This is all new to me and I don’t know how to properly express myself, so I keep tugging on his hand until his body is halfway through my door and then I jump.
My purse hits him on the hip, but he barely flinches as he catches me.
His eyes are boring into mine, full of questions but he doesn’t voice it aloud.
He simply carries me into the apartment, his face lighting up with amusement. He kicks the door closed, one hand around my waist as he uses the other to take the phone and my purse off me.
He drops them on the carpeted floor while he continues to gaze at me with slight curiosity.
My arms go around his neck as I’m afraid I’ll fall if I don’t hang on tight. He chuckles, adjusting me so my legs are now firmly around his waist while his arms wrap tighter around mine.
“Trust me, Ria. The last thing I want is for you to fall. Unless you know—.” He grins and winks as he leans my back against the wall and we’re chest to chest. He rests his forehead on mine, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “—you were falling for me.”
My smile is slow when it comes but I don’t doubt my feelings. Not anymore.
“Too late.” My arms go limp as I let my fingers trail down until my hands are settled against his chest. “I already fell for you.”
“Fuck.” Noah breathes, his voice crackling with emotion. “Can I kiss you? Please tell me I can kiss you, baby.”
I don’t answer. Instead, I press my body against his and kiss him with promise.
After a few moments of the best kiss of my life, I whisper against his lips.
“Thank you for catching me.”
“Until the ends of the earth, Ria. I’ll always be there to catch you.”
Present time.
Noah Thomas.
My ex husband.
Why is he here?
Why, after all this time, does he decide now is the time for him to show up?
And in the middle of a grocery store?
Is this why they finally let me go out? Because they knew he would be here?
I may not get a say in how I live my life or where but I should get a say in this.
He doesn’t deserve my time and he sure as fuck does not deserve to see Adrian.
Not after all this time.
I scan my surroundings. Regardless of thewhys, I need to remember thewhere.
We are in the middle of a store in broad daylight. There could be a threat anywhere.
We aren’t safe and the most important thing to me is to make sure Adrian is safe.
Especially from the man standing ten feet behind me, piercing my back with his stare.
I unlock Adrian’s buckle, careful not to jostle him as he continues to gnaw on his teether. He’s peering up at me and I have to blink back the tears at how much he looks like his dad.
I can feel Noah shift behind me like he’s preparing to chase me down, just like he always said he would.