Chapter 320
NOAH.
I should have left her alone. I should have given her time to process everything I told her but after how Mom reacted, I just couldn’t.
I needed to make sure she was okay. That what Mom said hadn’t gotten to her. I needed to check on her.
That’s why I left the twins at my parents’ place. That’s why I didn’t bother listening to anything Mom had to say. That’s why I never stopped the car, not even once, no matter how much she yelled at me to come back.
Nothing mattered except getting to Sierra. So I drove straight out of my parents’ estate and toward the one place I knew she would go: her house.
The drive felt endless and too short at the same time. My mind replayed everything that had happened at Ivy’s house over and over again… Sierra’s anger. Her pain. The way she looked at me like I was a stranger. Like I was nothing.
By the time I pull up outside her house, my chest feels tight and heavy.
The lights are on inside. Good. That means she made it home safe.
I exhale slowly, reaching for the door handle, but then I freeze when I see an Escalade parked in the driveway.
It’s not Sierra’s, and it’s definitely not Lilly’s.
My brows pull together as I stare at it, trying to place it, but nothing comes to mind.
Who the hell is here? Who the hell does it belong to?
A strange unease settles in my gut as I step out of the car, pushing the thought of the car out of my mind. It didn’t matter who it belonged to; I was her for Sierra, not some stranger.
I’m just about to take the first step when I see them. At first, it’s just movement on the porch. Two figures standing close together, then my eyes adjust and my world stops when I see Sierra wrapped around a man.
Her arms are locked tightly around his neck like she’s holding on for dear life, her face buried against his chest as he holds her protectively and possessively.
My breath catches in my throat, and for a moment it feels like I can’t breathe.
The man’s back is to me, covered by darkness, while his body shields most of her from view, but I can still see her hands clutching his shirt.
He says something to her, then gently runs his hand down her back.
She doesn’t pull away. If anything, she clings to him even tighter, like he’s the only thing keeping her standing.
He leads her inside and a second later the door closes behind them and fuck, does it feel like a door permanently shutting in front of me.
I don’t move. I can’t even if I wanted to so I just stand there staring at the closed door like a fucking idiot, my brain struggling to process what I just saw.
My chest feels like it’s being ripped open from the inside. Like someone reached in and crushed my heart in their fist.
Then the realization that that’s her boyfriend hits me like a truck.
The same man who sent her that message this morning. The same man who made her smile like the whole world belonged to her. The same man who now gets to hold her when she’s hurting.
My hand tightens around the car door until my knuckles turn white.
For months… I convinced myself she still cared. That no matter how angry she was… no matter how much I pushed her away… she still felt something for me… but watching her walk into that house wrapped around another man like he’s her safe place? It feels like someone just drove a knife straight through my chest.
I swallow hard, forcing air into my lungs, before getting into my car and driving away, all the while feeling like I left my fucking heart on that driveway.
The drive back to my parents’ estate feels longer than the one I took to Sierra’s house.
The roads are empty, the night quiet, but none of it matters. My mind keeps replaying the same image of Sierra wrapped around another man over and over again.
My grip tightens on the steering wheel.
I thought I had time. I thought I could now slowly start working for a chance but tonight… Tonight I saw the truth… Sierra’s moved on and I’m the one who pushed her away.
The realization sits heavy in my chest as I pull into my parents’ driveway.
The house is still lit, but I’m not surprised given Mom doesn’t sleep when she’s angry.
I turn off the engine and sit there for a moment, staring at the front door. Part of me wants to stay in the car, but running from this would make me no better than the man I’ve already proven myself to be so instead I get out.