Page 105 of Undone

His shoulders sagged, and he ran a hand over his face, exhaustion creeping in. “Itiseasier,” he admitted, his voice cracking just enough to betray him. “Because I can’t lose you. I can’t lose anyone else. I’m not just scared, Noah. I’m fuckingterrified.”

My throat tightened, and tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.

“Terrified.” I agreed, letting the words from months ago echo between us.

Dorian’s expression changed, the anger fading just slightly, replaced by something vulnerable. He studied me, his brow furrowed, as if he didn’t know whether to pull me closer or push me away.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking through the heavy silence. The sound was jarring, pushing us back to reality. The moment shattered, and we both froze.

My heart leaped into my throat, and I watched as Dorian glanced at his phone, then back at me. The intensity in his eyes made something twist inside me, a growing fear creeping into my thoughts.

What if he says something I can’t handle? What if the next words out of his mouth are the ones that finally break me? What if he isn’t willing to try?

The thought sent a wave of panic through me, my hands trembling at the possibility of needing to leave this place.

I couldn’t bear to hear it.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing, the weight of his silence pressing down on me. The distance between us suddenly felt insurmountable—like a chasm that was growing wider with every second that passed.

The fear was suffocating, making it hard to breathe.

I couldn’t wait for his response. I couldn’t stand here and face the possibility of him telling me I wasn’t enough, that this—whatever we had—wasn’t worth the risk.

I had to get out.

“I can’t do this right now,” I finally managed to say, stepping back.

All I could think about was fleeing, putting space between us and the mess of emotions that had already undone everything I thought I knew.

“Noah, wait!” he called after me, but I was already gone.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Noah - October

HOLD ME WHILE YOU WAIT - LEWIS CAPALDI

As I walked backinto the reception, the glow of fairy lights and the lingering scent of flowers enveloped me. The lively music and laughter echoed around me, but the room felt hollow. I pushed back the tears that wanted to fall and forced a smile at the guests who mingled, clinking their glasses together in celebration while my mind spiraled.

I wandered aimlessly, chatting with locals and trying to appear busy so no one I knew well would have the chance to ask what was wrong.

Dorian appeared relaxed. And it pissed me off how he could just pretend everything was okay. He was crouched down, sharing a joke with Gracie, who was giggling uncontrollably. The two of them were the picture of happiness.

The reception started to wind down, and guests began filtering out, offering hugs and goodbyes. I caught snippets of happy chatter, making my heart heavier.

As I prepared to leave, I headed toward the exit, hoping to catch Dotty one last time before the night ended, but she was busy dancing with Trent, so I sent her a quick text instead. All I could think about was escaping.

As I reached the doorway, I nearly collided with Colt, who was walking in with a serious expression.

“Hey, Noah.” I could tell by the look on his face he had bad news.

What a day.

“Another one?” I asked, not wanting to hear the next words from his mouth.

“Yeah.” He grabbed the back of his neck, his long hair pulled back in a bun, his tattoos peeking out from the sleeves of his suit. “I wasn’t going to tell you or anything. Didn’t want to ruin the night.”

I felt my stomach drop. “This soon?”

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