Page 95 of The Fate of Us

“I know.”

“You know I love you or you know I can’t be around her?”

“Both,” he acquiesces. “I just want you near me.”

“I know.” I squeeze his hand and he looks at me with a sad grin. “Claire came to the bar tonight. She’s a cunt.”

That gets a smile out of him. “She is crazy. She is not the woman I was married to.”

“Glad to hear that because I was beginning to think you are psychotic too.”

He reaches over the center console and cups my face. “I love you, Anna. And I am trying to make this right.”

I press my cheek into the comfort of his palm. “I know.”

“I’ll take you to Liam’s.”

“Really?”

He gives me a curt nod. “It’s not what I want but it’s what you want.”

“Thank you.”

The drive to Liam’s is silent, both of us thinking about everything that’s happened. I wish I could go home with Noah. See Brutus’ sloppy face. Curl up on the sofa in Noah’s arms as we watch some stupid action movie. But the reality is we both need this space and time apart to get our lives in order.

Noah parks on the street in front of Liam’s house. We both sit there. I don’t want to say goodbye to him. Not after what happened tonight.

“Want to come inside?” I ask him.

He hesitates. And it breaks my heart a little. “I should go home.”

“Okay,” I say in defeat. “Thank you for the ride.”

He nods. “I’ll let you know when your car is ready.”

“Thanks.”

I get out of the car and head up the driveway. My heart breaking. I want nothing more than to feel Noah’s arms around me. But he is doing what I asked, giving me space.

I make it to the front step of the house and look for my keys when I feel his presence behind me.

I drop my bag to the ground just as his lips hit mine.

The kiss brings back the chills I had earlier. A mix of need and want tied perfectly with a bow. It doesn’t last long but it was enough. Noah grabs my hand and squeezes holding on to it as he walks away. He lets it go and walks back to his car.

I head inside and go straight to bed. I curl up around a pillow wishing it was Noah’s body.

My phone chimes with a text and I relax a little as I read it.

Noah: You’ll be back in my arms soon. I love you.

27

Noah

I sitat my desk looking over evidence from the past two murders and comparing notes when Marcus drops a sheet of paper on my desk. It’s a picture of three IDs, all with Claire’s face on them.

I look up at him. “Do I even want to know what you had to do to get these?”

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