Sunlight splashed across my face, the aroma of coffee teasing my senses. I reached for a cup, only to freeze mid-sip when my eyes met Noah's. Sprawled in a chair across the room, he leaned into the sofa, his gaze inscrutable. His hand moved thoughtfully through his beard, as if he were a hunter sizing up prey. Coffee sprayed from my mouth, splattering the bedsheets.
His chuckle sliced through my mortification.
"Shit," I muttered, scrambling to collect the soiled linens. Each humiliating word from last night resurfaced in my memory.
Noah was by my side in seconds.
"Something on your mind?"
"A lot of things, actually" I quipped.
He paused, fingers grazing his beard.
His thumb found my chin, tilting my face upward before sealing a tender kiss on my lips.
"You have no idea how much I wanted you last night."
Pulling back, I touched my lips, unsure how to navigate the moment.
"Stephanie, I want you. " He murmured, eyes fixated on my lower lip, which I had begun to bite.
His lips found mine again, his tongue tracing the contours of my mouth. Desperate as I was to let him continue, the fear of becoming a cliché stopped me. "Noah, we can't."
He withdrew instantly, his hand now frozen on my lap.
"What I said last night—that was the alcohol talking," I confessed.
"I can't be another secretary who loses her job over an office fling."
He grinned.
"You're not going anywhere, even if I wanted you to," he declared.
A genuine smile played on my lips in response to his words. "I was worried you only hired me because I'm pretty."
His laughter filled the room. "I did."
"Last night, I was vulnerable," I asserted, determined to clarify my stance.
"I don't want you to think that's who I am because it isn't."
"I know," he reassured, his touch tender as he cupped my cheek. "That's why I didn't touch you, no matter how much I wanted to."
I couldn't help but chuckle, nervously biting my lip. "Noah."
"You have to stop doing that, or I won't be able to resist," he cautioned, his thumb brushing against my lip.
"I wanted you to call those women to show you I've changed. From the moment I saw you, I wanted you, Stephanie."
"Are you saying I'm 'the one'?" I teased.
"I can't explain it, but my heart knew I wanted to be with you the moment I saw you," he confessed.
"Cheesy," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"Probably a line you use on all your girlfriends."
He drew me closer, his gaze locking with mine.
His lips brushed against mine as he whispered, "A line I only use for you, Stephanie."
In that moment, a realization struck.
Noah Cloud was destined to break my heart. Yet, I leaned in and kissed him anyway.
"Do you want to take me on a date first?" I asked playfully.
He smiled, intrigued.
"What do you have in mind?"
"A friend of mine is opening a restaurant tomorrow, and I'd like to go. But he's also my ex's brother, and I don't want to go alone."
"Rough breakup?" he asked, his concern evident.
"He died," I confessed, my voice quivering.
A tear slipped down my cheek. It was the first time I'd admitted that to anyone.
"You're joking, right?" He chuckled nervously.
"No. I am not," I affirmed, tears welling in my eyes. "His brother is opening the restaurant on the anniversary of his death."
"Damn, Stephanie." He wiped my tears away and pulled me into his arms.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that."
"Thank you," I whispered, grateful for his support.
"I called in and said both of us won't be coming to the office today due to important meetings. I think you need time to grieve," he said.
He became the first person I opened to about James, openly.
Before, it was all written in the diary—hidden, forgotten. James's death shattered me, leaving me in pieces. The quiet moments were when his memory haunted me the most, and so I ran away—from my hometown, from people—across the world, surrounded by work and chaos, trying to escape the pain. It's not true that time heals all wounds; it can't heal the ones that are still open.
I kissed Noah, enveloping him with my arms and legs as he pulled me onto the bed.
"Stephanie," he whispered, concern in his voice, "are you certain about this?"
I nodded.
"Once I have you, Stephanie, you understand that you will be mine eternally, right?"
Again, I nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the moment.
He skillfully unbuttoned my shirt, his lips tracing a path down my neck and chest. A moan escaped my lips as he grinned, reveling in the connection between our skins.
Shedding his own shirt and unfastening his trousers, he revealed black Calvin Klein boxers.
Lying atop me, he entwined his fingers with mine, pinning my hands above my head.
He began with gentle kisses on my neck, descending to my chest. Each kiss dripped with lust and desire, a potent cocktail of passion.
Sliding my panties down my legs, he traced his fingers along my inner thigh. With a deliberate motion, he opened my legs, locking his mouth with mine before trusting himself inside me.
Each powerful thrust echoed through the room, the bed squealing in response to our shared intensity.
He released my hands, and without hesitation, I tangled my fingers in his hair, stifling a gasp. His thrusts quickened, propelling me to the brink. Wrapping my legs around him, I dug my nails into his back.
"Stephanie," he moaned, filling the space between us.
I moaned in response, trembling beneath him. Breathless, he stood above me, locking eyes and lips.
Collapsing beside me, he caught his breath. Drawing closer, I noticed a small scar on the left side of his chest. Gently, I traced it with my finger.
"What happened?" I asked, still breathless.
"That's not a story for today," he replied, pulling me close and kissing my forehead.
Disappointment tinged my emotions; I had borne my soul to him. Perhaps he thought sharing a sad story would spoil the moment. So, I let it go and nestled into his embrace.
Noah's eyes met mine, searching, as if deciphering the emotions on my face.
"I don't want to spoil the moment," he said softly, pulling me closer until our breaths mingled.
I smiled, feeling the warmth of his presence dismantling my internal guard.
"Promise?" I asked, seeking sincerity in his eyes.
His response was a gentle kiss on my forehead, a silent vow that filled me with a strange mix of hope and trepidation. Always the strong and stoic one, I had kept my emotions behind a fortress of independence.
With Noah, vulnerability crept in, and I craved his attention, his exclusivity. A quiet prayer rose within me, urging the universe to grant me a love story devoid of gaslighting and sorrow. After years filled with misery, I longed for someone to cherish me not just with affection but with an appreciation for simply being me.
We lay entwined for a few minutes until the shrill ring of his phone shattered the quiet.
"It's Xander. I must take this," he said, his face tightening with concern.
As he slipped back into his pants, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder, he exited the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Before I could fully digest our earlier conversation, Emma burst through my bedroom window, still wearing her party clothes from the night before.
"Emma?" I began, surprised and curious.
She pressed a finger to my lips.
"Don't. I lost my key," she said, breaking into laughter.
"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
"Last hour," she giggled. "I tried to knock, but it seemed you were...occupied."
"Emma!" I exclaimed, feigning outrage but secretly amused.
"What?!" She grinned cheekily.
"Kill me now," I groaned, covering my face with my hands.
"And Noah Cloud? Since when?" she prodded.
"Since today," I admitted, feeling a blend of excitement and vulnerability.
"Oh boy," she sighed, flopping down onto my lap, and snoring almost instantly, as if the weight of her own debauchery had finally caught up with her.
Just then, Noah reentered the room, sneaking up to me as quietly as possible.
"I have to go; Xander needs my help," he said, leaning down to place a soft kiss on my cheek.
"When will you be back?" I whispered, feeling a hollow space form in my chest at the thought of his departure.
"How about I pick you up at noon?"
"To go where?" I inquired; my curiosity piqued.
"My place," he said, a playful smirk dancing across his lips.
As I watched him leave, I snuggled next to the snoring Emma, biting my lip as I drifted into a daydream. The last few days had been dimmed, each one a struggle just to get through.
But Noah—oh, Noah—had somehow pierced that darkness, igniting a spark of hope that things might just turn out okay after all.