Chapter 348
But even as my body shuddered with release and he slumped into a sweaty, panting heap on top of me, I could sense that Noah's mind was elsewhere.
Once we had both stopped throbbing, he rolled off me and walked into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked. I lay there for a moment on my belly, catching my breath, the warm summer breeze blowing across my sweat-covered flesh, before I rolled onto my back and
sat up.
"Are you alright?" I called out, my voice still husky.
There was a pause before Noah's voice drifted back to me. "I'm worried," he admitted softly. "About the baby. And you."
I didn't know how to respond to that.
When he came out of the bathroom, fully nude, his face was drawn with concern. My heart stuttered at the sight of him, vulnerable and open in a way he rarely allowed himself to be. The moonlight streaming through the window cast shadows across his muscled form, highlighting the tension in his shoulders.
Without thinking, I got up and went to him, cupping his face in my hands. His stubble rasped against my palms as I tugged his tall frame closer, causing him to hunch a bit to meet my gaze.
"It's going to be okay," I promised, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Our baby will be fine."
Noah's hands came up to hold my wrists, his eyes closing as he pressed his forehead against mine. The heat of his body enveloped me, comforting and familiar. Suddenly, he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Hannah, I..." He swallowed hard, seeming to struggle with something he wanted to say.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
I was reminded of that night when I had told him about White Rabbit-I still hadn't forgotten it, nearly two months later. He had stopped by the door and had said those same two words, but then his voice had trailed off and he had left. "What's on your mind?" I asked softly, my thumbs stroking his cheekbones.
His mouth opened and closed a couple of times. But then he shook his head and pulled back, brushing past me. The loss of his warmth left me feeling suddenly cold and bereft despite the mid-summer heat blowing in through the open window. "It's late," he said, his voice suddenly gruff. "Let's get to sleep."
I watched him climb into bed, a sense of disappointment settling in my chest. For a moment, I thought he might open up to me, might let me in completely. But the walls were back up, and I was left wondering what he had been about to say. Two weeks passed in a blur..
The night before the procedure, I found myself sitting at my vanity, brushing out my hair before bed. The repetitive motion was soothing, helping to calm my frayed nerves.
Noah lay in bed behind me, the soft glow of his phone luminating his face. I could see his reflection in the mirror, his brow furrowed in concentration as he scrolled through something on the screen.
We hadn't had sex tonight, both of us too preoccupied with thoughts of tomorrow's appointment. The tension in the room was palpable, neither of us even in much of a mood to speak.
I was... terrified. Not just for the pain, but for my baby. I hoped that everything would be okay.
Suddenly, Noah's phone buzzed loudly, breaking the silence. I watched in the mirror as he read what appeared to be an email, his expression darkening with each passing second. "Fuck," he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
I turned to face him, my brush forgotten in my hand. "What is it?"
Noah looked up at me. The light from his phone cast harsh shadows across his face, making him look older and more tired than usual.
"I can't come with you tomorrow, Hannah. I'm sorry."