Emery
I was anything but reckless.
I’d spent my entire life avoiding risks. In college, I turned my assignments in a week early and stayed home the night before a big test to study and sleep. I always drove the speed limit and never used my phone while driving. I was CPR certified and religiously checked my fire alarms.
But for some reason, while standing in the crowd at a Fading Atlas concert, I threw all caution to the wind and asked Noah to fake a marriage with me.
At first, it seemed like he hadn’t heard me. His expression didn’t change as my own words echoed in my ears. So, I did the idiotic thing and asked again.
This time louder. Directly in his ear.
There was no way he didn’t hear me. So, the only conclusion I could draw from his utter silence: faking anything with me was the last thing he wanted to do.
From that moment, I had no idea how to act around Noah.
I kept my attention forward while I watched Liam sing into the microphone.
I’d originally come to support Sabrina; I had never even heard a Fading Atlas song.
But after my embarrassing debacle, I was determined to act like this was the most riveting concert I’d ever been to so that I didn’t have to face Noah and his lack of a reaction.
Thankfully, Timothy started to get cranky, so I took that as our sign to leave.
I knew Sabrina wouldn’t fault me for ditching the concert early since we were both moms just trying to survive.
But I sent her a quick text, just in case, letting her know that we were heading out. She responded with a thumbs-up emoji.
With her blessing to leave, I attempted to pick up Timothy so he didn’t have to walk, but I only made it a few steps before I had to set him down. Nothing prepares you for the moment your child gets too big to be carried.
Timothy did not like that I was going to make him walk and wrapped his arms around my waist and held on. I could feel a tantrum coming on, but there was just no way I could comply with his demands. He was getting too big, and I was just too tired.
“Let me.” Noah’s voice sounded from behind me. It was low and rumbly, and I didn’t have to turn around to know that he was standing right next to me, his lips inches from my ear.
A shiver rushed across my skin as my heart picked up speed. The memory of his hands gripping my thighs in the pool at the Silver Lake Hotel inexplicably entered my mind, and I instantly pushed it out.
That was the last thing I should be thinking about.
“Okay,” I said as I grabbed Timothy’s arms and used all of my strength to pull them open. When he started to protest, I crouched down so I could look him in the eyes. “Noah’s going to carry you.”
He paused and tipped his head ever so slightly so he was looking at Noah out of the corner of his eye. Then he relented and turned with his arms up. Noah pulled him to his chest and stood in one swift movement. There was definitely a difference in strength between that man and me.
I would have nearly toppled over from Timothy’s weight, but Noah seemed unbothered. He had one arm under Timothy’s bum while Timothy rested his head on Noah’s shoulder, his entire body limp.
I wasn’t sure what to do, so I just followed after him as he pushed through the crowd.
Once we were outside and on our way to our parking spot, I finally felt like I could breathe.
Relief flooded my body when our black SUV came into view.
Noah pulled out the key fob and the sound of the doors unlocking filled the air.
We worked in silence, getting Timothy into the car and buckled.
I contemplated sitting in the passenger seat instead of next to Timothy like I normally did.
Timothy was dead to the world with his head tipped back and his mouth wide open.
I doubted there was anything that could wake that boy now that he was deep into a REM cycle.
But the memory of Noah’s lack of a response when I asked him to fake a relationship with me slammed into me like a freight train. In order to avoid another mistake, I made my way around the car and climbed in next to Timothy.
My arms were folded as I leaned to the side so I could stare out the window.
The lights and buildings turned into a blur as we drove past. My eyes drifted closed a few times as my body sunk into the leather seat before jolting awake as the car slowed.
I quickly swallowed a few times and pushed my body into a seated position before glancing around.
Noah was pulling into the parking garage under my building. Timothy was still asleep next to me.
A few seconds later, the car was parked, so I quickly opened my door and climbed out. Noah didn’t dillydally either. He was out of the car and headed toward Timothy’s door before I’d even shut mine. Noah disappeared into the car and then emerged with Timothy draped over his shoulder.
