiar, unreadable look of his. Then, slowly, a smirk crept across his face.

"So," he drawled, "I guess I was right all along."

I blinked. "About what?"

He crossed his arms, smug now. "You. Hailee. The whole ’I-can’t-stand-her-but-let-me-stare-at-her-like-she-hangs-the-moon’ routine you pulled for years? I told you, man. I told you you liked her."

I groaned and dragged a hand down my face. "Don’t start."

He laughed. "Oh, I’m starting. I’ve been waiting for this moment since we were fourteen and you went on a five-minute rant about how annoying her laugh was, then stared at her for ten more minutes like she was your favorite meal."

I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t deny it this time. Because what was the point? Leo had always known. He was the only one who did. Despite all the teasing, the fake hate, the cold stares I gave her in public... Leo saw right through it. He always had.

"You’re seriously going to sit there and gloat while I’m lying half-dead in a hospital bed?" I muttered.

"Yes," he said simply, grinning wider. "Absolutely."

I let out a short, dry laugh despite myself. Then I went quiet. Because now that the secret was out—spoken into the open air between us—I couldn’t help but feel it even deeper.

Leo’s voice softened. "You really do like her, huh?"

I nodded slowly, my gaze dropping to my lap. "Yeah... I do." And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel the need to hide it.

Leo leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "So what now?"

I stared at my hands, twisting the blanket between my fingers.

"She chose him," I muttered, barely above a whisper. "She chose to be with Callum."

Leo was quiet for a beat. "So that’s it? You’re just... giving up?"

I didn’t respond. Because what could I say? It wasn’t about pride or ego. It was the fact that I saw it—her eyes, the way she looked at him. The way she didn’t look back at me when I dropped her off. The silence between us grew heavy again, and Leo didn’t push. He just sighed and stood.

"Well," he said softly, "for what it’s worth... I think she’s just as confused as you are."

I didn’t lift my head.

"Rest up," he added gently. "You still look like crap."

I let out a weak breath, but didn’t say anything else as he left the room.

Later That Night

The house was quiet. The kind of stillness that felt almost unnatural. I was finally back in my room—my actual room in the mansion, not the hospital ward—but it didn’t feel like home. Not anymore. The walls were too quiet. The bed too big. The air too thick.

My parents had stopped by to check on me once more.

"You sure you’re okay?" My mother asked quietly, her eyes scanning my face like she was still trying to convince herself I was really there.

"Yeah," I murmured. "I’m okay."

It was a lie, but I didn’t have the strength to explain why.

My dad stood behind her, arms crossed, his face calm but tired. He looked at me for a long moment—one of those unreadable fatherly stares that said more than words ever could. Then he nodded.

"Good," he said softly. "Try to get some rest. We’ll talk more in the morning."

My mom leaned in, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart." Her voice trembled just slightly.

They both quietly left the room.

But I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t even pretend to try. Even in my weakened state, every time I closed my eyes... I saw Hailee. She haunted my thoughts like a song stuck on repeat. My body ached, my head throbbed, but my chest hurt worse.

I didn’t remember getting out of bed. I didn’t even remember pulling on a hoodie over my pajamas or slipping on my sneakers. But the next thing I knew... I was sneaking out the back entrance of the mansion. I tugged the hood over my head, concealing my face from the guards, keeping low. My body protested with every step I took, but I kept walking—like something was pulling me forward.

I didn’t know what I was going to do. I just knew I had to see her.