Chapter 10
Emma
As the week goes on, Noah and I become closer and our connection grows stronger. I find myself repeatedly pushing off my talk with him. Coming up with lame excuses and telling myself I’ll tell him the next day. And then the next day. And the one after that. I need to tell him what I've been keeping from him, but the thought of bursting our little blissful bubble is daunting.
Tuesday rolls around, and as I sit in the board meeting, an electric current buzzes in the air. I catch Noah’s gaze lingering on me from across the table. A glimmer of mischief dances in his dark eyes and a teasing smile forms on his lips. Noah glances around the room, ensuring no one is paying attention to him before he tosses a sly wink at me, followed by a slow, deliberate lick of his lips. I blush hard and fight my own smile from giving us away.
By Wednesday, the dynamic shifts further. The air crackles with undeniable tension any time he’s near. Noah begins summoning me into his office more frequently under the guise of discussing work. I sit at his desk, looking at a report laying in front of us. He leans in and I feel the heat radiating off of him. He whispers something about deadlines, his lips brushing against my ear, igniting a fire in me and leaving me breathless.
Thursday arrives, and Noah has become a master at orchestrating reasons to be near me throughout the day. The quick glances, the subtle touches, the kisses he steals whenever he has the chance. Every encounter I have with him draws me in deeper. I find myself craving so much more of him—more of his laughter, more of his cologne on my clothes, more of those soft lips on mine.
And by Friday, we find ourselves getting more risky, crossing into dangerous territory. Our steamy encounters lead to sex in his office, under his desk, and in the copy room. Just an hour ago, I was taking phone calls at my desk. Now, I'm wrapped up in his arms in the back seat of his car, hidden away in the parking garage. The thrill of getting caught only adds onto the heat of the moment. Our breaths mingle as he pulls me back down on top of him. The world fades away, leaving just the two of us in this intimate moment.
I can hardly believe how quickly my heart has become tangled with his. I'm giddy and I can't stop smiling to myself during the drive home that Friday evening. The cold shoulder he was giving me just two weeks ago is long forgotten. After all, Noah feels different. He's sweeter and is no longer trying to push me away. It feels like nothing can bring me down.
Until I get home and that euphoric bubble I've been in all day suddenly bursts. The moment I step through the door, I'm greeted by my empty and frigid house. The silence envelops me as I lie awake that night. I toss and turn nonstop, guilt gnaws at me, refusing to let me rest. It whispered haunting reminders of the truth I've been avoiding. I can't shake the feeling that I'm spinning a web of lies around something beautiful I have with Noah.
I decide I can no longer delay the conversation that has a tight grip around my chest. Come Monday morning, I will find the courage to finally tell him. I promise myself I won't sleep with him again until I confess what I’ve been hiding. That promise lingers in the back of my mind as I finally fade into a restless sleep. A small flicker of hope ignites in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, this doesn't have to change anything.