Page 159 of Teacher's Pet

My fingers tighten around the note, my chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.

Noah isn’t just telling me the truth.

He’s choosing me.

Even with everything crumbling around us, he’s choosing me.

"I didn’t know if you’d ever see it," Noah whispers, his voice drifting from behind me, low and uncertain. "Didn’t know if I’d ever share those words with you tonight."

I turn slowly, my pulse thudding in my ears.

He stands in the doorway, watching me, his expression unreadable as he reaches back to latch the door shut.

"A-all of this-" I gesture weakly at the room, at the flowers, at everything.

"I guessed," Noah murmurs. "Guessed I’d see you tonight. Guessed you’d want me as much as I fucking wanted you."

He drops his things onto the floor, his body heavy with exhaustion, yet he still moves toward me, each step slow, deliberate.

"The flowers?" I whisper.

His throat bobs, eyes dark with something raw, something real. "A petal for every second I spent wishing you were with me those two months."

The confession sinks into me like a weight, pressing against my ribs, making it harder to breathe.

Then he’s there, in front of me, wrapping his arms around my waist, his body pressing into mine as if he’s afraid to let go. His mouth brushes against the side of my head, his breath warm against my skin.

I melt into him.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I let him lift me, let myself fold into his embrace, grounding myself in the way he holds me like he never wants to put me down.

"Are they going to hurt us?" I whisper, voice trembling. "Is Jake going to hurt us?"

Noah’s grip tightens. "No," he breathes. "No one is touching you. No one is getting near us. Jake made a big fucking mistake-"

I swallow hard. "I called Cole tonight."

His entire body stills.

"H-he and Walker… they’re in on all of this."

Noah doesn’t speak. He just holds me closer, his fingers digging into my skin as though he can’t believe it either.

Then, after a long beat, he exhales sharply.

"There’s something you need to know about Levi," he murmurs. "And Cole."

I pull back just enough to meet his eyes. Our noses graze, breaths tangling, the weight of unspoken truths sitting heavy between us.

But I know, whatever he’s about to tell me is about to change everything.

"That boy, Levi. Do you know why he was riding his bike that late at night?"

I shake my head, my throat too tight to speak.

Noah exhales, his expression darkening. "His parents... they were clients of Roman Briar. Moles. Ex-cartel who joined Catalyst, Roman’s company, to wiretap my brother’s drug deal."

"Catalyst?"

---