Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth (Hannah and Noah)

Chapter 0421 Chapter 0421

Hannah

Years ago...

The sun beat down mercilessly, the smell of hot pavement and summer flowers filling the air. I stood in front of the ice cream stand, counting the crumpled bills in my hand with growing dismay.

"Oh, damn..." I muttered, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I'm a dollar short..."

Suddenly, I felt a familiar presence lean over me. I recognized the smell of his cologne immediately, mixed with the scent of sweet sweat and salt water on his skin.

"N-Noah!" I exclaimed, surprised-and wholeheartedly trying not to blush at the fact that he was shirtless, wearing only his swimming trunks and a pair of sandals, his dark hair still damp from swimming in the ocean. "I didn't know you were here." "Buying ice cream?" He plucked the cash from my palm and counted it, his brow furrowing. "You're a dollar short."

"Lknow." I took my money back and pocketed it, turning to the ice cream vendor. "Sorry, mister. I didn't mean to waste your time-"

"Don't go anywhere." Noah fished into his beach bag and pulled out a wad of cash. The bills were slightly wrinkled, evidence of a summer job well-spent. "I'll buy it for both of us."

I felt my cheeks burn as Noah stepped up to the counter, holding out the bills. "Two cones, please. Vanilla, bean for me, and..." He glanced over at me, raising one dark eyebrow in silent question. "Um... Strawberry cheesecake."

The vendor scooped our ice cream into two waffle cones. Noah handed mine to me, our fingers brushing as the treat passed between us. I thought I might pass out from the contact. "Thanks."

"No problem. Walk with me?" Noah jerked his head down the street, sending a small spray of salt water onto his shoulder. I nodded and followed him, my flip-flops smacking on the pavement.

As we strolled down the street, our arms bumping occasionally, I couldn't stop sneaking glances at Noah. The way the sunlight caught his hair, the little smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he enjoyed his ice cream-so different from the dark worry that had filled his gaze just a couple nights ago, when we had visited his mother in the hospital.

But I didn't dare to bring that up now. If he didn't want to talk about it, then that was his decision.

"This is so good," I said, licking a drop that threatened to escape down the side of the cone. "Thank you for buying it for me. Strawberry cheesecake is my absolute favorite."

Noah grinned, a bit of vanilla ice cream on his upper lip. "Anytime, Hannah."

Suddenly, as we were about to cross the street, a car came speeding through the red light. I froze, the screeching of tires filling my ears.

""Hannah!"

Merely a split second before the car collided with me, something warm and firm wrapped around my waist and yanked me back. The next thing I knew, the world was tilting into a dizzying array of salt water and ice cream and Noah's warm, tanned skin. And the hard ground.

A moment later, I found myself sprawled on top of Noah on the hot sidewalk, my hands on either side of his head. Our faces were inches apart, and I could feel the warmth of his breath on my cheeks.

Noah's throat bobbed. "Hannah... Are you okay?"

I swallowed hard myself. "I... I think so."

"Good." His eyes, those mesmerizing green eyes, flickered down to my lips. The world seemed to slow down, the sounds of horns honking and worried pedestrians fading into the background. He'd saved me. Saved us.

But something caught my eye then, breaking the spell. Our ice cream cones lay demolished on the sidewalk, melting into one big colorful puddle.

"Oh, no!" I exclaimed, sitting up. "Our ice cream!"

The bustle of the farmer's market came rushing back, and I found myself staring at Noah in amazement. He had recounted the story with such vivid detail, as if it had happened yesterday instead of years ago. "You... you remember all that?" I asked.

Noah nodded. "Every moment. It was the day I realized how I felt about you, Hannah. How could I forget?" I was so stunned by his recollection that I completely forgot about the ice cream in my hand. A drop of melted strawberry cheesecake slid down the cone, threatening to drip onto my fingers.

Quick as a flash, Noah reached out, grabbing my wrist gently. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, reminiscent of that summer day all those years ago. Before I could react, he leaned in and licked around the rim of the cone, catching the melting ice cream before it could make a mess. My breath caught in my throat. The sight of Noah's tongue darting out, his lips so close to my skin, sent a wave of heat through me that had nothing to do with the afternoon sun. When he looked up, his eyes met mine, dark with intense desire.

For a moment, we just stared at each other, the air between us charged with invisible electricity. The sounds of the farmer's market faded away, leaving only the rapid beating of my heart.

I opened my mouth, not even sure what I was going to say, when a fussy cry broke through the air.

Melody had woken up, her little face scrunching up unhappily. Noah immediately turned his attention to her, cooing softly as he reached into the stroller. The spell was broken. Sort of.

"What's the matter, princess?" he murmured, his voice so gentle it made my heart ache. "Did you have a bad dream?"

I watched as he tenderly soothed our daughter, marveling at how natural he seemed in the role of father. It was a side of Noah I had never seen before, and it both warmed my heart and twisted it with guilt.

Yet again, Viona's words echoed in my mind; and suddenly, the weight of my secret felt heavier than ever. Here was Noah, tending to our daughter and fawning over both of us like we were the only important things in his life, while I was still hiding such a massive truth from him.

But at the same time, the fear of losing this newfound closeness with him, of shattering this fragile peace we had finally found after all this time, kept the words trapped in my throat.

Noah looked up from Melody, who had settled back down, his brow furrowing slightly. "Hannah? What's wrong? You look like you're a million miles away."

I opened my mouth, ready to finally tell him the truth. "Noah, I..."Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

But I couldn't do it. Not here, not now, with Melody between us and the bustling market around us.

Coward.

"I... Thank you," I said instead, gesturing with my ice cream cone. "For remembering. For the ice cream. For.. everything."

A slow smile spread across Noah's face. "You're welcome," he said. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he added, "You know, there's a way you could repay me."

I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh?"

Noah nodded, rising to his feet. "The Full Moon Festival is next week. I was wondering if... well, if you'd like to attend. With me."

My heart started racing, the implications of his words sinking in. The Full Moon Festival... It was an annual event where couples were notoriously in attendance, especially Alphas and Lunas. We had never gone before. Not together, at least.

""You mean..."