Page 38 of When Love And Destiny Collide

"I love you too," I say, the words feeling both foreign and true. "I love you, Noah. I've loved you since the moment you called me a kid."

He laughs—a loud, infectious laugh that reaches the deepest part of my soul.

We sit and gaze into each other's eyes, letting the seconds tick by. When he gently pulls me towards him, I close my eyes and wait for his lips to meet mine. He tastes so good. The gentle, steady motion of his lips on mine slowly transforms into an intense, rhythmic dance that leaves me breathless. With Noah, each kiss is an unspoken promise of love and a future.

When he pulls away from me, I open my eyes and find him studying my face.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I've fallen deeply in love with you, Sweetheart. You know that?"

I nod. "Your eyes speak to me with every glance. I know you love me."

"I’m not sure how everyone in our lives will react to us being together."

"Like my father," I say. "He thinks I’m too young."

"And that I’m too old, I would imagine," he adds with a small, knowing smile.

"You're perfect," I say, smiling back.

"Marian will try to use Davey to get what she wants."

I swallow the lump in my throat, feeling the weight of the unspoken truth. I can't give him what Marian did—a child.

"Tell him! Not now! Tell him! I will!" The war within me rages, two voices battling for control, each pulling me in opposite directions—my heart pounds in my chest, wild and relentless. But in the end, love wins. “Noah,” I manage to say, my voice trembling as my mouth goes dry.

He steadies his gaze on me, his eyes filled with the unwavering love I've come to recognize in just one look.

"What is it?" he asks, reaching for me again and pulling me into his arms.

"Five years ago," I begin, "some friends invited me to a party. I knew there would be drinking."

Noah sits up, sensing that I'm about to share something important.

"It was the week before my eighteenth birthday. I wasn't a drinker—never liked it—but that night, I ignored every instinct. I was young, reckless, and too naive to realize how drunk I was. But I got behind the wheel anyway."

"Lily," my name on his lips sounds desperate and panicked, his concern palpable.

"I never made it home."

He says nothing, sensing that he shouldn't interrupt. Instead, I feel his reassuring hand resting on mine, giving me the courage to continue.

"I woke up in the hospital three days later."

His eyes fill with a storm of emotions as I recount everything—how I couldn't remember what happened, drifting in and out of consciousness, and the doctor’s words to my parents, saying that my chances of ever conceiving were slim, if not impossible. When I finish, the silence that follows is deafening. The weight of it becomes unbearable, and I finally break.

"Do you still want me?" I ask, my voice trembling. "Even if I’m broken?"

"Oh, Sweetheart," he whispers, his voice soft and full of love, "you’re not broken. You’re perfect."

I recognize that look in his eyes, the way his lips curl into a knowing smile—he’s going to kiss me. I close my eyes, waiting, but when nothing happens, I open them to find him gazing at me with an intensity that sends shivers down my spine. "I want you, Lily," he whispers in answer to my question. When our lips finally meet, it's like the first time all over again—a rush oftenderness floods over me and pulls me into him until it feels like we’re one, our hearts beating in perfect harmony.

***

The days leading up to my father’s visit are a whirlwind of activity—the first real test Noah and I must face together.

Sam and Laila, who are temporarily living in Boston, have generously offered their house for Dad to stay in while he's here. So, the day before his arrival, Lisa and I are here dusting, cleaning, and stocking the fridge, preparing for his stay.

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