Chapter 232
Noah.
“Daddy,” Nova calls, “is Sierra with you p>
I have a few minutes before the meeting, so I decide to call the twins since I couldn’t last night.
Thanks to the time difference, it’s evening back home, which is perfect timing. The last thing I want is to mess with their sleep schedule.
“Why do you ask, sweetheart?” I say, adjusting my cufflinks.
“Because you left for your trip yesterday,” she replies, “and she went on one too p>
“Yeah,” Nolan cuts in. “For once, she’s said something intelligent p>
“Hey!” Nova shrieks through the phone. “That’s not nice p>
“Nolan,” I growl, “that’s not nice. Apologize to your sister p>
“But it’s true,” he insists. “She’s always talking about unicorns and fairies… and that’s just dumb shit p>
“Nolan p>
I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. Everyone thinks having twins is adorable until they actually have them. I wouldn’t trade these two for anything in the world, but fuck, they drive me insane sometimes.
“Where did you learn to speak like that?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Do you want the short version or the long one?” he asks in a voice so serious it almost makes me laugh.
I take a deep breath, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do with him. Is this what my parents dealt with? Because everyone says Nolan is a mini-me, and not just in looks.
“Never mind,” I mutter. “Just stop cursing and apologize to your sister p>
I hear a mumbled something that’s vaguely close to sorry, followed by Nova’s satisfied “Okay p>
“I need to head into a meeting,” I tell them, flipping through my documents to make sure everything’s in order. “Behave. I’ll call you before you leave for school tomorrow p>
“But Daddy,” Nova blurts out before I can hang up, “you still haven’t answered my question p>
I sigh. “What question, sweetheart p>
“About you and Sierra’s trip” she replies.
“It’s too much of a coincidence,” Nolan says seriously, “that you and Sierra traveled on the same day p>
Honestly, I didn’t even know Sierra would be joining this business trip. I thought I’d use it as a chance to get away from her. I thought this trip would be my escape. The time I needed to recalibrate my head.
Being around her is so fucking confusing. One minute, I’m dragged back into memories of us. The next, Chloe crashes in like an avalanche. One moment I want Sierra close; the next, I don’t want anything to do with her.
I was so sure that when Chloe died, my heart died with her, but now, being around Sierra, I’m starting to feel things I don’t want to feel. Things I shouldn’t be feeling.
She says I broke her. That I hurt her. That I destroyed her heart… But has she forgotten that she hurt me first? That she was the one who walked away first?
She trampled on my pride. On my heart and now she acts like none of that happened. Like I’m the villain in her story, when it was the other way around.
“Daddy?” Nova’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
I shove everything to the back of my mind. There’s no point dwelling on it. The shit already happened. It hurt like hell but I survived it. I moved past it.
“Sierra will be spending time with your Aunt Lilly after we’re done with business,” I say.
They both go quiet for a second. “Oh p>
Then Nolan speaks up, his voice bright with excitement. “Will you tell me all about the meeting when you come back p>
“Boys, always talking about business,” Nova mutters, and I can picture her shaking her head.
“I will,” I promise. “But I really have to go now. I’ll talk to you both later p>
“Okay, Daddy,” Nova says. “Bye. Have a wonderful day p>
“Bye, Dad,” Nolan adds.
“Love you,” I say, grabbing my suitcase.
“Love you too,” they reply at the same time.
I end the call and stare at my phone for a moment longer than necessary before sliding it into my pocket.