Part 2I Gave Up the Throne for Him

Everything he'd gone through had happened because of me.

And yet, all he'd said was that I should act as though nothing had happened.

How could I possibly do that?

I reached for my suitcase, determined to pull it out of his trunk myself. It was packed too full, though, and I couldn't lift it with one hand.

Fine. I'd use both.

Nathan reached out to stop me, but I dodged him. Without saying another word, I stubbornly tried to haul the suitcase out of his car.

"Oliver, what exactly are you throwing a tantrum about?" he demanded. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't care about what happened? And what does any of it have to do with you? Nobody's blaming you. Why can't you just go on with your life?"

His words were so blunt that they made me angry, too.

"How am I supposed to pretend nothing happened? Who do you think is responsible for what happened to you? Me! If we'd never been switched, I'd be the one who couldn't hear now! Nathan, please. I'm begging you. Go back and live the life you deserve!"

So what if he'd grown up in the projects?

He'd survived there for years. Why couldn't I?

If our lives had been reversed, I wasn't sure I'd even have made it out of that neighborhood, let alone become the man Nathan was today.

My emotions got the better of me. Tears spilled down my face.

Nathan stared at me for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, a faint smile appeared on his face.

Before I could react, he reached up and wiped the tears from my cheek.

His touch startled me.

We'd only known each other for a week. Was it really possible to be this intimate already?

Nathan drew out his next words, his voice almost teasing.

"You can stay, if that's what you want. But don't say I didn't warn you. People around here have a real weakness for guys like you. Women, sure. Men, too. Think carefully before you decide to stick around."