Page 55 of The Fate of Us

“No, you aren’t.” I feel Anna stiffen in my arm and I wrap my other around her, trying to calm her down.

“You scared that your new plaything is going to walk away?” Claire hisses at me.

I am scared of that but I won’t let Claire know. I am also scared about the way my body is reacting to seeing her again. I force out words as my body fights the need to wrap Claire in my arms because I finally know after all these years she is okay. “You need to leave, Claire.”

“I don’t think I do. Because according to these papers I never signed, this house is mine too.”

Fuck. How the hell am I supposed to get her away from here?

“Why don’t we take this inside, Noah? Have your little lover put some clothes on.”

“Fine,” I acquiesce. I don’t want to cause a scene with all the neighbors that are around.

I open the door behind me and pull Anna inside. Claire follows right on our footsteps.

“Wait here,” I tell Claire before I drag Anna and a growling Brutus upstairs.

I shut the door to my bedroom and turn around to see Anna red with anger. “What the fuck was that, Noah?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know how she found me.”

Anna grips her hair as she stalks toward me. “You didn’t even defend me. You just let her talk about me that way. A plaything? Really Noah?”

I rub my face in frustration. “I was in shock, okay? I didn’t know what to say.”

“You could have told her I was your fucking girlfriend. That I live here with you! That we are building a life together!”

That’s when I realize the mistake I made. I didn’t defend her. “Anna,” I grovel. “I’m so sorry. I was shocked. You need to understand that. You aren’t my plaything or whatever the hell she called you. You are my future. I fucking love you. You know that. Can’t you see that?”

She goes to rip the necklace I gave her off but I lunge for her and stop the movement. “Please don’t. I love you. I will fix this.”

“She needs to leave,” Anna commands.

“She will be gone so quickly.” I kneel in front of her, gripping her waist, fighting tears that threaten to break free. “Just please don’t leave, Anna. This is all a mistake.”

Anna peels my hands off her and crosses her arms. “I thought you were divorced.”

“I am,” I say as I look up at her, still pleading on my knees. “She never returned the papers. She was sent multiple letters for multiple court dates, she never showed. The judge still filed the divorce.”

Anna nods but turns around grabbing clothes and changing into them. “I need space. But she better not be here when I get back.”

Before she can reach the door, I grab her wrist.

“Please don’t, Noah. I can’t—I can’t do this.” Tears fall on her cheeks and I pull her into a hug, holding on to her as tightly as I can because I am afraid that once I let go, she won’t come back.

I pull her head back and smash my lips into hers. As much as she kisses me back, pours her love into that kiss, I can’t help but feel like it’s a goodbye.

* * *

“So who is she?”

I’m sitting at my kitchen table, staring at the remnants of the breakfast Anna and I never finished making as I grind my teeth.

“Oh come on. You don’t want to tell me?”

I clench my fist as I finally look at her. “My girlfriend.”

“It’s awfully hard to have a girlfriend and a wife at the same time.”

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