Page 29 of Love Unexpected

Marcus stands and regains his composure, a defiant glare in his eyes. “Wait. I can explain—“

The sound of my fist meeting his jaw echoes in the quiet of the night, a satisfying explosion of pent-up frustration. For a fleeting instant, it feels good to release everything that’s been building up inside me, but that feeling quickly dissipates as he hits the ground, shock rippling through him. He stays down, and my breath catches in my throat. Did I hit him too hard?

Emma rushes to my side, her voice frantic. “Noah! What did you do?” But I barely register her words as the weight of what just happened crashes over me. All I can focus on is the fact that caring about her has led me here—into a fight with my own brother. The tension in the air is thick, and guilt mingles with my anger, twisting my stomach into knots.

I look down at Marcus, still reeling from the blow. “What were you thinking, showing up here like this?” I bark. “You think an apology will make it right after what you did?” The words are flung at him like daggers, but deep down, I know this isn’t just about him. It’s about me and Emma, and our fragilerelationship. If I didn’t keep pushing her away, we wouldn’t be in this situation at all.

Emma reaches for my arm, her touch grounding me, forcing me to breathe. “Noah, please…step back,” she whispers, her voice a mix of concern and reassurance.

I swallow hard, torn between the instinct to protect what’s mine and the guilt of hurting my own blood. The only family I have left. I look at her, and for a moment, the anger fades as I see the worry etched on her face.

Marcus finally gathers himself, pushing off the floor with a grimace. “I didn’t mean to—” he starts, but Emma cuts him off, stepping between us.

“Stop it!” She screams. “I forgive you, Marcus. But don’teverdo something like that again.” She turns to me. “Now you need to forgive each other. You’ve both done and said things you don’t mean. Y’all were hurt and that’sallit was. Violence isn’t going to solve anything. Just forgive each other. If y’all care about me, do it for me.”

I know she’s right, but knowing doesn’t make the anger any easier to contain. The weight of her plea presses into my chest. I stand there, caught between the intensity of my feelings for her and the raw, jagged edges of betrayal I feel toward my brother.

Marcus casts an uneasy glance at Emma, then at me. “I didn’t mean to hurt either of you. I messed up, and I’m sorry,” hesays finally, the sincerity in his voice breaking through some of the walls I’ve built up.

I want to respond with my fists again, but Emma’s unwavering gaze urges me to reconsider that thought. I take a deep breath, my fists slowly unclenching at my sides. “I know you are, but it’s hard to just forget about it, Marcus,” I reply, my voice steadier. “You crossed a line with Emma, and I don’t know if I’ll ever trust you around her again.”

Emma rests her hand on my arm. “Thank you,” she whispers, looking in my eyes with adoration. “We will talk to you tomorrow, Marcus. I desperately need to get some sleep.” She tugs on my arm, gently pulling me back towards the house.

Emma leads me back to her room, and we settle under the covers. The soft glow of the lamp casts a warm light around us. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, cupping her cheek in my hand. “All I’ve done since we’ve met is stress you and the baby out.”

“Well, you’re not wrong,” she laughs, snuggling in deeper to my side. “It’s all in the past now. All that matters to me right now is that you’re here.”

“Go to sleep, baby,” I murmur, kissing her forehead. I tighten my arms around her as we drift off to sleep.

Chapter 27

Noah

“Mmmmmmm.”

“Ohhhhhhh”

“Mmmmmmm.”

The strange sounds pierce my dreams, slowly waking me from my deep sleep. I rub my eyes, my heart speeding up, while I try to understand the unnerving noises I’m hearing.

“Oooooohhhhhh,” Emma moans quietly from beside me, the distress in her voice finally pulls me from my sleep.

I jerk upright and spring out of bed, my body instinctively jumping into action as adrenaline courses through me. “Emma? What’s going on, baby?” She’s sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand pressed against her stomach and the other gripping her thigh.

“I think this is it.” She looks up at me with unshed tears in her eyes.

Despite the crippling fear in my bones, I rush over to her and kneel down on the floor. Taking her hands in mine, I try to remain calm for her. “Squeeze my hands as hard as you need to,” I say, willing her to focus on me. “What can I do?”

“I think the contraction passed,” she breathes, her voice filled with relief. “Can you grab my bags? I only have a few minutes to get to the car before the next one hits.”

“Of course. I’ll load up the bags, and then I’ll come back to get you. Don’t move!” I yell over my shoulder as I jog to the nursery and grab the bags sitting by the door. I run barefoot out to my car, feeling the warm pavement beneath my feet. It’s early in the morning, the sun barely visible, but the summer heat is already warming everything up. I hurriedly throw the bags in the trunk, and rush back inside.

But when I reach the bedroom, Emma is no longer on the bed. Of course she can’t just stay put for two minutes.

“Emma?” I shout. The house is silent for a second before I hear a crash coming from the bathroom. “Emma!” I dart toward the master bath. Fear claws at my throat as I push the door open.

I see her on the bathroom floor, rocking back and forth on her hands and knees. Her face is ghostly pale even in the dim light. I rush to her side, my arms reaching out to hold her. “What happened? Are you okay?”

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