Chapter 191

I took a deep breath, knowing my words could either reveal something unwanted or further anger him. “I saw you and Zoe talking after the pageant,” I finally muttered. “You seemed… intimate. And you lied about being with her that day. You said you were mingling, but you weren’t.”

The color drained from Noah’s face. He took a step back, his eyes darting away. “It… it was nothing. You misunderstood.”

“Did I?” I pressed, anger and hurt bubbling inside. “Because it sure didn’t look like nothing. What were you really talking about, Noah?”

For a long moment, Noah was silent. The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. Finally, he sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“It’s not what you think,” he said, lowering his voice as though not wanting to be overheard, even though we were home alone. “Zoe is in a difficult situation. Her parents… they won’t return Adam to her unless she gets a job.”

I blinked, confusion replacing my anger. “What? Why?”

Noah ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I’d seen countless times when he was stressed. “They think she’s not responsible enough to care for Adam on her own. That’s why she’s been looking so hard for work lately. And that’s why…” he trailed off, shaking his head.

When he spoke again, his eyes met mine. “And that’s why she’s in so much pain after what you two did—why she came to me to tell me what happened. She thought she might finally have a job lead, a chance to get her son back. And it was a trick.”

The weight of his words hit me like a punch. I sank back into the chair, my head spinning. “I… I had no idea,” I whispered, suddenly feeling like the biggest, most colossal jerk.

Noah nodded, his expression softening slightly. “I know you didn’t, because you never think to ask about things like this,” he said with a sigh. “And now, because of you, Zoe is hurt and humiliated.”

I buried my face in my hands. To think that Zoe had her son taken from her, and I had twisted the knife… “Goddess, I’m such a jerk,” I muttered. “I never meant to cause her more pain. I just thought that if she and Drake could go on one date, then…”

My voice trailed off painfully; I couldn’t bear to utter the truth: that if she and Drake dated and reconciled, maybe, just maybe, Noah wouldn’t leave me for her.

Noah was silent for a moment, then said, “You should go apologize to her. In person.”

I looked up at him, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. He was right. I had royally screwed up, and Zoe deserved a face-to-face apology. Despite everything, she was in a tough situation—and I had only made it worse.

“You’re right,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

Noah nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “Good. She deserves that much.”

With that, Noah turned and left. I didn’t move until I heard the front door open and shut, followed by the rumble of his car pulling away. Even then, I only sank further down into my chair. He was right; I had to apologize to Zoe.