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“She doesn’t really care about me.”
“I think you have it the other way around,” Noah said.
I let his words sink in and felt a little guilty because it wasn’t like my stepmom had it out for me. From the moment I moved inwith them, she was nothing but overly nice. My feelings for Noah had clouded my judgment and turned me into a villainous uber-bitch. People do desperate things for love, especially when they can’t control their thoughts, fears, and projections. Was I just a jealous, desperate lover? Maybe the only viable explanation was that I was so starved of love that I couldn’t fathom sharing him with someone else. Maybe loving Noah brought out the worst in me, not the best.
The next ten minutes had given us enough time to calm down, and thankfully, he didn’t ask me anymore questions. We had forfeited our argument. A powerful gust of wind blew through my hair as the roof of the car retracted. Noah put on his sunglasses and turned up the stereo once we got on the freeway. My heart felt heavy as I tried to drown in the music instead of my despairing thoughts.
CHAPTER NINE
NOAH
My wife wasn’t home when I got through the door, which was for the best, since Aria was still angry. I’d had enough of arguing with her in the car. I didn’t want to mediate between her and my wife if either of them snapped. On a positive note, Vanessa had taken yoga classes in the mornings, and I was happy about this because she’d said it cleared her mind and stopped her from obsessing over plastic surgery. She had kept her promise and was following through on improving our marriage. I owed her my support.
Walking through the door, Aria took off her heels. She was about to head to her bedroom when I stopped her.
“I’m assuming you haven’t had breakfast yet?”
Our eyes locked.
Goddammit. She is so beautiful.
“Evan was in the middle of making some, but…”
“Get changed. I’ll fix us some scrambled eggs.”
“You haven’t eaten?” She looked surprised.
“I woke up, showered, received an anonymous text about your whereabouts, and knew I had to hunt you down. Eating breakfast wasn’t exactly first on my list of priorities.”
“An anonymous text? What was the number?”
“Does it matter?”
“I’m really not that hungry,” she said, disappearing down the hall.
I was certain my daughter was famished. She was probably too stubborn to sit down and have a meal with me. However, I was confident that the smell of French toast would lure her into the kitchen soon. My tactics never failed.
??
As a young boy growing up in my father’s house gave me a privileged upbringing. Every morning, a gourmet chef would cook us breakfast, which included all our meals throughout the day. My mother never lifted a finger with house chores. She always hired catering services and party planners when hosting events. Acquiring extra help was the sensible thing to do, considering we lived in a mansion. I don’t have any memories of my mother fixing breakfast for me and my siblings or packing my lunch. I remember the first time Vanessa tried to make me breakfast in bed… she nearly burned the house down. It’s laughable now when I recall. Crazy how you can find the comedy in not so pleasant moments in hindsight.
Moving away from the stove, I felt a pair of arms slide around my waist. Her fragrant perfume was recognizable. After weeks of sensory deprivation, I was overwhelmed to feel her touch again. I couldn’t understand why she had this effect on me. She made my heart shiver.
“I’m sorry, Noah. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
How could I stay mad at her? It was impossible. She had a way of controlling my emotions, even the ones I thought I could never feel. I stood there quietly, feeling like I could breathe again. Feeling her body against mine only reminded me of what I had been missing all this time: contact, closeness.
“Please don’t stay mad at me.”
I tensed up when she kissed my back, triggering a sensation below.
“I’m not mad, Aria. I’m disappointed. You lied to me. I trusted you enough to let you go to your friend’s place when I could have kept you grounded. Your silent treatment hasn’t exactly been fun to deal with, and I know you’ve been sneaking around to see Evan.”
“I wouldn’t have to sneak around if you would just let us hang out like family.” She loosened her arms.
“I told you why I don’t want you associating with him.”
Turning around, I instantly regretted it. She was wearing ripped shorts and a black bikini top that showed way too much cleavage. Ignoring the distraction, I cupped her face and avoided looking down. “You’ve only known Evan for a few weeks. I’ve known him all my life. Why can’t you trust what I tell you?”
