Chapter 414

**Chapter 414**

“And now Chester is in there right now talking to her,” I finished the story. Nan’s eyes stayed fixed on the hallway where Harper’s room was located. I could see she was nervous, her body tense as she waited.

She was biting her lip, clearly nervous. We all shared the same thought: What were they talking about?

Once alone, Chester shut the door to Harper’s room. He felt a wave of sympathy for her.

He had been through a lot with her. He experienced many ups and downs in their relationship. He often told himself that if he ever fell in love again, it would be with Harper. But then he met his true match, and everything changed.

Chester felt a deep sadness. He hated that he was losing his friend like this, and he was frustrated with how things had changed between them.

“You can’t keep attacking my friend every time you see her, Harper,” he finally said after what felt like a long wait.

“It’s not fair to anyone involved, and it’s not fair to yourself to keep holding onto the past like this.”

She nervously chewed the inside of her cheek, a habit she often had when she felt anxious.

“I thought…”

“It was always going to be us against the world,” Harper said sharply. “You used to tell me I was the only one who really understood you. You said it was just me and you forever, no matter what challenges we faced…”

“I said that in a moment of weakness,” came the reply.

In the heat of the moment, Harper looked at me with narrowed eyes. “You can’t blame me for the things I say during sex,” he said.

“That doesn’t make it any less true! You were supposed to reject her!” I shot back.

“Just like I rejected my mate!”

Chester’s eyes widened in surprise at this confession. He had no idea that Harper had found her mate or that she had turned him down.

“You rejected your mate?” Chester asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Why would you do that?”

“For you!” Harper shouted, confident that everyone else could hear her. “I turned him down for you, just like you were supposed to turn her down for me.”

Chester looked at her tear-stained face for a while longer. He felt his strength fading, and the fight within him was slipping away. He didn’t know that she had turned down her mate for him. He never intended to reject Nan.

The thought of it made Chester feel queasy.

Meanwhile, Nan had quietly slipped away from her friends to hear what Chester and Harper were discussing. She could feel her heart racing as she peeked through the doorway.

Chester walked closer to Harper, and Nan didn’t like how close they were. It made her feel uneasy.

Chester placed his hands on Harper’s shoulders, making her stay in one spot.

to: all

Nan looked up at him, surprised.

“I didn’t know you felt that strongly,” he said softly. “I thought this was just a casual fling. But now I see that you love me enough to turn away from your mate…”

Nan’s eyes widened in response.

Tears filled her eyes as she listened to Chester’s voice. It was soft and caring, like a man tenderly speaking to his beloved. She bit her lip to hold back a sob, but she needed to hear more. She craved to know what he was saying.

“I would do anything for you, Chester,” Harper whispered, her lip quivering. “When will you learn that?”

“I guess I couldn’t read you as well as I thought,” he admitted.

One thing was always clear: you were my best friend. You were the only one who truly understood me and loved me just as I was. I never had to pretend to be anyone else around you.

—

**Chapter 414**

I could…

“Even if you sleep for a while, you’d still be here waiting for me with a warm bed. I always looked forward to spending time with you.”

Each word felt like a hit to Nan’s heart. She felt as if she might collapse under the weight of those feelings.

ground.

“I don’t regret anything that we shared,” he said softly.

A small smile appeared on Harper’s face.

“Me neither,” she whispered back.

Nan watched as Harper stood on her toes, her expression full of warmth.

With her cheeks flushed and eyes half-closed, her lips slightly parted, she moved closer to Chester’s mouth. Chester stood still, looking down at her, while Nan was just seconds away from turning and leaving. Suddenly, Chester’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“But—”

“I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Nan,” he said softly. Harper stopped and opened her eyes wide. “She’s my mate, Harper. Just thinking about rejecting her makes me feel sick to my stomach. I could never do that.”

I’m falling for her pretty quickly, and that scares me a lot. It’s a new feeling that I’m not used to… but it’s real, and I can feel it deeply. I know I could never be what she needs because I don’t feel like I belong.

“I’m choosing Nan,” she said firmly. “You and I never really connected, but I know what I want.”

—

**Chapter 415**