CHAPTER 49
NOAH
Bella’s body collapses against me in a pile of spaghetti limbs and heavy breaths.
My hand instantly finds the back of her head as I cradle her against me, my fingers running through her blonde waves.
Her heart thunders against my chest, the rhythm matching my own and I close my eyes, soaking in the feel of her.
For the longest time, I didn’t think I’d ever get the experience this feeling again. It’s almost surreal and had I not been able to feel every inch of her naked skin against mine, I would believe I was dreaming.
“I love you, Noah.”
I freeze, my eyes flying open as I move my head to the side and try to get a look at her face. “What did you just say?”
Bella pulls back, using her arms to hold herself up as she looks down at me. “I love you.”
“Oh my God,” I whisper, my hands finding her face as I lean up to kiss her forcefully. “Fuck.” I kiss her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose. “You have no fucking idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.”
Bella giggles, her nose scrunching up as I attack her with kisses. “I love you so fucking much, Isabella Ashby.”
If I thought my heart had been racing after she just rode the shit out of me, I was mistaken. It’s beating so fast in my chest that I’m genuinely concerned for my health.
“Say it again.”
She smiles down at me, her straight white teeth on full display as she shakes her head. “I love you, Noah Calloway. So fucking much.”
“Fuck.” I clutch my chest.
Bella giggles. “You’re so dramatic.”
“Not dramatic, baby. Just a tormented man who thought he’d never hear those words.” I furrow my brow as another thought hits me. “Does this mean you forgive me?”
Bella bites her bottom lip and I track the movement, my dick hardening once more. “Yes.”
“Oh, thank God,” I sigh in relief. “I was worried I was going to have to lock you in here and torture you with kisses until you gave in.”
She rolls her eyes. “See? Dramatic.”
I sober my mood, becoming serious for a moment. “I swear to you, I’ll never hurt you again.”
“Good.” She deadpans. “’Cause next time, I’ll cut your dick off and feed it to Chance.”
The mental image makes me cringe and I grip her hips, thrusting into her. “Really not what I need to hear when my dick is hard, baby.”
Her eyes widen, a surprised gasp escaping her and I smile at her devilishly before flipping her over so quick she doesn’t see it coming.
Taking her hands in mine, I interlock our fingers and hold them on either side of her head as I move in and out of her slowly.
It’s the same position we were in the first time I made love to her, and the emotions thrumming through the both of us are just as intense as they were that day.
She whimpers below me, her legs lifting to wrap around my waist as I fuck her slowly. Her pussy flutters around me and my still sensitive tip tingles at the sensation.
I came less than ten minutes ago, and I already know this isn’t going to last long.
I release one of her hands and capture her thigh, hiking it higher as I draw out of her, my head dropping to watch as I pull all the way out before sliding back in.
Bella moans, the sound like music to my ears and I do it again. “Noah, I’m already close.”
I blink up at her, my heart squeezing at the raw emotion shining in her eyes and I nod. “Me too, baby.”
Her hand comes to the back of my neck and she lowers my head, bringing my mouth to hers as she kisses me so fucking soft it breaks me and puts me back together again.
I keep my slow pace, circling my hips as I thrust in and out of the woman I love and she takes it all, our breaths mixing in the air between us as we come unravelled together.
And this time, when she tightens around me does tumbling over the edge, taking me with her, Bella whispers my three favourite words.
“I love you, Noah.”
***
With Bella’s hand clutched tightly in mine, I lead us out of the front door and down the front steps of house she and Killian grew up in.
Killian and Daisy are right behind us, the pair also holding hands as the team of cleaners they hired carry boxes and bags of trash out of the house and load it all into the back of a lorry.
Bella sighs, a tear rolling down her face as she releases my hand and turns to stare up at the house from the driveway. “I can’t believe that’s it.” Her lip trembles slightly. “Her entire life packed away into a handful of garbage bags and loaded into the back of a small lorry.”
I step into her from behind, my arms circling her as I pull her back against me. Killian and Daisy come to stand next to us. “I’ve always hated this house,” Killian says thoughtfully. “I never thought I’d be sad to see it go.”
“Hopefully the person that buys it will finally fix it up to how it used to be,” Bella says to her brother.
“Maybe they’ll knock the entire place down and rebuild,” Killian replies, looking over at his little sister.
Daisy and I stay silent, letting the siblings grieve their childhood home however they need to.
I’ve seen firsthand how their mother’s drinking affected their lives growing up.
I sat up into the late hours of the night with Killian while he told me everything that went on behind the closed door of his childhood home.
I’d lain awake many nights listening to his quiet sobs after he had fought with his mom.
I remember hearing the quiet conversation between my own mom and dad when they discussed adopting them both.
I saw the way Bella would come home mentally drained after her weekly visit. Heard the whispers around town about the woman who birthed them when she had stolen alcohol from the supermarket.
For years, I sat on the sidelines and watched as the two most important people in my life struggled. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hate the woman responsible for that.
We all knew her life would come to an end because of her addiction. What bothers me is that treating her kids like shit, neglecting them, and choosing to be selfish throughout their entire lives wasn’t enough for her. She had to leave all the evidence of her selfishness behind for them to clean up.
I hate that Bella and Killian are left to pick up the pieces.
I hate that they had to step foot back into that house at all.
I especially hate the way Bella had flushed in embarrassment when I stepped over the threshold and saw the reality of her situation with my own eyes for the first time in years.
Hated the way her breaths had stuttered as we climbed the stairs to the bedroom she found her mother in.
And now all I want to do is get her as far away from this godforsaken house as possible.
I tighten my arms around her, my chin resting on her shoulder. “Are you ready, baby?”
She turns her head slightly, her eyes glassy with unshed tears but her body relaxed in a way that tells me all she feels right now is relief. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
My eyes move to Killian and he nods, stepping away from Daisy for a moment. He holds his hand out for me to shake. I take it and he pulls me against him, his other arm coming around to clap me on the back as he speaks quietly in my ear. “Thank you for looking after her.”
A lump forms in my throat at his words and I nod. “Always.”
It’s in that short conversation that the final crack in our friendship is repaired, all of the bullshit is forgotten, and I finally feel the last of the weight lift from my shoulders.