Chapter Forty-Six
Noah
I tookthe envelope from Watson. “This is everything?”
“Yup. I had to pull a few strings and called in favors from high places, but I got her added in there, too.”
I licked my lips, brushing my fingers along the edges of the rough paper. I knew the weight it carried on the inside. It was plan B—a plan Watson had put together years ago, one I chose not to follow. Why? Because I wasn’t ready to give up my past. I wasn’t ready to let go. Evie was a part of who I was; she was the most significant element to my existence, tied to my every breath as well as my name.
Noah Alexander.
Evie Joy Alexander.
But it was time. It was time to move on, and even though it killed me to ask it of her, I hoped like hell Sienna would understand.
“I um…” God, this was hard.
“I know.” Watson nodded, and I clenched my jaw.
“Thanks, man. For doing this.”
“I told you, I got your back. Always.” He slipped on his jacket. “I’m going to make sure our route to the airport is secure. Double-check everything so there’s no surprises.”
I merely nodded and inhaled deep, preparing myself for the hardest fucking part. The part where I had to ask Sienna to sacrifice everything.
I walked back into the room; my stomach coiled tight, knowing what I had to do, what I had to ask of her.
“Can I have a moment alone with Sienna, guys?”
Silas slanted a brow. “You two literally just came from a luxury getaway.”
“I’m serious.” I shot him a pointed glare, and he immediately swung his feet off the side of the chair and got up.
“We’ll be outside.”
Sienna looked at me with curious eyes, and I hated how I was about to derail her entire fucking life. It was moments like these that had me wishing I had driven past the Whitlock estate that night, changing my mind about taking that job. It was a complete mindfuck knowing that Sienna was the best thing that could have happened to me, yet I knew how simpler her life would have been without me.
The door shut behind me, and Sienna pulled her knees up under the yellow weaved blanket. “What’s wrong?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, searching through my thoughts for the right words before pulling a chair closer and sitting down next to her, brushing my palms together. “I…um, I was hoping we’d have more time and that I’d be able to find another way.”
“Another way for what?”
I closed my eyes, inhaling deep.
“Noah, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“We have to leave, Sienna.” I peered at her, hating myself for doing this. “You and I, we have to leave.”
“Oh, thank God.” Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t fucking scare me like that. For a moment, I thought you meant you and your marine friends.” She threw her legs off the bed on the other side and got up. “I’m good to go. Just let me get dressed and attempt to tame my mane.”
“Sienna—”
“Wait.” She balked and searched around the room. “Please tell me you brought me something to wear? I don’t think people will appreciate me walking out of here wearing nothing but a man’s shirt.”
“Sienna, listen to me—”
“I’ll just have to ask Spencer to go buy me something.”