Page 45 of Triplet Babies for the Billionaire
Outside, the rain starts coming down even harder, tapping against the windows with softplunks. I pull a throw blanket off the back of the sofa and wrap it tighter around myself as I snuggle into the couch.
Noah, the gentleman he is, is already on his phone, ordering dinner while I scroll through the horror movie options on the streaming service.
“I don’t know what I’m more afraid of,” I joke, “the horror movie or the sound of this storm.”
Noah chuckles, the warmth of his laugh making me feel a little more at ease.
He’s so easy to be around, and tonight, with the storm raging outside, I feel better with him here.
“I’ll take both,” he says, hitting send on his order. “Sushi and teriyaki in the storm sounds like the right choice.”
I smile, my fingers still hovering over the screen. "Japanese food it is, then."
We lean back into the worn couch, turning on a creepy thriller that promises to keep us on edge. Purplish lightning flashes across the dark sky outside, illuminating the windows in sharp, jagged streaks of white.
Each crash of thunder makes me flinch, but Noah's presence beside me somehow brings me comfort and makes it feel less frightening.
Our food arrives quickly, and we settle back into the couch with our sushi, the storm howling outside as the movie plays on.
The pattering sound of rain and occasional roll of thunder becomes the background to our laughter as we joke over the horror movie. It’s cheesy at times but still manages to pack a punch with the scares.
As the movie is nearing its end, I find myself getting lost in the suspense.
Noah and I are huddled close together on the couch, the blanket wrapped around us as I lean into him.
His thick, strong arm is draped across my shoulders, and I can feel his warmth radiating through me. I find myself leaning into him naturally.
The tension from the movie has me clutching the blanket tighter in my sweating hands, my eyes glued to the screen as the final scene starts to unfold.
The last jump-scare sends me leaping into Noah’s side with a gasp, my arms wrapped around him as I hide my face against his back, and I hear him chuckle softly.
“Well,” he says, his voice light, “I think we could use a change of pace after all of that.”
I look up at him, surprised. “You want to stay and watch something else?”
He just smiles at me, his eyes sparkling in the low light from the TV. “How about something lighter? Maybe a comedy. I feel like we need a laugh after that.”
I nod eagerly. “You’re right. I’m not sure I can handle any more horror tonight.”
We get comfortable again, Noah flicking through the options for a lighter movie as I rest my head on his shoulder, my eyes fluttering shut for a moment.
There’s something so easy about being here with him, in the middle of the storm, everything else in the world feeling far away, and I feel myself melt against him again.
Just as I’m about to settle deeper into the couch, suddenly, there’s a loudcrashfrom the window beside the TV. The sound is deafening. The sight of the dark figure launching into the living room at us makes me jump to my feet in a panic, my heart racing in my chest.
“Noah!” I scream, adrenaline surging through me as I back away from the window, launching myself over the back of the sofa.
Noah’s already up, lunging toward the broken window and the dark figure, his blue eyes wide with a protective fury.
My pulse is racing, my body frozen in shock as I watch him lurch for the man, whose face is hidden by his soaked hood.
Then, as Noah lifts the hood off his face, I see him: Zack.
My ex is completely drenched from the rain, his clothes torn from the broken window, and his brown eyes are wide with a mix of anger and desperation.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I gasp, my voice tight and strained.
Noah steps forward, positioning himself in front of me, blocking Zack so he can’t get to me.
