Chapter 389
Chapter 0389
Guilt gnawed at him as he remembered accusing Hannah of cheating all those months ago. The memory of that night, of Hannah slapping him so hard he had fallen, played on repeat in his mind, fresh as ever despite how much time had passed.
He could still feel the sting of her palm against his cheek if he thought hard enough, the unbridled rage in her eyes as he had stumbled back.
But he couldn't even be angry about it. Zoe said that Hannah was a cold bitch who deserved to be punished for hitting the Alpha of Nightcrest, but Noah often wondered if he had deserved that slap. He had said some awful things that night, and now he knew that he had been wrong.
And if he was being honest, he was kind of proud of her for hitting him so hard. She was tough, that was for certain.
Zoe would never dare ruin her own manicure with such a thing...
Noah's eyes snapped open, realizing he had stopped counting and that his mind had begun to wander. He shook his head, quickly dispelling the negative thoughts about Zoe. No. Zoe was his fiancee, and he loved her, and she would be his wife in just a few days. She was perfect for him. His eternal moonlight. Wasn't she?
"Ready or not, here I come!" he called out, pushing away the nagging thoughts.
He searched the guest rooms first, making a show of looking under beds and in closets. This time, Adam seemed to have indeed found a better hiding place after all. "Adam?" he called out, his voice echoing in the empty rooms. "Where are you, buddy?"
As he approached the master bedroom, he heard a faint rustling coming from Zoe's wardrobe. A smile tugged at his lips. Adam wasn't very good at being quiet.
Noah crept toward the wardrobe, his footsteps light on the plush carpet. He paused for a moment, building the suspense, before flinging the doors open. "Found you!"
Adam looked up, startled, a box in his lap and papers scattered around him. His eyes were wide, like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't.
Noah furrowed his brow, confusion replacing his triumphant grin. Pictures? He leaned over, curious." What do you have there, buddy?"
Adam beamed and scooched aside to let Noah see. "I'm playing with Mommy's favorite pictures! See how pretty this girl is? She's like a doll!"NôvelDrama.Org owns this.
"Yes, your mommy is very pr-"
Before he could finish, Noah felt the air leave his lungs. These weren't pictures of Zoe at all.
They were of him and... Hannah.
As teenagers.
With shaking fingers, Noah picked up a strip of photo booth pictures. In the first frame, a younger Hannah was pointing at the camera, her face alight with laughter. Her golden hair was longer then, falling in waves
around her shoulders. Noah was beside her, smiling with his eyes closed, looking more carefree than he could remember feeling in years.
But Noah never took pictures like this with Hannah. How was this possible?
The second picture showed Hannah putting bunny ears behind Noah's head, and he was rolling his eyes, but the affection in his expression was unmistakable. He didn't remember this... Did he?
In the third picture, Hannah was sitting in Noah's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. They looked so happy, so... So in love.
Noah's throat tightened as he stared at their younger selves. It was certainly him and Hannah, just younger. Much younger; Hannah looked maybe fifteen, and Noah maybe a couple years older. And in the final frame...
Noah's heart stopped as he stared at the image of his younger self kissing Hannah's cheek. Her eyes were closed, a soft smile on her lips.
In that moment, Noah remembered.