Neither of us spoke as I followed him to the elevator. It wasn’t until we were in the condo and I had shut the door that I nodded toward Timothy’s bedroom.
“In there,” I said, my voice hushed.
Noah kicked off his shoes and headed down the hall.
I did the same and then hurried after him.
Noah had laid Timothy down on his bed by the time I got in there.
Now that we were home and I had tasks to do, I went into mom mode.
I had his pajamas out of his dresser and was in the process of taking his shoes off when from the corner of my eye I saw Noah dip out of the room.
Timothy was not happy to be jostled, but I had him out of his clothes and into his pajamas with his teeth brushed in no time. I tucked him under his covers before I slipped out of his room, shutting the door behind me.
Now in the hallway, I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes and tipping my face upwards while I took a deep breath. It had been a whirlwind night. It had started out benign, and then I had to go and ruin it with my suggestion to Noah. I had no idea how I was going to move on from my blunder.
Noah may not want to speak about what I’d asked, but I knew I couldn’t sweep it under the rug.
I wouldn’t be able to live in the same house as him without talking about it.
It was going to eat me alive. Even if all I needed was to laugh about it and tell him it had all been a joke, I needed to clear the air to have any hope of surviving.
My mouth felt parched, so I pushed off the wall and headed into the kitchen. I startled when I saw Noah sitting at the dining room table. He must have not expected me either because, as soon as I entered the room, he set his phone down on the table and straightened.
Abigail’s questions during our visit in Harmony began to plague my mind. I allowed my gaze to linger on Noah for a brief moment before I turned to my left and stared at the cupboard doors.
How much did I know about Noah? I knew he had a past with Carson, and I faintly remembered him from when I was in high school.
It had been strange to walk into Charles’s office the day I found out I’d been assigned a bodyguard.
Maybe this situation was too coincidental.
Out of the three billion men in this world, how did he get picked for me?
And why did I know nothing about him? Where had he been all of this time? Did he have a place outside of my condo? Did he have a girlfriend? A wife?
Heat began to prick my skin. What if he had a wife and a family, and I was over here, asking him to fake a marriage with me? Embarrassment clung to my gut.
Needing something to do other than standing there, staring at the wood grain on the cupboard doors, I walked over and pulled one open.
I searched for an explanation as to why I’d opened the door and found a wine glass, so I pulled it out.
I set it down on the marble countertop, the glass making a soft clink as I did.
This was a happy accident. I could use a glass of wine.
I turned around and pulled open the fridge. Tucked in the back was a bottle of Screaming Eagle. With it in hand, I swung the door shut with my foot.
“Want a glass?” I tossed over my shoulder as I returned to the other side of the kitchen and set the bottle next to my glass.
When Noah didn’t respond right away, I glanced over to see that he was watching me.
As soon as our gazes met, he dropped his focus to his hands.
I sighed. Life with him was going to be long if he continued on like this.
It was one thing to want your life to remain a mystery.
It was a whole other thing to refuse to answer basic questions.
“I’ll pour you one, and you can decide if you want to drink it or not,” I said as I opened the cupboard door once more and grabbed a second wine glass.
“I’m okay.”
I paused, glancing over my shoulder before I returned the glass to the shelf.
After pouring myself an ample amount, I replaced the cork and then slid the stem of the glass between my forefinger and middle finger before lifting it up.
At least I got a response out of him. I was going to count that as a win.
I padded over to the table and felt Noah’s energy shift.
He’d become restless in his seat, adjusting his weight like having me close unsettled him.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, so I decided to ignore it as I plopped down on the chair across from him.
If I was going to be forced to have this man in my life, I needed to clear the air.
“I didn’t mean it.” The words tumbled out, and I pinched my lips shut.
So much for easing into the conversation.
Noah had been staring at the table. My words must have caught him off guard because he brought his gaze up to meet mine.
“Huh?” he asked.
I swallowed my embarrassment as I forced myself to trudge forward. “What I asked you at the concert. I didn’t mean it. I was just…” I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say.
I hated that my life had become this. I hated that the board was forcing me to get married when I was completely content being single. Why ruin a good thing with the unknown?