Page 80 of The Fate of Us

Austin places his hand on my knee. “Are you going to be okay?”

I haven’t told him much. He has figured it out from my songs. “I’ll figure it out.”

He nods and takes his hand away. “You always know—”

“I can stay with you if I need to.” I finish the sentence for him. He’s told me that ten times in the last week.

“Ash likes you a lot.”

I smile at that. His wife is adorable and amazing. The few days this week I stayed with them in their guest house she was a joy to be around. She always made sure I had food to eat and the quiet I needed to work. Their three kids are a bit rambunctious and liked to watch me play.

“I like her too. She is an amazing mom.”

“She’s a good wife.”

“She is.”

He flags down the bartender to order another round of drinks. “Don’t let the bad times ruin your spirit, Anna. You have so much to give to the world.”

24

Anna

I thinkI have bitten my entire lip off as I drove home today. I talked to Noah for the first time last night in almost three weeks. I came back from Cole’s show a bit tipsy and the anxiety of what I was walking into today weighed heavily on me.

We both cried when I talked to him. I didn’t realize how much I missed his voice. We were both a blubbering mess of apologies and proclamations of love.

But he told me something that has had me anxious all day.

Claire is living in our house.

He didn’t want to go into the details and I’m not sure I wanted to hear them.

I still am not sure.

I hung up after he told me. I didn’t know what to think.

I couldn’t sleep last night so I left early this morning. I said a quick goodbye to Austin and Ashley thanking them for their hospitality before heading back home.

I pull into our driveway a little before eleven and relax when I see Noah’s SUV is here. I know this is his weekend on call and I did not want to walk into our home with him gone and Claire knitting on the couch.

I look in the rearview mirror and try to fix my hair. I didn’t brush it this morning in my haste to leave and it looks like a mess. I swipe lip balm over my chewed lip and take a deep breath before heading into the house.

I walk across the path to the front of the house and climb the steps. My fingers shake as I grab the door handle. I don’t know what I am going to see. I can only hope that the words we shared from the beginning of our conversation last night ring true.

The house is quiet as I walk through the front door. No sign of Noah, Claire, or Brutus. I look around and everything looks the same. No signs she is moving in and taking over. I walk past the guest room as I walk toward the kitchen. The door is open and it’s clear someone is staying in there and I breathe a sigh of relief. All the flashbacks I was having of Kyle and Becca flutter away, knowing that Noah made her stay in the guest room.

I hear noise coming from the basement so I head to the door. When I try to grab the handle, it’s locked. Noah never locks the door when he is down there. I start to panic a bit as an image of Noah and Claire together downstairs flashes across my mind. I put my ear to the door but the only sound I hear is Noah’s grunts and the creak of the weight machine.

Brutus starts scratching at the door. He must have heard me walking around. I hear Noah tell him to calm down as I hear his steps as he walks up the stairs.

“Claire, I told you not to bother me when I’m working out.” His mumbled words come through the door.

He opens the door and I stumble backward. My eyes going straight to his sweat slicked chest. I follow a drop of sweat as it drips down the center of his shirtless body, running down the ridges of his abs before hitting the edge of his shorts.

I look back up at Noah and meet his stare. His look of surprise quickly turns ravenous. Lust and need beating out of those sapphire eyes I’ve missed so much.

Words aren’t needed as we crash into each other. A tangle of limbs and teeth. My mouth adhering to his in the most needed kiss of all time. He hefts me up, pulling my legs around his hips as he tries to carry me toward our bedroom.

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