Chapter 200
We reach the kitchen and instant I regret every decision that led me to this point, because Noah is there cooking… Again.
He’s at the stove in a T–shirt, forearms flexing as he flips something in a pan. He glances up when he hears us, and his gaze lands on me.
Something flickers in his eyes, something quiet, unreadable, and warm?
“Dad!” Nova shouts, nearly launching herself into orbit. “Sierra’s coming with us to the animal park p>
I choke on my own breath. When the hell did that happen? And why do I suddenly feel like I’m being dragged into an ambush by preschool masterminds?
“I–When did I say I was coming?” I stammer, looking from Nova to Nolan, praying one of them will miraculously reveal this was a prank.
Nolan leans forward with complete confidence. “A few minutes ago. Before we came down for breakfast p>
My throat goes dry. “You sneaky little bugs p>
Neither looks the slightest bit sorry. Nova flashes me a blinding smile, while Nolan gives me a wicked little grin that absolutely does not belong on a five–year–old. How does he even know how to grin like that 1
Noah sets down his mug slowly and carefully.
“Good,” he says.
I freeze.
Good?
GOOD p>
I expected him to resist. To shut it down. To snap something like, “No.” Or “We’re not doing this.” Or at the very least a glower telling me he’d rather set himself on fire than spend a day with me.
My brain short–circuits.
What the actual hell is happening?
“W–what did you just say?” I stammer, because surely my ears are malfunctioning.
He doesn’t blink. Doesn’t waver. His gaze locks on mine. “Exactly what I said… you’re coming with us p>
Nova’s squeal explodes like a firecracker right next to my skull, while I just stand there wondering what alternate universe I’ve woken up in.
Why did he agree? Doesn’t he hate me? Didn’t he tell me to stay away? What changed?
Before I can gather a single thought, Nova grabs my wrist and tugs hard. “Sit here next to me p>
I obey, more out of shock than choice, moving like a zombie whose limbs got disconnected from her brain.
Noah turns back to the stove, flipping pancakes with that calm, practiced motion that somehow makes everything worse.
“Are you hungry?” he asks, not even glancing up.
“Yes–no–I mean, yes,” I blurt out, sounding like an unmedicated cartoon character.
He glances over his shoulder, one brow lifting slightly. “Did you sleep well p>
I stare at him wide–eyed and suspicious. Did I wake up in a parallel dimension? Or Maybe he’s mildly possessed
“Y–yeah,” I manage, even though I barely slept an hour, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“That’s good,” he murmurs as he plates the pancakes.
Then he moves toward me.
He sets a plate in front of me, his arm brushing mine. He’s too close and too warm, and he smells like coffee, clean soap and the faint scent of him I’ve tried so hard to forget.
“Eat,” he says quietly.
I swallow. Nova bumps my side. “Come on! Let’s hurry! We don’t want to be late p>
“I–okay,” I mumble
We stay like that, awkward, warm, tense, and startlingly domestic, until the twins finish eating, and even though Noah barely speaks, I feel him watching.
Every time I laugh at something the twins say. Every time my fingers tuck a curl behind Nova’s ear. Every time Nolan leans into me, quietly claiming my side.
His gaze is subtle, but it’s there, searching for something I’m not sure either of us can name. 1
The twins finish eating, then dash off to get ready. The moment they disappear, silence settles like a thick blanket over the room.
I stand quickly, desperate to escape before my heart gives away how rattled I am. But Noah moves before I can take a step.
“Sierra p>
My heart stumbles. Literally misses a beat.
I turn slowly. “Yes p>
His jaw tightens, then releases. He looks conflicted. Like he’s fighting himself, like there are words pushing to the surface that he’s not letting out.
“I…” His throat works. “We’ll leave in twenty minutes p>
That’s all, but something in his tone feels heavy and warm at the same time, which just confuses the hell out of
I nod once, “Okay p>
I hurry back upstairs before my chest can betray me, because I just don’t understand. He’s been ignoring me for two weeks and he yelled at me yesterday. So why does he seem different this morning?
At the top of the stairs, I finally exhale a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding, when my phone then buzzes with a new message from Adrian. My lips curve instantly without permission.
Remembering that I never replied last night, I type back quickly, sending a reply to both messages, and just as I hit send, a thought hits me so hard I freeze in the hallway:
Noah’s warmth unsettles me, while Adrian’s warmth steadies me. One makes my heart race with panic. The other makes it settle in peace… And knowing that I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do with it. T